Published by Simon and Schuster on October 1, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Historical, General, Crime, Literary
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: ARC
Goodreads
“The Alienist set in eighteenth-century Stockholm: Brawny, bloody, intricate, enthralling—and the best historical thriller I’ve read in twenty years.” —A.J. Finn, #1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“Thrilling, unnerving, clever, and beautiful.” —Fredrik Backman, #1 bestselling author of A Man Called Ove
“Chilling and thought-provoking. Relentless, well-written, and nearly impossible to put down.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
One morning in the autumn of 1793, watchman Mikel Cardell is awakened from his drunken slumber with reports of a body seen floating in the Larder, once a pristine lake on Stockholm’s Southern Isle, now a rancid bog. Efforts to identify the bizarrely mutilated corpse are entrusted to incorruptible lawyer Cecil Winge, who enlists Cardell’s help to solve the case. But time is short: Winge’s health is failing, the monarchy is in shambles, and whispered conspiracies and paranoia abound.
Winge and Cardell become immersed in a brutal world of guttersnipes and thieves, mercenaries and madams. From a farmer’s son who is lead down a treacherous path when he seeks his fortune in the capital to an orphan girl consigned to the workhouse by a pitiless parish priest, their investigation peels back layer upon layer of the city’s labyrinthine society. The rich and the poor, the pious and the fallen, the living and the dead—all collide and interconnect with the body pulled from the lake.
Breathtakingly bold and intricately constructed, The Wolf and the Watchman brings to life the crowded streets, gilded palaces, and dark corners of late-eighteenth-century Stockholm, offering a startling vision of the crimes we commit in the name of justice, and the sacrifices we make in order to survive.
First, I must confess this is not the sort of book I usually read these days. One look at my Goodreads shelf and you can see that I have developed a preference for lighthearted, romantic, and humorous novels. I was surprised to win the sweepstakes for this work and thought that since it intrigued me enough to go through the hassle of filling in a form, the least I could do was read it and share my thoughts. All expectations I had were completely crushed after the first chapter. I don’t know why, but I wasn’t expecting the novel to be as dark and gritty as it was. This is all my fault, as it clearly states in the publisher’s notes that the work is reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs and I didn’t give that label as much weight as I ought.
Eighteenth-century Stockholm, as described by the author, is not a time or place that I ever want to visit. We are introduced to a depressing setting filled with brutality and corruption that seems to be a central theme in Nordic noir. Niklas Natt och Dag expertly weaves scenes that are beautiful despite the description illustrating a horrifying scene. During the more brutal scenes, I was inwardly screaming and shaking my head vehemently but couldn’t quite bring myself to put the book down. This is a testament to the remarkable descriptive details employed by the author throughout the book.
Each of the main characters possessed a distinct voice and personality of their own that made following the quick pace and dialogue easy to follow. Cecil Winge, our Sherlock Holmes type character, had an unflappable nature that sung through the author’s writing. His rigid control over himself, his brain filled with libraries showed his effort to compartmentalize. Winge’s actions are exactly what I had expected and yet as the plot grew, Winge changes as well. Cardell, a former military man, painted a stark contrast to Winge. This isn’t to insinuate that Cardell wasn’t intelligent, but his interactions were far more reliant on emotional response. A scene within a brothel type house where the proprietress makes some appalling declarations. Winge takes note of the information calmly while Cardell is ready to toss the woman out a window and burn the building to the ground.
Part two treats readers to a change of perspective. Blix, a sunny farm boy, charmed by the grandeur of Stockholm writes letters to describe his day to day activities for his sister. Seeing Stockholm through his eyes made the setting, seem like a Regency novel. Anna Stina, the main character from part three, continues to be dear to my heart. An innocent young lady forced into the workhouse where, much like Blix, her view of the world radically shifts and yet she desperately tries to hold on to herself as she tries to escape.
Three seemingly separate stories come together within The Wolf and the Watchman and illustrate humans and how each of us has a bit of darkness within. The Wolf and the Watchman is a haunting debut novel. The expertise the author exhibited as he wove a tale dripping with sorrow, questionable morals, and appalling actions. As I think back on it though, I am surprised by the amount of determination the four characters show as they trudge through their harsh realities. The Wolf and the Watchman falls along the spectrum of true crime category for me. It would be difficult for me to say I loved the story, but the writing was superb and provoked strong emotions out of a reader that is usually neutral. I highly recommend this novel to readers that enjoy Nordic noir, horror and the darker thrillers.
