In Red Wolfe, Annika Bengtzon, a reporter for a Stockholm based tabloid, was planning to interview a journalist about an attack at a nearby airbase. When the reporter is killed, Annika feels that there is a link to the attack and the murder. Annika decides to investigate the reporters death even though her editor was against it.
As a character, Annika seems real and much different than other characters that I have seen portrayed. She refers to her colleague as an idiot at one point and I like how Marklund is able to capture Annika’s feelings and draw them out regarding an affair her husband is having.
While the writing is dynamic, my problem with the book is that it is the fifth book in the series. There are many references to Marklund’s previous book, The Bomber. Unfortunately, that book, along with all of her other earlier books is not available in this country unless you order it through a bookstore like Barnes & Noble although I don’t know if that will work either.
It doesn’t seem right for people who have kindle or other reading devices to read this book when the other books aren’t available. Depending on the writer, reading the first book in the series would be important because it gives you a good starting point on the characters. Maybe some writers can pull it off without having the readers referring to the earlier books but it’s more than obvious that you can’t do that with Liza Marklund’s books.
If anything, I thought that references to the previous books was a major distraction, especially since the same serial killer is in this book as well as The Bomber. As a result, I found the book very hard to read and to have the fifth book start on the affair her husband.
These are the major reasons that I can’t give this book more than three stars. I’m sure I would have given the book a better rating if I was able to read the other books in the series. Maybe the lesson learned is not to start a series of books in the middle. It was certainly the case in Red Wolfe.
Rick Holman
As a character, Annika seems real and much different than other characters that I have seen portrayed. She refers to her colleague as an idiot at one point and I like how Marklund is able to capture Annika’s feelings and draw them out regarding an affair her husband is having.
While the writing is dynamic, my problem with the book is that it is the fifth book in the series. There are many references to Marklund’s previous book, The Bomber. Unfortunately, that book, along with all of her other earlier books is not available in this country unless you order it through a bookstore like Barnes & Noble although I don’t know if that will work either.
It doesn’t seem right for people who have kindle or other reading devices to read this book when the other books aren’t available. Depending on the writer, reading the first book in the series would be important because it gives you a good starting point on the characters. Maybe some writers can pull it off without having the readers referring to the earlier books but it’s more than obvious that you can’t do that with Liza Marklund’s books.
If anything, I thought that references to the previous books was a major distraction, especially since the same serial killer is in this book as well as The Bomber. As a result, I found the book very hard to read and to have the fifth book start on the affair her husband.
These are the major reasons that I can’t give this book more than three stars. I’m sure I would have given the book a better rating if I was able to read the other books in the series. Maybe the lesson learned is not to start a series of books in the middle. It was certainly the case in Red Wolfe.
Rick Holman