The Hypnotist

A Novel

By: Lars Kepler

Narrated by: Saul Reichlin

Length: 17 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • The first of the Killer Instinct series featuring Detective Joona Linna: a triple murder, the one surviving witness—a boy with no memory of what happened—and the hypnotist hired to help uncover the truth.

“Full of surprises and more than enough twists to keep those pages turning well into the night.” —NPR

The police are desperate for information on the triple homicide. Detective Joona Linna enlists the help of hypnotist Erik Maria Bark. But when Bark unlocks the secrets in the boy’s memory, he triggers a terrifying chain of events that will put all their lives in jeopardy.

©2018 Lars Kepler (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Full of surprises and more than enough twists to keep those pages turning well into the night.” —NPR

“Compellingly grisly.” —Vogue

“A gripping series of twists and turns.... A natural successor to the Stieg Larsson series.” —Parade

Nonstop suspense

I recently discovered this author. I am hooked on the characters. Great story line, keeps you wondering.

Storyline was lacking

The Hypnotist could have been a fantastic story. I'm aware it was a really long book, however, it FELT like a really long book. It was like multiple books inside one, there is almost 3 storylines going on and I'm not sure it worked for me. I kept listening and I liked the story but there was just so much extra that didn't feel necessary and for me that was the issue. Also, I felt like the husband and wife had the worst communication that I have ever seen. I have no idea how their relationship continued as it was and how they never talk to each other throughout the book. It all felt off, wrong.

Tee-Dee-Us

Is it me or was this book way longer than it needed to be? The story had a promising start, the narrator was fine. I managed to finish it...surviving a convoluted plot, bizarre twists, plodding flashbacks and a chapter with an odd switch from third to first person POV. The characters were loose sketches, but the dialogue did help me rank the least likeable among them. (Did anyone not find Simone unpleasant and annoying?) I'm less harsh than I'd be otherwise because of my more positive experiences with Lars Kepler crime fiction. For anyone wanting to wade into the Joona Linna series, sorry but I don't suggest beginning with this one.

Excellent dark drama

This compelling, and often creepy, story is full of suspense and twists as each chapter unfolds! Could not put it down.

All over the place

This book could have used a better editor. I don’t know if this author was a big deal when this came out, and so editors are less precise, but there were some odd repetitions of sentences that made no sense (eg. Characters saying the same thing with slightly different wording as if they hadn’t just said it), the plot turns are driven by easily avoidable situations (eg. Plot driven by poor character decisions that no one would make), the second half feels like different book, such that the entire book feels like two books that were glued together. That and the fact that hypnosis doesn’t work the way the writer requires it to work made the book frustrating.

The reader was excellent!

Disliked crude language

I’m honestly not a prude and I read banned books :-) however, the use of the C word to describe a woman’s anatomy was just disgusting and unnecessary. I also don’t particularly care for the narration of a lot of European writers. The narrators just have this kind of formal tone to the voice I just don’t care for.

The book was pretty good

I enjoyed the narrator and the story was decent. I usually listen to Pendergast or The Oregon Files so I didn't really care for all the affairs and fighting between eric and Simon. Boring! If you like drama you will enjoy this story.

Great story

Great thriller, good story, psychological thriller , gave me a moment to think about hypnosis, keeping me to listen all the time.

I tried…

I’m not giving up. Alexa and I are looking forward to giving this Audible listen another chance. Will write more later. Over and out for now. Carry on.

Too long

Story seemed to go on forever with too many plot lines. Also too unbelievable that someone who has been popping pills for years can just stop cold turkey without much problem and that a daughter is lighting cigarettes around her mother’s oxygen machine!