- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd; New edition edition (31 May 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1841959367
- ISBN-13: 978-1841959368
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 13 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 383,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Betrayal
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"...first-rate translated crime...this is a dark, complex psychological crime thriller that pulls few punches." Good Book Guide "Betrayal is the best piece of Swedish crime writing in the psychological thriller genre that you can read this season." Dagens Nyheter, Sweden "Alvtegen has once again proved herself master of the art of harnessing complicated emotions like guilt, regret and deceit to an intelligent, breathtaking plot." Nerikes Allehanda, Sweden"
Product Description
When Eva discovers that her husband's been having an affair, her grief and rage drive her into vengeful action. Then she meets Jonas, who for the past two years has been keeping vigil beside his comatose girlfriend. Burdened with his own sinister history, he sees a chance to start afresh with Eva...Reminiscent of the work of Patricia Highsmith and Henning Mankell, Betrayal delves into the pain of deception and how our own destructive behaviour can lead to consequences far beyond our control. Nominated Best Nordic Crime Novel in 2004 and a bestseller across the continent, "Betrayal" cements Karin Alvtegen's position in the top rank of European thriller writers.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Excellent book. Even better than last year's "Missing", which I read during a binge of Scandinavian crime writing. Alvtegen's possibly the brightest young talent in Europe (that we've been treated to by translation, anyway - it's clear that the mine is deep and rich, so let's hope there are more to come too!). Betrayal is an excellent crime novel, very much in the vein in Ruth Rendell. Certainly, Rendell fans will see that creepy Jonas could easily have slipped from the pages of one of her novels. Alvtegen treats the theme or normal people becoming endangered by the delusional few around them with sensitivity and ease. Her writing is flowing and perceptive, her plotting is excellent: the way the lives of the two characters gradually bump together a bit then crash into each other is handled superbly (again in a way reminiscent of Rendell).
Buy this book. You won't be disappointed.
Buy this book. You won't be disappointed.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's been a while since I read a book in one sitting, that's how good this book is. Very reminiscent of the Ruth Rendells and Barabara Vines I used to devour years ago. Unsettling and well-paced, I'll be reading as many of her books as I can find
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Karin Alvtegen impressed previously with Missing and with Shame. This book lies somewhere between the two.
Alvtegen's strongest characters are women - even when they are falling apart. There is a profound sense of empathy for the woman whose life spirals away from her, usually because of some genuine, or misguided, sense of duty and integrity. Such is the case with Eva, the main character here. As with Shame, it is the heat-of-the-moment decision, which seems so reasonable or justifiable, which kicks off a maelstrom of problems.
For my money her male characters are less successful, but this book hangs together well. Jonas is genuinely creepy, in a way that we've all seen in someone at some point in our lives.
Above your average thriller, for me Alvtegen is far more readable than Ruth Rendell's often turgid prose.
Alvtegen's strongest characters are women - even when they are falling apart. There is a profound sense of empathy for the woman whose life spirals away from her, usually because of some genuine, or misguided, sense of duty and integrity. Such is the case with Eva, the main character here. As with Shame, it is the heat-of-the-moment decision, which seems so reasonable or justifiable, which kicks off a maelstrom of problems.
For my money her male characters are less successful, but this book hangs together well. Jonas is genuinely creepy, in a way that we've all seen in someone at some point in our lives.
Above your average thriller, for me Alvtegen is far more readable than Ruth Rendell's often turgid prose.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A curate's egg of a book
I can't put my finger on it but for some reason I did not enjoy the beginning of this book. However it became much better as I became engrossed with the story and I ended up... Read more
Published 3 months ago by H. L. Wilcox
Gripping
This was the first of Karin Alvtegen's books I've read, and I'll definitely be reading more. It's also the first time I've read foreign fiction, always being put off by thinking I... Read more
Published 3 months ago by milmol
Good read
This is an engrossing, if fairly short, thriller at around 300 pages. I think what makes it all the better is the fact that it revolves around an ordinary woman in an ordinary... Read more
Published 8 months ago by crime reader
Revenge gone wrong
This book is thrilling and disturbing. The story starts with the events surrounding the realisation of the main character Eva that her husband has an affair. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Dona Rendell
Even in a normal world, menace can enter through the tiniest of...
I chose this book because, like many, I have found that the Swedish crime genre - and Swedish writers - make good reading. This one ticked all my boxes. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Alison McVey
Not bad
An interesting plot about different kinds of betrayals and characters becoming connected through an unexpected chain of events. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2007 by I LOVE BOOKS
Betrayal, Karin Alvtegen
Excellent book. Even better than last year's "Missing", which I read during a binge of Scandinavian crime writing. Read more
Published on 28 July 2005 by RachelWalker
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