REVIEW: The Wolf and the Watchman

The Wolf and the Watchman
Author: Niklas Natt Och Dag

1793. Stockholm. Crippled, former soldier, Mikel Cardell, discovers a mutilated corpse floating in a filth-filled lake. The body's arms, legs, eyes, and tongue have been removed. Cardell teams up with a dying lawyer to identify the body and find a killer. Turns out the pretty, painted elite class in the city aren't quite as beautiful as they seem....and the city has a very dirty, disturbing underbelly.

This book.....wow.....I had to let my thoughts percolate for a few days before I could write a review on this one. This one was a rough read. Not because it wasn't good....but because it was extremely and masterfully dark! The story is disturbing and even grotesque in places....but utterly mesmerizing. I couldn't stop reading....but there were a few scenes I found hard to read. Definitely not a book to read over dinner. I'm not going to comment on the plot at all beyond the basic blurb above...as spoilers would ruin parts of the story for others. All I will say is it's disturbing and masterfully suspenseful.

The characters are gritty and realistic. It paints a bleak picture of class separation, hidden secrets and just the filth and brutal nature of life in the 18th century.

Great book! But be prepared for some gruesome violence, cruel characters and a disturbing look at poverty, death and deception in the 1790s.

I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author. He is one hell of a storyteller!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**