The Quarry – The Review
Written by Nikki-ann on Tuesday, 11 October , 2011 at 10:43 pm
Author: Johan Theorin
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 978-0-385-61929-5
Per Morner isn’t having a good time. As winter begins to leave the island of Öland, Per is preparing for his children’s Easter visit, but things aren’t looking good. His daughter is ill in hospital, which is bad enough, but then he receives a desperate phone call from his estranged father, Jerry.
Per arrives at Jerry’s photographic studio to find that he’s been stabbed and the place alight with fire. They escape with their lives, but two dead bodies are found in the burnt remains of the property. One of the bodies is confirmed to be Hans Bremer, Jerry’s work partner, but Jerry insists Bremer is still alive and a threat to his life.
When Jerry dies a few days later, Per makes it his mission to find out what really happened, unknowingly putting his own life in danger.
This is Johan Theorin’s third stand-alone novel based on the Baltic island of Öland. The island has a rich legacy of strange tales and folklore, some of which feature in The Quarry. I didn’t quite expect the talk of trolls and elves. I gradually realised it was just folklore, but wasn’t quite sure at first!
While Per Morner (and his family) are central to the story, we also get to meet some other colourful and, perhaps, unique characters. There’s Gerlof Davidsson who’s just moved back into his own cottage and is convinced he’s on his last legs, Max and Vendela – a couple who don’t quite go together, as well as others. Each character in the story has their own part to play and is there for a reason.
The Quarry is one of those books where there are several story strands and they gradually knit together throughout the course of the book. While some chapters do jump back in time, it is done well and the story is easy to follow.
This is by no means a fast-paced novel, but I didn’t find it slow either. It plodded along at a reasonable pace and I still found it rather gripping. In fact, I read the book within a couple of days, which is a rare occasion for me these days.
As Johan Theorin is a Swedish writer, the book has been translated into English. However, the words flow so well that, apart from the fact that it is set in Sweden, I might never have guessed that it was a translation.
I’d definitely recommend this atmospheric, Swedish crime thriller and I’ll certainly be checking out Johan Theorin’s previous two books set on Öland – Echoes from the Dead and The Darkest Room. I’ve heard he’s working on a fourth too.
Buy The Quarry by Johan Theorin.
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Please note: I received this book free from Transworld Publishers in return for a review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.
Comments (4)
Category: Books,Crime,Reviews,Thriller
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Comment by Yvonne
Made Wednesday, 12 of October , 2011 at 5:24 am
Hi Nikki,
Another new to me author and three great books, all to add to my reading list. It is good to know that we have books that are great stand alone stories, so I don’t have to follow them as a series, which is where it usually all falls apart for me.
The covers that you have highlighted are different to editions shown on some other sites, however your three are by far the most atmospheric.
‘The Quarry’ and ‘Echoes From The Dead’ are probably the two that I will be searching out first.
I also had to admit that I knew nothing about Oland and had to go away and do some research. I always thought that I was quite well read in World Geography, but it isn’t until something like this comes up that I realise just how many places there are in the world that are unknown to me. It is probably too late for me to ever hope to visit some of the beautiful places I come across, but the world is definitely shrinking for the youngsters out there and who can blame them for taking advantage of it?
Comment by Jenners
Made Thursday, 13 of October , 2011 at 1:57 am
I think the cover is pretty spooky looking … sounds like the inside is too.
Comment by Dot
Made Thursday, 13 of October , 2011 at 7:02 pm
Great review, I have this one in my TBR pile!
Comment by rashbre
Made Saturday, 15 of October , 2011 at 12:31 pm
The way you describe this one it seems to have a sort of Scandinavian version of a ‘Twin Peaks’ vibe about it. Trolls instead of Native American Spirits. Intriguing.
