Lars Kepler 2-book Bundle

  Lars Kepler 2-book bundle

  THE HYPNOTIST

  THE NIGHTMARE

  Lars Kepler

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  The Hypnotist

  The Nightmare

  Exclusive Extract from Lars Kepler’s Third Joona Linna Thriller

  About the Author

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  THE

  HYPNOTIST

  LARS KEPLER

  Translated from the Swedish by Ann Long

  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

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  International praise for The Hypnotist

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  ten years ago

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Chapter 81

  Chapter 82

  Chapter 83

  Chapter 84

  Chapter 85

  Chapter 86

  Chapter 87

  Chapter 88

  Chapter 89

  Chapter 90

  Chapter 91

  Chapter 92

  Chapter 93

  Chapter 94

  Chapter 95

  Chapter 96

  Chapter 97

  Chapter 98

  Chapter 99

  Chapter 100

  Chapter 101

  Chapter 102

  Chapter 103

  Chapter 104

  Chapter 105

  Chapter 106

  Chapter 107

  Chapter 108

  Chapter 109

  Chapter 110

  Copyright

  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.

  Like fire, just like fire. Those were the first words the boy uttere
d under hypnosis. Despite life-threatening injuries—innumerable knife wounds to his face, legs, torso, back, the soles of his feet, the back of his neck, and his head—the boy had been put into a state of deep hypnosis in an attempt to see what had happened with his own eyes.

  “I’m trying to blink,” he mumbled. “I go into the kitchen, but it isn’t right; there’s a crackling noise between the chairs and a bright red fire is spreading across the floor.”

  They’d thought he was dead when they found him among the other bodies in the terraced house. He’d lost a great deal of blood, gone into a state of shock, and hadn’t regained consciousness until seven hours later. He was the only surviving witness.

  Detective Joona Linna was certain that the boy would be able to provide valuable information, possibly even identify the killer.

  But if the other circumstances had not been so exceptional, it would never even have occurred to anyone to turn to a hypnotist.

  1

  tuesday, december 8: early morning

  Erik Maria Bark is yanked reluctantly from his dream when the telephone rings. Before he is fully awake, he hears himself say with a smile, “Balloons and streamers.”

  His heart is pounding from the sudden awakening. Erik has no idea what he meant by these words. The dream is completely gone, as if he had never had it.

  He fumbles to find the ringing phone, creeping out of the bedroom with it and closing the door behind him to avoid waking Simone. A detective named Joona Linna asks if he is sufficiently awake to absorb important information. His thoughts are still tumbling down into the dark empty space after his dream as he listens.

  “I’ve heard you’re very skilled in the treatment of acute trauma,” says Linna.

  “Yes,” says Erik.

  He swallows a painkiller as he listens. The detective explains that he needs to question a fifteen-year-old boy who has witnessed a double murder and been seriously injured himself. During the night he was moved from the neurological unit in Huddinge to the neurosurgical unit at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna.

  “What’s his condition?” Erik asks.

  The detective rapidly summarises the patient’s status, concluding, “He hasn’t been stabilised. He’s in circulatory shock and unconscious.”

  “Who’s the doctor in charge?” asks Erik.

  “Daniella Richards.”

  “She’s extremely capable. I’m sure she can—”

  “She was the one who asked me to call you. She needs your help. It’s urgent.”

  When Erik returns to the bedroom to get his clothes, Simone is lying on her back, looking at him with a strange, empty expression. A strip of light from the streetlamp is shining in between the blinds.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he says softly.

  “Who was that?” she asks.

  “Police … a detective … I didn’t catch his name.”

  “What’s it about?”

  “I have to go to the hospital,” he replies. “They need some help with a boy.”

  “What time is it, anyway?” She looks at the alarm clock and closes her eyes. He notices the stripes on her freckled shoulders from the creased sheets.

  “Sleep now, Sixan,” he whispers, calling her by her nickname.

  Carrying his clothes from the room, Erik dresses quickly in the hall. He catches the flash of a shining blade of steel behind him and turns to see that his son has hung his ice skates on the handle of the front door so he won’t forget them. Despite his hurry, Erik finds the protectors in the closet and slides them over the sharp blades.

  It’s three o’clock in the morning when Erik gets into his car. Snow falls slowly from the black sky. There is not a breath of wind, and the heavy flakes settle sleepily on the empty street. He turns the key in the ignition, and the music pours in like a soft wave: Miles Davis, ‘Kind of Blue.’

  He drives the short distance through the sleeping city, out of Luntmakargatan, along Sveavägen to Norrtull. He catches a glimpse of the waters of Brunnsviken, a large, dark opening behind the snowfall. He slows as he enters the enormous medical complex, manoeuvring between Astrid Lindgren’s understaffed hospital and maternity unit, past the radiology and psychiatry departments, to park in his usual place outside the neurosurgical unit. There are only a few cars in the visitors’ car park. The glow of the streetlamps is reflected in the windows of the tall buildings, and blackbirds rustle through the branches of the trees in the darkness. Usually you hear the roar of the motorway from here, Erik thinks, but not at this time of night.

  He inserts his pass card, keys in the six-digit code, enters the lobby, takes the lift to the fifth floor, and walks down the hall. The blue vinyl floors shine like ice, and the corridor smells of antiseptic. Only now does he become aware of his fatigue, following the sudden surge of adrenaline brought on by the call. It had been such a good sleep, he still felt a pleasant aftertaste.

  He thinks over what the detective told him on the telephone: a boy is admitted to the hospital, bleeding from cuts all over his body, sweating; he doesn’t want to lie down, is restless and extremely thirsty. An attempt is made to question him, but his condition rapidly deteriorates. His level of consciousness declines while at the same time his heart begins to race, and Daniella Richards, the doctor in charge, makes the correct decision not to let the police speak to the patient.

  Two uniformed policemen are standing outside the door of ward N18; Erik senses a certain unease flit across their faces as he approaches. Maybe they’re just tired, he thinks, as he stops in front of them and identifies himself. They glance at his ID, press a button, and the door swings open with a hum.

  Daniella Richards is making notes on a chart when Erik walks in. As he greets her, he notices the tense lines around her mouth, the muted stress in her movements.

  “Have some coffee,” she says.

  “Do we have time?” asks Erik.

  “I’ve got the bleed in the liver under control,” she replies.

  A man of about forty-five, dressed in jeans and a black jacket, is thumping the coffee machine. He has tousled blond hair, and his lips are serious, clamped firmly together. Erik thinks maybe this is Daniella’s husband, Magnus. He has never met him; he has only seen a photograph in her office.

  “Is that your husband?” he asks, waving his hand in the direction of the man.

  “What?” She looks both amused and surprised.

  “I thought maybe Magnus had come with you.”

  “No,” she says, with a laugh.

  “I don’t believe you,” teases Erik, starting to walk toward the man. “I’m going to ask him.”

  Daniella’s mobile phone rings and, still laughing, she flips it open, saying, “Stop it, Erik,” before answering, “Daniella Richards.” She listens but hears nothing. “Hello?” She waits a few seconds, then shrugs. “Aloha!” she says ironically and flips the phone shut.

  Erik has walked over to the blond man. The coffee machine is whirring and hissing. “Have some coffee,” says the man, trying to hand Erik a mug.

  “No, thanks.”

  The man smiles, revealing small dimples in his cheeks, and takes a sip himself. “Delicious,” he says, trying once again to force a mug on Erik.

  “I don’t want any.”

  The man takes another sip, studying Erik. “Could I borrow your phone?” he asks suddenly. “If that’s okay. I left mine in the car.”

  “And now you want to borrow mine?” Erik asks stiffly.

  The blond man nods and looks at him with pale eyes as grey as polished granite.

  “You can borrow mine again,” says Daniella, who has come up behind Erik.

  He takes the phone, looks at it, then glances up at her. “I promise you’ll get it back,” he says.

  “You’re the only one who’s using it anyway,” she jokes.

  He laughs and moves away.

  “He must be your husband,” says Erik.

  “Well, a girl can dream,” she says with a smile, glancing bac
k at the lanky fellow.

  Suddenly she looks very tired. She’s been rubbing her eyes; a smudge of silver-grey eyeliner smears her cheek.

  “Shall I have a look at the patient?” asks Erik.

  “Please.” She nods.

  “As I’m here anyway,” he hastens to add.

  “Erik, I really do want your opinion, I’m not at all sure about this one.”

  2

  tuesday, december 8: early morning

  Daniella Richards opens the heavy door and he follows her into a warm recovery room leading off the operating theatre. A slender boy is lying on the bed. Despite his injuries, he has an attractive face. Two nurses work to dress his wounds: there are hundreds of them, cuts and stab wounds all over his body, on the soles of his feet, on his chest and stomach, on the back of his neck, on the top of his scalp, on his face.