1793: The Wolf and the Watchman

"She, a schooner, her foremast shorter than her mainmast, is still tied with her starboard side to the quay. There is no activity that he can see. Evening flâneurs are visiting coffee houses and wine cellars, loaders and quay labourers have returned home, the sailors have disappeared up the Stadsholmen alleys in search of company and entertainment. He walks by the gangway. Only one man can be seen on deck. With a look of concentration, he is lowering a lead weight into an ironclad casket. ‘Joseph Satcher?’"

A Netgalley book.
A wonderfully dark trawl through Sweden c. 1793 (the original title of the book when published in Swedish). One of the protagonists is in end-stage TB and the other has lost his arm during a hopeless war and is show more doing his best to drown his PTSD in alcohol. In the last days of an ethical police chief, the dying lawyer Winge, miraculously still walking despite his bloodied hankies, is asked to solve the mystery of a limbless torso that has been found on the shore of Stockholm's slum. For backup, he recruits the watchman of the title.

I've seen complaints on Litsy that the book was too violent, or that the plot was too meandering. For me, the violence reflected the experience of the urban poor in the time. Women are accused of prostitution by the wealthy church for trying to make money when they have not enough to eat, and sent to spin for the state. People fake wealth through gambling and debt in a bid to avoid debtor jail. Medicine is crude but in the process of changing, and political power is buyable and frequently bought. It's a wide-ranging book, from the experience of supposedly 'criminal' women in the poorhouse, to the streets of Paris during the Terror. I thought it thoroughly well done, and it was sufficiently gripping for me to be afraid at some points to carry on for fear of what might happen to the characters next... It reminded me of Andrew Miller's work (perhaps most well-known, Pure).

"Winge steers towards death by the same compass that has shown his way his entire life: reason . He tells himself that all men will die and that all are dying. This helps. But when the night sweats come and his thoughts race wildly, it is rather the particulars of his own demise that haunt him and not the general principle. All the clinical details of phthisis. Will the infection spread to all joints and bone as sometimes happens? Will he pass silently in his sleep or in spasms and paroxysms? What flavour of agony awaits to be his? When nothing else helps, he tells himself that most of him already died the last time he saw his wife. But this is also little comfort, as that part of him that has gone on living seems the one that most clearly perceives the pain." show less

"The Wolf and the Watchman," by Niklas Natt och Dag (ably translated from the Swedish by Ebba Segerberg), is a work of historical fiction that is set in 1793. Jean Michael (Mickel) Cardell is a hulking wreck who lost his left arm in battle and has terrifying flashbacks that give him little peace. In addition, he has become a belligerent alcoholic who uses his wooden prosthetic to beat his victims senseless. By chance, Mickel forms an unlikely alliance with a consumptive lawyer named Cecil Winge. Although Cecil is pale, emaciated, and likely near death, he is determined to track down the murderer who brutally tortured and mutilated an unidentified young man, and then threw his corpse into a lake.

Natt och Dag is a skilled storyteller who show more vividly depicts Stockholm and its environs in the late eighteenth century. He portrays it as both a place of beauty and wealth and a cesspool of filth, corruption, and degradation. Disabled war veterans roam the streets along with beggars, prostitutes, and guttersnipes. Sadly, few officials in government and law enforcement make an effort to protect the citizens whom they are paid to serve. Moreover, when people are injured or become seriously ill, their doctors are more likely to finish them off than cure them.

The macabre and dismal plot is so complicated that it is difficult to encapsulate. Suffice it to say that the author follows the fortunes of various troubled individuals. Johan Kristofer Blix is an immature and reckless wastrel who, at seventeen, is already on a downward spiral; a good-hearted young woman named Anna Stina Knapp is confined to a workhouse run by a psychopathic tyrant; and a horrendous childhood helped produce the bestial creature whom Cardell and Winge are trying to bring to justice. The paths of these and other characters (all of whom are portrayed insightfully and poignantly) ultimately converge. "The Wolf and the Watchman" will appeal to fans of Scandinavian noir who have a high tolerance for grotesque scenes in which Natt och Dag describes the sights, sounds, and odors of a society in decay. Tragically, the few decent individuals we encounter struggle to defend themselves against vicious predators who derive pleasure from tormenting the weak and the vulnerable. show less

It's 1793, and Stockholm is not a kind place for anyone lacking in money, name or power. When a badly mutilated body is found in a local pond, really an open sewer, it falls to Mikel Cardell, a veteran who lost an arm in battle, to pull it out. Cecil Winge is asked by the soon-to-be-ousted head of the police to investigate and he quickly enlists Cardell's help. Winge once lived in a fine house with his wife, but since his tuberculosis became a certain death warrant, he lives alone in a single room. The two men are an odd pair but they work well together. Unraveling who the corpse is, who killed him and why poses a difficult challenge to the men.

This is such a solidly plotted, researched and written novel. It was a delight to read a book show more that had everything it needed, from a vivid setting and characters who were fully realized and complex, to the plot, which held together tightly. This is the kind of well-executed historical thriller that is far too rare. I was invested in it from the opening pages to the final paragraph. show less

In chaos theory, there is something called the butterfly effect. The idea is that one small action can greatly affect the outcome of a later, seemingly unrelated event. This novel is full of little moments that show how one person’s decision can permanently alter the lives of others.

The year is 1793 & Stockholm is a city on edge. Rebellion by lower classes in countries such as France have made the Swedish elite a tad nervous, especially after the murder of King Gustav III. This is the backdrop for a story of 4 people living separate lives until a single event causes their paths to cross. All it takes is the discovery of a mutilated body.

Mickel Cardell returned from the war with shattered nerves & one less arm. Now he’s a show more watchman….when he can be bothered to get up off his barstool. That’s where 2 youngsters find him one night with news of a floater in the lake. But the body Mickel “rescues” is not exactly what he expected. In fact, it’s not even really a body. Just a torso….no arms, no legs.

Cecil Winge is a lawyer who works as a consultant with the Swedish police. He’s an intelligent & private man who has fought for progressive changes to the legal system. He’s also dying from consumption. So it’s no wonder he feels a sense of urgency about his latest case….to give a name to the unidentified torso & find a killer.

Kristofer Blix is a handsome farm boy who heads to Stockholm with dreams of becoming a doctor. He soon realizes how unprepared he is for life in the big city but could never have imagined where it will lead.

Anna-Stina’s young life has been full of poverty & struggle. And it’s about to get worse. If she wants something better she’ll have to be brave, smart & resourceful. Thankfully, she has those things in spades.

There is a large number of supporting characters, all of whom are distinct & well fleshed out. At its heart this is an engrossing murder investigation but as we meet & get to know the 4 MC’s, it becomes so much more. Their personal stories add depth & guarantee you become as invested in them as you are in solving the mystery surrounding the torso. The historical setting, political situation, class system & living conditions are so well rendered that sometimes it feels all too real.

I finished this a while ago & have been struggling to write a review that does it justice. Even the rating was a challenge. If I look at it purely as entertainment, I can’t say I enjoyed every part. There are passages that are difficult, even revolting to read. But here’s the thing. Life for many people at that time WAS difficult & revolting to our modern sensibilities. It was about survival. And the reason you feel these emotions so keenly is all down to the author’s skills as a story teller.

He has an extraordinary ability to write prose that completely envelops you. You feel everything as you follow these characters. Fear, anger, frustration, grief & scattered glimmers of hope. All your senses are engaged. Yes, there are scenes that made me want to look away but I couldn’t. I cared deeply for these people & carried the book with me to read every chance I got.

Soooo…by now you probably figured out this will not be found under “Cozies”. Sometimes when I’m asked about my last couple of reads, I struggle to remember names & plot details. This is a visceral & haunting story that has stayed with me. The ability to transport a reader to another time & place is a gift & I look forward to the author’s next book. But maybe I’ll have a wee beverage before cracking the cover 🍷. show less

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY.

Don't so much as twitch toward this book if you're not able to breeze through Henning Mankell's more violent books about Wallander. In every line and on every page you're going to be challenged, and hard; rape, torture, murder, and a twisted vision of the upper-class privilege corrupting Sweden in its early Enlightenment days. As brutal as any Scandinoir, as evocatively written as Mantel's Sir Thomas More novels, and worth every flinch, gasp, and slamming shut in horror.

This was a real dazzler of a read, at least for me. Eighteenth century Sweden is a fascinating place as described by the author. I love reading about this era! The author also uses great skill in creating an amazing cast of characters. Each is interesting and drew me into the book. This being a mystery, there is also an intriguing and multilayered plot that kept me focused and guessing. Each revealing fact was lain out just so and spectacular in detail and imagination. My only criticism is the vast number of characters that occasionally had me reviewing pages already read to remember them. There are some crude moments, and I would warn the squeamish reader to be prepared. Such was life in the 1700’s!
This one comes highly recommended show more for fans of Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It has a spellbinding plot and wonderful prose.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this title. show less

No se que esperaba cuando decidí leer este libro, pero para nada ha sido lo que me he encontrado.

Voy a empezar diciendo que es un libro que se lee casi de una sentada, tiene un ritmo que te permite ir avanzando de manera rápida, no voy a decir que es un libro de ritmo rápido, porque no es el caso, pero si que el autor le va dando el toque necesario para que el lector pueda ir navegando entre la historia sin perderse y observando cada pequeño detalle que son importantes conforme va avanzando la historia.

Ahora, dicho lo anterior tengo que decir que es una historia con partes demasiado crudas, muy gráficas y que no dejan nada a la imaginación, he leído muchos libros del género negro y a decir verdad después de leer a Thilliez y a show more Lemaitre, lo que he leído aquí no me ha producido tanta repulsión, pero no por eso no voy a decir que algunas escenas son muy fuertes y descarnadas.

La historia me ha gustado mucho, creo que lo que más, ha sido que ha sido contada de manera muy original, tenemos un “casi” cuerpo encontrado en el río y es ahí donde comienza la investigación a través de dos personajes que son tan dramáticos como podrían ser, si, que si que para variar tienen vidas trágicas, pero va más allá de la tragedia personal, es que ellos mismos son una tragedia ambulante, sin duda estos dos protagonistas le dan un color muy peculiar a toda la historia.

Ambientada en una época convulsa, llama la atención sobre todo como el autor le ha puesto atención a los pequeños detalles que hacen notar la época, eso me ha gustado, comprueba que no se requiere de tanta descripción para llevarte a una época o ayudarte a imaginartela.

El final me ha encantado, me ha parecido no solo que esta muy bien construido, que va casi que pasito a pasito a lo inevitable de ese final, si no que además me ha sorprendido.

Dudo mucho que estos libros se vayan a convertir en una serie, pero para ser honesta me encantaría volver a encontrarme a Winge y Cardell.

Sin ninguna duda un imperdible este año, sobre todo para quienes gustan del género. show less