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  • A Death in Sweden
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
4,473 global ratings
5 star
45%
4 star
37%
3 star
12%
2 star
4%
1 star
3%
A Death in Sweden

A Death in Sweden

byKevin Wignall
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Top positive review

All positive reviews›
David H. Eisenberg
4.0 out of 5 starsA pleasant and professional action genre novel
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2020
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.
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3 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›
J. Martin
2.0 out of 5 starsIntelligence novel lacking just that
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2016
Although I enjoyed the pace of the read and took it for what it was worth, nothing in the content was ever really developed enough to stir many emotions or make me think the author had many in writing it either. The inner dialogue of our protagonist was about as unimaginable as it comes, the settings were about as non descriptive as a tourist pamphlet and at no point did any other character surprise or act in any other way than to push the plot forward. I was dying for a twist or something to make me think our hero was actually in peril but not once did I think that the next page would give me a WTF moment and sadly it never did. Even the big reveal in the final pages was telegraphed from the first few paragraphs and since there was nothing to hint at this in between it felt as if the author put in an ah ha moment just for the sake of having one. Basically the whole story reads like a high school outline of how to write a fast paced spy thriller without the spying or the thrills. What you think is going to happen pretty much does and there isn't enough character and setting development to distract from the fact that this book feels like it was written by some software algorithm not someone who actually cares about the words they are putting on the pages. I will say it kept me turning those pages, but only in search of a payoff that never came. A Death in Sweden was more of A Nap on the Couch for me.
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16 people found this helpful

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From the United States

David H. Eisenberg
4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant and professional action genre novel
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
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.
3 people found this helpful
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Garrett Hutson
4.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced, complex, and enjoyable thriller
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
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.
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J. Martin
2.0 out of 5 stars Intelligence novel lacking just that
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
Although I enjoyed the pace of the read and took it for what it was worth, nothing in the content was ever really developed enough to stir many emotions or make me think the author had many in writing it either. The inner dialogue of our protagonist was about as unimaginable as it comes, the settings were about as non descriptive as a tourist pamphlet and at no point did any other character surprise or act in any other way than to push the plot forward. I was dying for a twist or something to make me think our hero was actually in peril but not once did I think that the next page would give me a WTF moment and sadly it never did. Even the big reveal in the final pages was telegraphed from the first few paragraphs and since there was nothing to hint at this in between it felt as if the author put in an ah ha moment just for the sake of having one. Basically the whole story reads like a high school outline of how to write a fast paced spy thriller without the spying or the thrills. What you think is going to happen pretty much does and there isn't enough character and setting development to distract from the fact that this book feels like it was written by some software algorithm not someone who actually cares about the words they are putting on the pages. I will say it kept me turning those pages, but only in search of a payoff that never came. A Death in Sweden was more of A Nap on the Couch for me.
16 people found this helpful
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NLBHorton
4.0 out of 5 stars On a Par with Recent Works by Baldacci and Berry
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2018
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A Death in Sweden is a very engaging book, on a par with recent works by Baldacci and Berry. Wignall's writing is clear and concise. He must've had a great editor because the tempo is crisp. The book doesn't lag anywhere, and the author ties everything together at the end.

The characters are believable, although I'm tired of male thriller protagonists bedding every woman they encounter—and all of those women being beautiful. But until traditional publishing contacts with more female thriller writers I'll just have to live with the chauvanistic stereotypes. That being written, I'm becoming more selective about what I purchase because horn-dog protagonists are boring me.

A couple of reviewers mentioned the immorality of the crimes committed in this book, but I've yet to read a thriller that doesn't contain murder and mayhem. The ending of A Death in Sweden is uplifting, a pleasant and unexected twist.

I've ordered Wignall's other books and look forward to reading them. Highly recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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John Sollami
4.0 out of 5 stars Clever Escapes
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2020
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In these surreal times, it's mentally relieving to escape into a dream, and this novel presents an elaborate dream world of good guys and bad guys jumping back and forth between the dark side and the light. The main character, Dan, is an ex-CIA freelancer with a past and an ever-unfolding present. But he's got a moral compass that directs him into deep waters, secret recesses, conflicted relationships, and close friendships that frequently end with a fatal bullet from the gun of a previous "friend."
Dan, Charlie, and a fellow operator, Inger, are the only characters here who are developed enough to be real people instead of cut-out devils or angels. Charlie, a likable close friend, unfortunately is just a brief presence. They are all interesting enough, though, along with clever plotting and good detailing, to keep the pages turning, and the loose ends are tied neatly together, particularly in the Epilogue. There is never a doubt that Dan will triumph, even as Wignall constructs elaborate mouse traps to try to get his neck snapped.
This is a quick and satisfying read, though somewhat predictable. Wignall knows how to write tight sentences and constrains passion and violence well, but I'm not sure the publisher knows how to edit. For instance, outside scenes describe people and things dropping to the "floor" instead of the ground and the word "guy" is overused. Nonetheless, this work is well constructed and entertaining. If you want to forget the madness for a few hours, here's a nice remedy.
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Another Angel
1.0 out of 5 stars Homophobic subplot
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
I've read a few other books by this author and enjoyed them, but after this one I don't think I'll be buying any more ever. The characters are simplistic and generic in all of his books I've read, but I found the plot and action interesting enough to overlook that before. Not this time.

This time he pulled out the tired, bigoted 'woman claims to be a lesbian to discourage a guy's advances, then realizes she likes him... tada, no more lesbian!' trope. It's only made worse by the guy thinking she didn't seem like a lesbian initially either. Plays into the gross straight male fantasy that lesbians just need the right guy to 'fix' them. If she'd just been cold to him, pretended to have a boyfriend, or some other excuse until she warmed to him, I would have been fine with it. But this just smacks of homophobic prejudice and I couldn't get past it.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars 4 or 3 - I'm not sure
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
I've read a number of the 5, 4, and 3 star reviews, as well as a few 1 and 2 star ones. I found a lot to agree with in the top reviews, and several things to disagree with in the lower ones.

There were quite a few errors that should have been identified and corrected in editing, but not so many or so egregious as to be more than minor distractions.

I liked the story and the main characters. The pace is slower than most thrillers, but I liked the introspection of Dan. The mystery surrounding the bad guys kept the suspense alive.

This will not be one of my favorite authors, but I will read more of his books.
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Althaea
2.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced but skewed moral compass made for unlikeable protagonist
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2015
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Although fast-paced as expected of the genre, the overuse and misuse of punctuation was distracting (too many commas where they shouldn't be). Also there was more introspection than necessary, especially since it wasn't being told in the first person POV, but even that and the seemingly tacked-on backstory of the protagonist weren't enough to make me like him when he arbitrarily decided which people he would kill or let live. By the end of the book I felt both Dan and Alex were simply sociopaths who ought to be taken out by Canale.
The worst part, though, was how easily the key piece of evidence just fell into his lap. It was too easy, like the writer had cheated the game somehow. Not exactly deus ex machina but pretty darn close.
The one thing I did like was how the Prologue and Epilogue were tied together. Even that could have been played up better if Luca hadn't been such a superfluous character, but I was at least glad to have finished reading the book to get to that part. Nothing about this book made me want to read any of the author's other books though.
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Douglas Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Another new favorite author for me
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2015
Verified Purchase
I'll be looking for more of Kevin Wignall's work from here on. I was very fortunate to get it as an Amazon Prime monthly special, and based on their usual fare I has assumed it was an effort to plug a rising author. So I was stunned at the quality of the writing and the tightness of the plot in this story. Then I came back to the author page and realized that Kevin has a pretty long track record, and well deserved at that. So this is the kind of work that you should expect from a well--established author, and you won't be disappointed. Swedish mysteries are all the rage since the Dragon Tattoo series but actually this story has a much wider European travelogue sweep than that; it just happens that the death in Sweden kicks the cycle off (although there also some Swedish scenes to please you if you were expecting more of the Dragon Tattoo genre). Think of this as LeCarre with a bit more violent action or Jason Bourne toned down to be a bit more realistic.
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A Voracious Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars The good, the bad, the ugly
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2016
Verified Purchase
4.5

*Book source ~ Kindle First

A former MI6 agent and CIA contractor, Dan Hendricks is now a free agent, doing jobs for whoever has the money to pay him. His specialty is finding and acquiring fugitives, but when former agents, his friends, start turning up dead he realizes his time is running out. With a lifeline thrown his way by a former boss he sets out on his most important mission yet - find out who Jacques Fillon truly was and why he was hiding in Sweden. If Dan can do that maybe he’ll have the leverage he needs to erase the target off his back.

For a thriller this was more suspenseful than thrilling. There is plenty of intrigue and lots of gore and killing, but there are also some really slow parts that tend to distract from the main story. Especially the romance which had me rolling my eyes. Is Dan Hendricks supposed to be James Bond? *snorts* But the plot did keep me interested from beginning to end. Who was this Jacques Fillon? Why did he save a random stranger on a bus? Why is the CIA interested in him and why are they killing off former agents or those who did their dirty work even though they weren’t a security risk? So many questions and the answers will eventually be revealed. All-in-all a decent read.
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