A Modern Mystery Novel: The Chestnut Man

Something… or someone is plaguing Copenhagen. Creating chaos in the form of a trail of young mothers murdered and dismembered around the city. Leaving nothing but a calling card behind; a chestnut man which is a homemade doll composed of matchsticks and chestnuts. These dolls are small enough to glance over and common enough not to think it’s out of place.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

But when fingerprints on the doll reveal that they belong to the kidnapped and murdered daughter of the minister, who happened to have gone missing a year ago, people start trying to find pieces to glue together about the two cases.

How are the murders of young mothers and the missing girl related? None of the murdered women ran in the same circles as the young girl nor did they even know one another. With no obvious connections and every one coming to the conclusion that they are not related, the detectives are hitting a wall. One detective believes they are missing something, and those in power are trying to keep the past in the past. Why bring up that case again? They don’t want it under any scrutiny.

The two detectives themselves are trying to find their own rhythm to work with each other –as they have recently been partnered. One detective , Naia Thulin, is about to be transferred to another department upon request due to her thriving career and quick wit. She is very much over what she considers a very tedious job of hers in the major crime unit to be. Naia is ready to step into a new part of her life and find a more thrilling and fulfilling career. Her new partner is Mark Hess, a ragged and slightly chaotic man who is sent over from Europol .

He is joining the major crimes unit here while he is under disciplinary warning and review for not following the rules and running his mouth too much. Joining this team back in his home town is “penance for some blunder or other.” Odd and aloof, he is there just to await the conclusion from his bosses in Eurpol and go back to his previous life.

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Everyone involved in this story wants the case to go away and to not open up the past. Mistakes are bound to occur and people are bound to disagree. But with the chaos happening inside, will the chaos outside get solved ?

My thoughts on this mystery novel

I found this book to be a nice take on the classic detective mystery novel. It was very well written, had a good flow, and used modern writing while holding all the key points of the original detective novel writing style. From the police investigation, to the ways of gathering intel, to the descriptions of the crime scene, this debut novel sets it self apart without leaving you bored or starving for entertainment .

While it has very familiar aspects and prose throughout the story the author still manages to spin a unique story. You are dragged into the novel and held captive as they go about solving mysteries and murders.

At first I thought this book was going to be like every other detective novel out there but I quickly realized that while it follows the classic detective mystery, it sets its self apart quickly and really captivates the reader’s attention. I thoroughly enjoyed stepping into the mystery genre with this book and suggest it for anyone who is looking for a good detective mystery novel.