The Father – Anton Svensson

This book. Guys, believe me when I say, you need to put this on your TBR!

Thanks to Quercus Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE FATHER – Anton Svensson

Part two – THE SONS – will release on March 6th. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming review of that one 🙂

My Thoughts: 5/5 stars!

I had originally requested THE SONS by Anton Svensson (releasing in early March) but then I was told that it is part two in a series and that I needed to read THE FATHER before diving in. I’m so happy that I did. This book sucked me in from the first page and held on until the end. With it being almost 600 pages I was surprised at how quickly I read this one.

This is based on the true story of the brothers and father that rocked Sweden with multiple violent bank robberies, a bomb threat, and the largest weapons theft in European history. The first chapter was crazy – the violence these boys faced as children definitely sets the tone for the duration of the story.

Leo, Felix, and Vincent are brothers and were always told that they are a clan, and a clan never turns on each other. These qualities were engraved into their minds by their violent and proud father, Ivan. The book bounces back forth between Now and Then (clearly marked as different parts). I thought this was great because after events in the present we are then brought back to their childhood and see the events that ended up molding these sons into the bank robbers they’ve become.

It’s so hard to really describe all the events in this without ruining the reading experience. I highly recommend picking this one up. Not only is it based on true events and people, but brings the reader into the minds of these boys and their father. What breeds a criminal? We also get to see the investigation end of the story with Detective Broncks as he desperately tries to find out who these highly sophisticated bank robbers are.

After reading this book I realized that Anton Svensson is the pseudonym for Anders Roslund and Stefan Thunberg. Stefan is the 4th brother of the Military League – the name that the Swedish newspapers gave the criminal gang. That added an element to the novel for me that set it apart.

 

Do you ever have books that intimidate you and then you’re shocked at how quickly you finish them?

–Jess