Thrillers & Suspense
![Ian Giles - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B01KOOBPMS.jpg)
Geiger
For a seemingly perfect family, a single word will change everything in this edge‑of‑your‑seat thriller for fans of The Silent Patient and The Whisper Man.
It's early summer in Stockholm. Agneta and Stellan Broman have just waved off their daughters and grandchildren when the landline phone rings. The caller says just one word: "Geiger." Agneta hangs up, finds her old pistol, kills her husband of fifty years and then disappears from their home without a trace.
Sara Nowak, a police officer in the prostitution unit, is called by a colleague who is investigating the murder. Stellan was a widely loved former television presenter, and Sara grew up next door to the Bromans, spending much of her childhood in their grand house. Both the victim's daughters and Sara are devastated by the killing, and going against all regulations, Sara gets involved in the investigation. It is the beginning of a dark journey, leading back to the Cold War and fatal ideologies, and the truth about Sara's own childhood.
Exciting, compelling, and full of twists you'll never see coming, Geiger is Gustaf Skördeman's incredible debut thriller.
It's early summer in Stockholm. Agneta and Stellan Broman have just waved off their daughters and grandchildren when the landline phone rings. The caller says just one word: "Geiger." Agneta hangs up, finds her old pistol, kills her husband of fifty years and then disappears from their home without a trace.
Sara Nowak, a police officer in the prostitution unit, is called by a colleague who is investigating the murder. Stellan was a widely loved former television presenter, and Sara grew up next door to the Bromans, spending much of her childhood in their grand house. Both the victim's daughters and Sara are devastated by the killing, and going against all regulations, Sara gets involved in the investigation. It is the beginning of a dark journey, leading back to the Cold War and fatal ideologies, and the truth about Sara's own childhood.
Exciting, compelling, and full of twists you'll never see coming, Geiger is Gustaf Skördeman's incredible debut thriller.
Editorial Reviews
"Skördeman keeps readers fully engaged right up to the last shattering revelations. This tale of Cold War revenge and familial anguish will resonate with many."―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"A fast-paced thriller . . . An impressive debut."―Financial Times
"Engrossing."―Kirkus
"An astonishing, assured and terrifying debut. Many books have pretensions to be the next Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but Geiger actually delivers - reaching that level and beyond. Remarkable."―David Young, award-winning author of STASI CHILD
"Exciting, extremely clever, incredible. An instant classic."―Tom Marcus, bestselling author of SOLDIER SPY
"The very definition of a thriller. Plotting as good as Lee Child, pacing as good as Harlan Coben but with a completely original voice. Absolutely brilliant."―Helen Fields, author of PERFECT REMAINS
"Expect a blockbuster movie."―Saga Magazine
"A great debut novel that hits all the right buttons with a great lead character… This one is not to be missed."―Red Carpet Crash
"A fast-paced thriller . . . An impressive debut."―Financial Times
"Engrossing."―Kirkus
"An astonishing, assured and terrifying debut. Many books have pretensions to be the next Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but Geiger actually delivers - reaching that level and beyond. Remarkable."―David Young, award-winning author of STASI CHILD
"Exciting, extremely clever, incredible. An instant classic."―Tom Marcus, bestselling author of SOLDIER SPY
"The very definition of a thriller. Plotting as good as Lee Child, pacing as good as Harlan Coben but with a completely original voice. Absolutely brilliant."―Helen Fields, author of PERFECT REMAINS
"Expect a blockbuster movie."―Saga Magazine
"A great debut novel that hits all the right buttons with a great lead character… This one is not to be missed."―Red Carpet Crash
Readers Top Reviews
Female ReaderJ. Frym
I had this on my to read list because of rave reviews, but not sure it was worth the bother. It is readable and engaging, but hardly gripping. The background ambivalence of Sweden's neutrality during the Cold War (and incidentally World War II as well) gives the plot a bit more depth than a conventional thriller or spy story. However, the holes and inconsistencies are too glaring. For instance, I kept wondering how Sara could keep on with her moonlighting investigation without it getting in the way of her main job. I found Agnethe the only character of any substance. The others seemed to be cardboard props.
Lagoon
Sweden’s involvement in the Cold War has never caused much of a stir. Perhaps it should have done. The tale spun here concerns the former East Germany and Sweden’s plans for protecting itself from communist aggression. I can’t believe that everything the author has touched on here is fictional. If it is, all credit to him, as I was utterly taken in. The book begins with Agneta, calmly shooting her husband, Stellan, through his temple, before leaving the family home. From that point on, she is somebody else. And the transformation is startling. Sara, a policewoman working in the sex crimes unit picks up the case. It happens that Sara knew Stellan; although perhaps not as well as she imagined. I want to say more but there is a lot to discover here and you should enjoy it firsthand. This is an engrossing read and the author has done a masterful job in reigniting not only a fascinating period but in showing how the tentacles of the Cold War had a far longer reach than perhaps many of us suspected.
