The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup Narrator: Peter Noble
Series: Naia Thulin #1
Published by HarperAudio on September 03, 2019
Genres: Mystery
Length: 15 hours, 9 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
A 2020 Audie Awards winner - mysteryIF YOU FIND ONE, HE’S ALREADY FOUND YOU....The heart-pounding debut from the creator of the hit Scandinavian television show The Killing.A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen.His calling card is a “chestnut man” - a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts - which he leaves at each bloody crime scene.Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery - a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.A tragic coincidence - or something more twisted?To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.And no one is safe.
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Søren Sveistrup is a new-to-me author, so I had no idea what to expect with this story. I ended up having a great time with it. It was interesting to tackle a police procedural set in a completely different country. This story mostly takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, and follows Mark Hess, who is pushed out of Europol after some issues and lands in the Murder Squad, much to his dismay. He’s partnered with detective Naia Thulin, who feels her talents have not been utilized as well as they could be because her boss is holding her back.
The pair end up working on a case where a mother is killed, her hand is missing, and a chestnut man (a small toy figure made of two chestnuts glued together with toothpicks for arms and legs) is found at the scene. They don’t know if the chestnut man is relevant, but as with any murder scene, they bag and tag everything as evidence. Then they discover a fingerprint belonging to someone who was declared dead—despite the fact that no body was ever found. To complicate things further, someone even confessed to killing her, dismembering her, and scattering the body parts in the forest.
As Hess and Thulin investigate, the higher-ups pressure them to close the case and stop chasing strange details. But when more women turn up dead, each missing body parts and accompanied by chestnut men, they uncover a possible connection to abuse or neglect of the victims’ children.
I really enjoyed this story, not just because of the intriguing plot but also because of the characters. Hess and Thulin worked so well together once they got to know each other. The mystery kept me hooked, and I had no idea who the killer was until the author revealed it. The identity of the murderer was a complete shock—it was someone I never would have guessed. Hess and Thulin do an excellent job solving the case, and the story kept me engaged the entire time. However, it is quite dark, so squeamish readers may want to skip it. The gruesomeness reminded me a bit of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Personally, I enjoy darker stories, so this was right up my alley.
I didn’t realize this book was adapted into a Netflix show. I don’t have Netflix at the moment, but I plan to watch it when I subscribe again. I’ve been rotating between streaming platforms to save money.
Narration:
This was my first time listening to Peter Noble, and I thought he did a great job with the narration. The voices of the characters were spot on, and I never had trouble distinguishing who was speaking. He handled both women’s and children’s voices well, and I found myself completely immersed in his storytelling. I would definitely listen to him again.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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I loved the audiobook of The Chestnut Man. I also currently don’t have Netflix but when I do I should check out the show. I did forget about it coming out lol. Have a great day!
I watched this show and it was good. Good to know there’s a book too.