International praise for The Hypnotist:
‘Ferocious, visceral storytelling that wraps you in a cloak of darkness. It’s stunning’
Daily Mail
‘One of the best – if not the best – Scandinavian crime thrillers I’ve read’
Sam Baker, Red
‘A creepy and compulsive crime thriller’
Mo Hayder
‘Intelligent, original and chilling’
Simon Beckett
‘Mesmerizing … a bad dream that takes hold and won't let go’
Wall Street Journal
‘Crammed with memorable characters and well-crafted subplots’
The Sunday Times
‘Grips you round the throat until the final twist’
Woman & Home
‘A serious, disturbing, highly readable novel that is finally a meditation on evil’
Washington Post
‘A rollercoaster ride of a thriller full of striking twists’
Mail on Sunday
‘Riddled with irresistible, nail-biting suspense, this first-class Scandinavian thriller is one of the best I’ve ever read’
Australian Women’s Weekly
‘Lars Kepler enthralls readers with The Hypnotist, just like Stieg Larsson did with the Millennium series’
Norrköpings Tidningar, Sweden
‘A breathtaking thriller, which uncovers the many unpleasant sides of the human psyche. He opens the door to a human abyss’
Borås Tidning, Sweden
‘The cracking pace and absorbing story mean it cannot be missed’
Courier Mail, Australia
‘As Nordic thrillers go, it doesn’t get more delightfully dark and existentially, satisfyingly murky than The Hypnotist’
Boston Globe
‘Far more energetic than Henning Mankell, as socially involved as Larsson but a better writer, Kepler matches the great Jo Nesbo for gothic excitement’
Weekend Australian
‘An horrific and original read’
Sun
‘Creepy and addictive’
She
‘Brilliant, well written and very satisfying. A superb thriller’
De Telegraaf, Netherlands
‘[An] outstanding thriller debut’
Publishers Weekly
‘Utterly outstanding’
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, Denmark
‘Disturbing, dark and twisted’
Easy Living
‘An international book written for an international audience’
Huffington Post
‘Makes Derren Brown look tame … So gripping you won’t be able to put it down’
Essentials
‘A new star enters the firmament of Scandinavian thrillerdom’
Kirkus Reviews
‘Engaging characters and a truly gripping opening … This is definitely a series to watch’
Globe and Mail, Canada
‘Simply mesmerizing’
Edmonton Journal
In Greek mythology, the god Hypnos is a winged boy with poppy seeds in his hand. His name means sleep. He is the twin brother of Thanatos, death, and the son of night and darkness.
The term hypnosis was first used in its modern sense in 1843 by the Scottish surgeon James Braid. He used this term to describe a sleeplike state of both acute awareness and great receptiveness.
Even today, opinions vary with regard to the usefulness, reliability, and dangers of hypnosis. This lingering ambivalence is presumably owing to the fact that the techniques of hypnosis have been exploited by con men, stage performers, and secret services all over the world.
From a purely technical point of view, it is easy to place a person in a hypnotic state. The difficulty lies in controlling the course of events, guiding the patient, and interpreting and making use of the results. Only through considerable experience and skill is it possible to master deep hypnosis fully. There are only a handful of recognised doctors in the world who have mastered hypnosis.