The Quarry - Johan Theorin

As the last snow melts on the Swedish island of Öland, Per Morner is preparing for his children’s Easter visit. But his plans are disrupted when he receives a phone call from his estranged father, Jerry, begging for help.

Per finds Jerry close to death in his blazing woodland studio. He’s been stabbed, and two dead bodies are later discovered in the burnt-out building.

The only suspect, Jerry’s work partner, is confirmed as one of the dead. But why does Jerry insist his colleague is still alive? And why does he think he’s still a threat to his life?

When Jerry dies in hospital a few days later, Per becomes determined to find out what really happened. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds himself in.

And nowhere is more dangerous than the nearby quarry…

It’s been a while since I last visited Sweden (Red Wolf by Liza Marklund) – courtesy of the written word that is – and this offering serves as my first experience of Johan Theorin’s work. The Quarry – his third novel to be based on the Baltic island of Öland – follows previously released titles Echoes from the Dead and The Darkest Room.

Interestingly, I found myself comparing both titles regarding pace. As with Red Wolf, I found The Quarry rather sedentary to begin with. I’m not sure if this is something I’m always going to face when reading a Swedish translation but I did find it odd both books began in similar vein. That said, the pace increases and although – for me – not the quickest of reads the story is certainly well told, meticulously crafted and the editing tight affording a well balanced novel.

The Quarry is an intensely dark and atmospheric thriller – bordering on psychological –  and one that grabs you by the scruff of your neck, shakes you about and never lets go until you collapse from sheer mental exhaustion on the turn of the final page. Halfway through the book things started to click into place and I could start to see where I “thought” Theorin was going with this title – wrong! There were a number of moments I sat back and – although not classed as cliff-hangers – had to take stock of what I had read.

One thing I should mention – and although I’ve already touched on this briefly – there’s very little colour in The Quarry (Kindle). Johan Theorin is well known for his atmospheric titles and this is no exception. The outlook is bleak on multiple fronts as relationships are dissected, formed and put to the test, secretive family histories are scrutinised and discovered and death is never far behind.

To counter this Theorin has introduced a number of colourful and endearing characters – namely Per Morner and Gerlof Davidsson – who over time share a touching affinity with each other on the remote island. Characterisation is impressive and I couldn’t think of one character I didn’t enjoy meeting – mind you Max did start to grate on me a little as his oppressive relationship with Vendela started to take its toll. Two thirds through the book Max moves up a gear and his behaviour is, to say the least, questionable and his actions have an immediate effect on his wife who becomes rather erratic in her mental state!

I really enjoyed how Johan Theorin brought everything together and it never felt rushed towards the end. Everything mentioned throughout the book from the trolls, elves and the changeling, all loose ends, neatly tied up in a ball of string and satisfactorily explained.

So there we have it, my experience of Theorin’s work. A little slow to begin with but once the characters took hold and the magic of island of Öland firmly in place there was no turning back and you are rewarded with a thought provoking dark thriller that challenges on so many levels. I will certainly read another Theorin and possibly book a trip to Öland!

Published by Doubleday The Quarry is available in Kindle and Paperback