The Rabbit Hunter by Lars Kepler

Knopf, 528 pages, $27.95
Translated from Swedish by Neil Smith

“The Rabbit Hunter” is the sixth entry in the Joona Linna series by Swedish authors Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril, aka Lars Kepler. 

My true confession will begin this review. The only other Joona Linna books I’ve read were “The Hypnotist,” the very first, and “The Nightmare,” the second. I apparently was so disappointed with “The Nightmare” that I never picked up another Joona Linna book. So although I cannot say what precipitated the events that begin “The Rabbit Hunter,” not having read the book immediately preceding, I can say that all three books are of an ilk; they are thrillers, with graphic descriptions of violence and muy macho shenanigans.

“The Rabbit Hunter” begins with Joona Linna in prison, legitimately in prison, not just undercover. He did a sort of bad thing, a shade of gray bending of the rules. But this I do remember from the other books: Rules don’t exist for Joona. I guess he got caught by one of the rules he ignored.

While Joona is in prison, Sweden’s foreign minister is murdered, violently, graphically, and with a soupçon of torture. Eventually, it is decided that this is the work of a spree killer. (Yes, Kepler defines “spree” versus “serial.”) The various investigative bodies are flummoxed. Saga Bauer, Joona’s colleague, and other supporters decide that Joona’s analytical and intuitive mind is needed to prevent the murder of more people. Only Joona can determine the link between the victims. Only Joona can find the killer. So he is promised release from prison by a politician who fears he will be the next victim.

The only clue Joona has is the killer left a witness to the foreign minister’s murder. The witness says he uttered the word “Ratjen” during his methodical torture. Ratjen is the name of another prisoner who might be a terrorist. Perhaps the whole thing is the work of terrorists, ones who neglect to take credit for the murder. If Joona will buddy-up to Ratjen in prison, Joona will be released to help with the investigation.

And so it goes. Ratjen gives a hint. Joona is released. He finds out the meaning of the secret message Joona is to carry to Ratjen’s wife. After things go flying off into the crazy-sphere, Joona manages to salvage some of the objective. Then the cowardly, rat-brained politician who promised Joona a release reneges and Joona goes back to prison.

Until he is needed again, because no one yet has solved the foreign minister’s murder. Back out he comes, freedom dangled again. Joona is either a hero or a patsy.

Kepler methodically alternates between Joona’s investigation, the life of an alcoholic chef, and the killer’s viewpoint. (I won’t reveal why the killer is called “The Rabbit Hunter.” Just know it is worse than you can imagine.) The action moves along apace; there are enough killings to keep any reader awake and turning the pages.

There are a lot of elements of Joona’s back story that I did not know because I didn’t read all the books. (Kepler seems to build on prior books in many more ways than other authors.) I just had to accept that he had a lot of sorrow in his life. Happiness was snatched from his grasp several times. Kepler dangles beginnings and endings in other books, sometimes a right old cliff-hanger  at the very end. A very tricky deal by an author who has polished up his craft.