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The Swimmer

The Swimmer 1

by Joakim Zander
Paperback
Publication Date: 03/07/2014
2/5 Rating 1 Review

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Guilt, atonement and revenge. A deep-cover agent races across Europe to save the daughter he never knew.



'Thrilling' DAILY MAIL . 'Authoritative' GUARDIAN . 'Raw' SUNDAY TIMES . 'Timely' LITERARY REVIEW . 'Powerful' INDEPENDENT . GUILT. ATONEMENT. REVENGE. On a remote Swedish island, a little girl, Klara, grows up without a father. Now, twenty years later, she discovers a secret: a secret that powerful men will kill to keep hidden. On the other side of the world, an old spy hides from his past. He used to be the best agent in the field. These days the only thing he lives for is swimming in the local pool. Then, on Christmas eve, Klara is thrown into a terrifying chase across Europe. Only the Swimmer can save her. But time is running out... WORLDWIDE REVIEWS FOR JOAKIM ZANDER: 'An absorbing thriller in a complex world of spies, politics, terrorism and assassination ... Excellent' The Times (UK). 'A multi-layered thriller full of style, drive and immediacy' Goteborgs-Posten (Sweden). 'Wonderfully written ... A superb thriller' Metro (Croatia). 'Intrigue, action and adrenaline mixed to perfection' Libreria Reconquista (Spain). 'A terrific page-turner rich with complex conflicts and a big, meaty, chillingly credible conspiracy' Chris Pavone (USA). 'A riveting thriller with a great plot. What more can you ask for?' Lokalavisen (Denmark). 'An explosive, thrilling dance fuelled by authenticity' Il Giornale (Italy). 'A multi-layered, action-packed thriller' Dorstener Zeitung (Germany).
ISBN:
9781781859186
9781781859186
Category:
Thriller / suspense
Format:
Paperback
Publication Date:
03-07-2014
Language:
English
Publisher:
Head of Zeus
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
Pages:
432
Dimensions (mm):
228x145x32mm
Weight:
0.52kg
Joakim Zander

Joakim Zander was born in Stockholm, has lived in Syria and Israel, and graduated from high school in the United States. He earned a PhD in law from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and has worked as a lawyer for the European Union in Brussels and Helsinki. Rights to his debut novel The Swimmer were sold in twenty-eight countries. Zander lives and works in southern Sweden with his family.

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I would like to preface this review by saying that this genre of book is one that I dont read often. I have little experience with thriller/espionage stories and perhaps this influenced my impression of the book as a whole. But I wanted to try this new story from an author I had not heard of before as it reflected contemporary events and issues.

I struggled initially to understand each character and their place in the story. I felt that they were all introduced rather quickly and it took me the first quarter of the book to get it all sorted in my head. Eventually I came to like the characters. Because they were all quite flawed I didnt like them enough to be overly anxious for their wellbeing (which certainly saved my fingernails) but I did champion their cause over the powers who sought their destruction. It may be that the title The Swimmer is in reference to one of the characters in the story who likes swimming and who links all the characters together in some way or another. However, I also see each of the individual characters as metaphorical swimmers as they try to keep their heads above water after becoming embroiled in a situation out of their comprehension or control.

Once I had an understanding of location and characters and they began to either be hunted or turn against others, I found myself quite hooked on the action. Although the main character being pursued was a lobbyist and had no experience in espionage or survival skills, she is able to stay a few steps ahead of those who want what she has. This is not entirely implausible as she has the help and support of characters that do possess these skills, but it did cause me to stop and question the possibilities.

Overall I liked the story, but found some parts easier to read than others. The action was fast-paced and no character was safe from an early demise! People who enjoy thrillers and tales of espionage may have a greater appreciation for this book.

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