A Death in Sweden

Breezy read without obvious predictability . Will likely try some of this author’s other novels. Etc etc etc etc etc. And one more etc to complete 20 word requirement

You know, sometimes I like a book, and I look at the bad reviews (1 or 2 stars), and I'm sort of shocked that people feel that way. Boring? I don't know. If it's boring, so is every other book like it. If you like the genre you accept that the hero is going to have a lot of physical prowess and courage, is going to score with a woman (or women) who is not only beautiful, but much younger than him, and will have some kind of sad history - drinking, brutal father, dead family, etc. And, you can expect that kind of thing here. Although the protagonist, Dan, here, claims he is merely above average and that is good enough to beat most opponents; he seemed pretty confident he could go 1 on 5 against a secure location and come away okay, and he bedded a beautiful woman pretty quick although you might think a normal person (and she is) would shy away from a professional kidnapper/killer.Basically, I liked Dan. I liked his gal. I liked his boss. And I like to like characters. We've gone from a time when the hero was always good to one where you might be surprised he is an anti-hero, to a time when they are almost all anti-heroes, and, in fact, their best quality is often that they are self-condemning. In so much fiction these days, more tv, I find it hard to like anyone.Though yes, as one commenter wrote, you know what was going to happen, maybe. I wasn't sure the whole time about those supposedly on his side and you shouldn't either. Or how everything will turn out.There was not a droning on about the various types of guns used, which has been overdone now, Dan made mistakes and there was even one out and out foul-up where you felt, how stupid was he. That makes the hero more believable. But, that's not the main thing. I like Reacher books for example, and I call all books of this genre Reacher books now when the hero is a super-human. What matters most is - was it well written? I think he's a good writer. I did not understand the really critical reviews. I have read many bad books in this genre, where I am one and done, and others where I read a good book, but one was enough. I expect I will be reading a lot of Wignall books. Glad I tried him.

This was a fast-paced an enjoyable thriller, with lots of danger, suspense, and intrigue. When we meet him, Dan's colleagues are getting killed one-by-one, and it's clear he's on the target list. One of the fun mysteries of the story is whether or not he can trust Patrick, or Inger, or anyone else. The basic premise (that the CIA is now killing off the mercenary assassins that it used in the past for "plausible deniability"), while not strictly realistic, is an enjoyable set-up.Dan is an interesting character, who has done some unsavory things in the past, and we get some insights into his own wrestling with his past actions. We feel the danger he's in, and actively root for him to one-up the bad guys and survive. We get to see him grow as a person now that he's on the other side, and the author does a great job with this character development--until the end. After expressing admiration for a dead hero's quest for justice for a murdered French girl, and even taking on that quest for himself for the bulk of the novel, Dan seems to forget that lesson all of a sudden and embraces revenge.There is a high body-count in this story, and most of them are not gratuitous (they give us a good flavor of the dark necessities of Black Ops work)...but in the final sequence in Berlin, I felt that a few of the people Dan killed didn't need to die. I felt this especially strongly about the first killing in Berlin (an IT guy). This one death in particular left me with a bad taste, undoing much of my good-feeling for Dan. But in the end, the plot and relationships wrapped up nicely, and I was left with having enjoyed the ride.

This was my Kindle pick of the month, and I have no regrets. As books go, my genre of interest continuously shifted as I matured. From forbidden Mills and Boon classics to Silhouette lurid romance-in-a-tome series. International espionage held my interest the longest. I devoured elegant classics from from Ian Fleming (James Bond) to Raymond Chandler, from James Hardley Chase to Robert Ludlum (The Matarese Circle, The Icarus Agenda, Bourne Identity). Because my job involves reading, I am no longer as prolific in fiction as I once was, although fantasy continues to hold my interest.A death in Sweden is a fast read. In all, it took me about 6 hours; I would not review a book without navigating it from beginning to end. Diction is simple without being overly simplified. Characters are thrust upon the reader in real time, as opposed to elaborate introductions that reveal backgrounds and set the stage for future conflict with other characters. Unlike my treasured espionage fiction in the past, its setting is contemporary, from naming one superficial character after Apple's Personal Assistant (Siri) to references to recent significant international events like the Arab spring.The story is told in the third-person point of view, and mainly swirls around Dan Hendricks. Hendricks is a mercenary for hire - not exactly a Jedi Knight - although in the past he had worked at least indirectly for the likes of the CIA and MI6. While in the field on a current mission, he learns of the demise of his confederates, and that death was hot on his trail for some unidentified past sin. Not content to merely roll over, shrivel up and die, with the help of an also-hunted friend, he sets out to unravel the plot that would see him and his remaining friend swimming with the fishes. His efforts must trace a path through Sweden, where the mystery of the death of a man who-was-not-quite-what-he-seemed must be unraveled.For an avid reader like myself, the book lacked some of the in-depth treatment that I am accustomed to. It somewhat lacks the penetrating analysis and the graphic description of scenes and environments that can really reel a reader in and make him or her live vicariously through the protagonist. Character development was a bit stilted. Interactions between the characters were a bit off-putting, particularly between Hendricks and the female he encounters early in his quest. Hendricks - though he tries - does not quite achieve the world-weary cynicism of Tyrione Lannister, the sophisticated chicanery of James Bond or the lethal deadliness of Jason Bourne. His apparent need to justify his actions with other characters clashes with the callousness by which he sometimes proceeds about his grim business.But what the book lacks in intricate descriptions and elaborate nuances it furnishes in a good fast-paced plot and a likeable character. My rating of the book is by no means an indication of my displeasure with it. It is a good, interesting book that should garner the attention of its reader. My rating is based on my comparison of it to other books in the genre that I have read. I would recommend this book.

Not sure how I came across this book and author but am so glad I did. A brilliant story of intrigue, fear, betrayal, friendship and told so beautifully. It may have a somewhat violent storyline but somehow that isn’t the overriding point. Dan Hendricks is a professional killer, employed by the government/CIA to get rid of difficult individuals. He doesn’t shirk from what he has to do and accepts the risks. Until his friends and colleagues are taken out, one by one and the target is now very firmly on his back. The story is told over a few days. So much is packed in but there isn’t one sentence, word or full stop that isn’t absolutely necessary to the telling. Crisp, excellent pace, great dialogue. Absolutely brilliant.

Another great Kindle First for the second month running ... I could get used to this, please keep this up Amazon!This is more a thriller with spies than a spy book with thrills and should appeal to most suspense thriller lovers. There's a great opening prologue, a clear start to the book and it's a fast paced easy quick read with a good ending.There's swearing at times but it's in context and sex happens but it's not intimately described. There's plenty of killing but surprisingly little detail considering the storyline so it's definitely not gory in my opinion. There were some editing issues, rather more than I'd expect in a book that is not self published but again they didn't affect my enjoyment.Although I loved the book there were some small issues. I didn't think it was a very realistic portrayal of spies. The main protagonist, Dan Hendricks, who is an independent operative used by the security services, opened up to the female Swedish security service official, Inger, a little too quickly considering his occupation and one of the spies in the book had no password on his computer which I didn't think was very likely! It feels as if the author is trying to make the reader root for Dan but this is sometimes difficult as he is a gun for hire and he inevitably kills lots of people. Even so this is a very readable book and I'd recommend it to most general readers who enjoy a fast paced read.At times the dialogue is a little confusing as its not always made clear who is speaking and a "Dan (or whoever) said" would have helped. The author seems a fan of the word "then" and although the word is mostly used correctly, it's also used at times when it was superfluous, eg "he picked up his glass then and ....." and "He looked at her then and ...". However I am being picky here and it didn't really affect my enjoyment of this great book so I give it 4 1/2 stars which I've upgraded to 5 stars as Amazon doesn't do half stars and I think it deserves more than 4 stars.

I have read two other wignall novels which i found really good, death in vienna being one of them, this one however death in Sweden, seemed like it was not written by Kevin Wignall at all, it was quite messy and the over use of the term....guy. Seemed to make the whole story quite amateurish, plenty of twists but the main characters were a little bit stereo typed and quite feeble, some people will really like it but having read “a fragile thing” and “death in Vienna” i found it a remarkable let down.

Reading this book is a bit like the first time you heard Donald Trump speak. Polite attention slowly gives way to bewilderment and a growing realisation that you are in the presence of either a chancer or a maladroit. Fiction, by its very name, gives the game away before you open a book so the skill of an author is to make the story believable within the framework of the reader's imagination. I would suggest that to posit a hit team of ten to fifteen experienced CIA operatives, able to consistently track down one man as he travels around Europe but subsequently fling themselves into his pistol bullets like ducks in a fairground shooting gallery, is not the best method of convincing us.

This story begins with a crash ..An operative is sent on a mission to find answers and this hardened man who pulls no punches can kill with the blink of an eye will work for the highest bidder has no one but a scattering of real friends goes in sensing knowing ..something isn't right here ..From there there are the real bad guys who are sent to find him to kill him someone doesn't want the story told. But this operative delves deeper on the run with a beautiful Swedish lady..How far is this man prepared to go to seek the truth?.When I first started to read this book I thought it was a spy novel it turned out I was wrong this book has murder betrayal romance darkness and a hero who had to change his life for a reason so precious and pure it will make you want to cry .. This lone operative doesn't know who to trust ...in the search for the truth ..This book made me want to scream , cry and let my imagination run wild. ... it was another of those books that you feel like your in the room with the characters. .I loved this book.