The Father: The award-winning totally gripping thriller inspired by real life (Made in Sweden) - Softcover

Svensson, Anton

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0751557811 ISBN 13: 9780751557817

Publisher: Sphere, 2016

Synopsis

'A powerful real-life story'
Guardian

An epic crime thriller for fans of Jo Nesbo, The Father is inspired by the extraordinary true story of three brothers who became Sweden's most successful criminals - written by their real brother.

None had committed a crime before. All were under 24 years old. All of them would be changed forever.

In this intoxicating, heartbreaking thriller, the real-life fourth brother, who was not involved in the real robberies, tells of three boys who grew from innocent children to become public enemy number one - and of the man who made them that way.

'Unique and stunning. One of the most powerful novels you'll read this year'
Stephen Booth

'The emotional centre of the story is truly compelling . . . the sweep and scope are epic'
Herald

'Superior. . . builds to a breathless climax'
Sun

'A deep, clean cut into the body of fathers, sons, loyalty and family'
Sainsburys Magazine

'Will delight fans of Nordic Noir'
Crime Fiction Lover

'Mind boggling and captivating'
The Crime Warp

'An incredible story'
Crime Time

'Incredibly efficient and easy to read . . . gripping and thrilling'
Helsingborgs Dagblad, Sweden

'An unbelievably exciting and authentic story. . . One of the year's best crime stories'
Östran, Sweden

'An insider story that beats any action film'
Aftonbladet, Sweden

'A remarkable blend of fact and fiction'
Skånska Dagbladet, Sweden

'Many of the scenes stick with you'
Expressen, Sweden

'A powerful and riveting reading experience'
Deckarbloggen, Sweden

'One of the summer's best thrillers'
Café, Sweden

'The action in The Father is captivating. It holds us in suspense from the first page to the last'
LitteraturMagazinet, Sweden

'I have a soft spot not only for suspense novels, but also for coming-of-age stories; here, I get both!'
Bokbabbel, Sweden

'The craftsmanship in this novel is first-class. It is both exciting and dramatic in an almost cinematic way'
Gefle Dagblad, Sweden

'It is hard to put The Father down for more than the briefest moment. It is an empathetic story that vividly portrays perpetrators, victims and police'
Upsala Nya Tidning, Sweden

'It is captivating to read about the inner workings of a gang of robbers'
Borås Tidning, Sweden

'A very clever suspense novel, a classic story of crime and punishment that is simultaneously a gripping family drama with a genuinely painful element'
BTJ, Sweden

'The Father is more than a traditional suspense novel. It is also a story of exclusion, a fractured family, an unfamiliar Sweden and a kind of honour culture. This is why it is so totally relevant to us'
Mariestads-Tidningen, Sweden

'The Father isn't just exciting - it also gives a sincere picture of a home that is a far cry from that of your average Joe'
Ölandsbladet, Sweden

'A thrilling novel that becomes something much more than a book you can't put down'
Tara, Sweden

'A flawlessly constructed thriller'
Femina, Sweden

'The Father is thoroughly exciting from the first line to the last. Seductively well-written'
Kristianstadsbladet, Sweden

'A gripping coming-of-age story, flush with exciting scenes and the psychological battle between father and son'
Falu-Kuriren, Sweden

'The Father is a novel where we know already from the beginning how it will all end, but the way there is worth our while'
Aftonbladet, Sweden

'A book that seems infallible: bring on the cartloads of stars, the stellar reviews and the millions of readers'
de Volkskrant, Netherlands

'The Father is a book that will elicit a lot of response, a must-read for every crime lover. Actually, a must for anyone who likes to read'
Hebban, The Netherlands

'An incredible crime novel'
Brabants Dagblad, Netherlands

'The meticulous preparation and execution of the robberies are depicted stunningly'
NRC Handelsblad, Netherlands

'It is amazing how much tension the authors create while merely describing the preparations for the robberies. Even more exciting are the robberies themselves'
VN Thriller & Detective Guide, Netherlands

'Never before have I read a book that so successfully explains how people can end up as criminals'
Het Nieuwsblad, Netherlands

'The Father provides an intriguing insight in the criminal life'
De Telegraaf, Netherlands

'The Father is a technically wonderful novel crafted with breathtaking cleverness'
Corriere della Sera, Italy

'Totally crazy, totally reckless and totally brilliant: a well-researched fictional reality of a book ... the best crime thriller of the year so far'
Nordjyske Stiftstidende, Denmark

'The structure is strictly cinematic: well-formed scenes with sharp dialogue and seamless progress, making reading a pleasure. Once you've started reading, it's hard to put the book down'
Politiken, Denmark

'It's extremely well written, thrilling, gripping, gruesome, cheerful, anguished, heartwarming, and ice cold - spectacular in all ways. The Father is a world-class piece of fiction'
Fredericia Dagblad, Denmark

'[An] action-packed page turner - not for the faint of heart'
Elle, Germany

About this title

About the Author:

'Anton Svensson' is a pseudonym for Stefan Thunberg and Anders Roslund.

Stefan Thunberg is one of Scandinavia's most celebrated screenwriters. His body of work spans popular TV-series such as Henning Mankell's Wallander and Håkan Nesser's Van Veeteren. The Father is Stefan Thunberg's debut novel.

Anders Roslund is an award-winning investigative journalist. Roslund is part of the New York Times bestselling author duo Roslund & Hellström, who are recipients of many prestigious awards, including the CWA International Dagger, the Glass Key and the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers' Award. Films and TV series based on Roslund & Hellström's novels are in the works, both in Hollywood and Europe.

Review:

Named by Publishers Weekly, A Best Book of 2016, Mystery/Thriller

"Riveting . . . Recommended for all fans of noir and Nordic crime fiction."―Booklist

"An exciting, yet tear-jerking thriller . . . As the reader watches these young lads turn into the 'Most Wanted' the action races, along with the crushing emotions of lives turned bad by a hideous parent."―Suspense Magazine

"Svensson heartbreakingly blurs the line between criminal and victim in this stunning first of a two-novel series . . . Readers will be eager to see how it all plays out in the sequel."
―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)


"An extraordinary book that works on every level for which it aims, as a fast-paced thriller, as a psychological portrait of the brilliant and charismatic older brother coming the father he loathed, and as an exploration of the damage violence wreaks on victims even when they are not physically harmed."
―Brian Bethune, Macleans


"The Father is a heck of a story, skillfully written and . . . darkly told, perfect for sociologists and criminologists, and virtually anyone who has ever cracked open a crime fiction novel and been spellbound."―Bookreporter

"A powerful real-life story."
―Guardian


"The novel The Father tells the incredible true story of the meticulously planned heists committed by young men with neither criminal records nor prior experience in armed holdups . . . a gripping, complete story that covers the whole bank robbery spree, and its bitter end."
―David Shaffer, Minneapolis Star-Tribune


"Superior . . . builds to a breathless climax."
―The Sun

"The writing is spare and lean, reminiscent of Richard Stark's Parker novels, but the sweep and scope are epic. The drama often lies in what isn't said, and the family dynamics are at once familiar and terrifyingly alien."
―The Herald


"Unbelievably exciting and authentic . . . one of the year's best crime stories."
―Östran (Sweden)


"A flawlessly constructed thriller."
―Femina (Sweden)


"A technically wonderful novel crafted with breathtaking cleverness."
―Corriere della Sera (Italy)


"A book of great depth . . . so plausible and convincing on the psychological mechanisms that lead to crime."
―Diversioni (Italy)


"An exciting story about family, brotherhood, guilt, the relationship between a father and his children, the sense of belonging, and about loyalty."
―Culturamas (Spain)


"Unique and stunning. One of the most powerful novels you'll read this year."―Stephen Booth

"An action-packed page turner --not for the faint of heart."―Elle (Germany)

"A remarkable blend of fact and fiction."―Skanska Dagladet (Sweden)

"A powerful and riveting reading experience."―Deckarbloggen (Sweden)

"The Father is captivating"―LiteraturMagazinet (Sweden)

"The Father is a book that will elect a lot of response, a must-read for every crime lover. Actually, a must for anyone who likes to read."―Hebban (The Netherlands)

"An incredible crime novel"―Brabants Dagblad (The Netherlands)

"It's extremely well written, thrilling, gripping, gruesome, cheerful, anguished, heartwarming, and ice cold --spectacular in all ways. The Father is a world-class piece of fiction."―Fredericia Dagblad (Denmark)

"Totally crazy, totally reckless, and totally brilliant...the best crime thriller of the year."―Nordjyske Stiftstidende (Denmark)

"Svensson pens a compelling narrative with themes of loyalty, obligation, revenge, and independence, paced as tightly and methodically as military tactical maneuvers . . . For fans of Henning Mankell and Scandinavian thrillers in general, The Father is an excellent addition to the genre . . . a sequel will be anticipated greatly."
―Foreword

"The authors works a kind of magic in the book that's evident even in translation; the combination of reporting and novel-writing going on here shouldn't work as well as it does. The Father...is incredibly gripping reading, ever bit as good - in fact, often quite a bit better - than the faddish Swedish crime fiction that's been dominating the fiction bestseller lists for over a decade."
―Open Letters Monthly


"The story of an ever increasingly violent crime spree . . . Fascinating."
―Caryn St. Clair, Bestsellersworld.com

About this edition

• Publisher: Sphere
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0751557811
• ISBN 13: 9780751557817
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 592