Blue Monday: A Novel (original 2011; édition 2012)

In the 1980s, a little girl is snatched off the street in broad daylight without a trace. Twenty-two years later, the same thing happens with a little boy. A police officer wonders if the two cases are connected, although no one else believes so. That is, until a therapist named Frieda Klein is listening to a patient describe his vivid dreams that have an eerie connection to the case...

I had really high hopes for this book but it was just so-so. Although it is in some ways a typical police procedural, I did appreciate that the main investigator is a therapist rather than a police officer or private detective. The prologue and beginning chapters (maybe even up to the first third of the book) were extremely slow going. It felt like it took a really long time for the book to take off, and so many characters were being introduced that seemed unconnected at first. When the plot did get going, the reader is basically informed who the perpetrator is so it's just a question of whether or not the police can nail him and if/when the missing child will be found dead or alive.

The two big twists near the end -- that Terry was the grown-up Joanna and that Alan was really dead, simply dressed in Dean's clothing -- were things I predicted before their reveals. Points to the authors for creativity, but it wasn't really a surprise or a tense edge-of-your-seat moment for either. A lot of the hows and whys of the mystery were left unresolved; perhaps this is because this is the first book in the series, but I wasn't a fan of how up in the air things felt after all the time I invested in reading this book. While this copy ended with previews of other books in the series, I'm not interested in continuing on with it. ( )

Blue Monday begins with the disappearance of a five-year-old girl named Joanna, gone missing while walking home from school with her sister. When a little boy is abducted over twenty years later, Frieda Klein becomes concerned after one of her patients describes his dreams of a little boy with red hair who matches his description. She doesn't want to violate patient confidentially but decides to contact Detective Chief Inspector Malcolm Karlsson to report her worries. Eventually she joins with the team of investigators to search for the missing boy and his kidnapper.

It took me a while to get involved in Blue Monday. The set up requires some extra care and, because it's the first of an anticipated eight book series, the main characters need some extra introduction. Once I got past the first quarter of the book it became quite interesting. Blue Monday is also well-written, the gritty London streets are very atmospheric and the characters are different and intriguing. Overall, this is an enjoyable, quick read that really draws you into the story. Suspenseful writing and great descriptions make this series one to follow and I plan to read the next book in the series, Tuesday's Gone. ( )

DNF 42%! I'm sorry to say that this book just didn't work for me. First I listen to the audio book but didn't find the story not the characters interesting. The narrator was not that bad, not a personal favorite but she worked, and it was the story that just didn't intrigue me. Then I tried reading, but the story, the writing style just didn't rock my boat. Do I started to skim and that's when I decided to stop reading all together... ( )

What an excellent read!

I didn’t know what to expect, this was one of those $1.99 bookbub or so purchases that PANNED OUT. This is an excellent thriller, character driven story that truly delivers a surprising punch at the end. I can’t remember the last time that has happened.Anyway i will be signing on to read as may Freida Klein mysteries as the author chooses to write. (At least until she/he doesn’t write as well as this one.) ( )

This is the first volume of the Frieda Klein series and I was so excited that I already started to hear the sequel.
Frieda Klein is a psychologist. One day a patient told her about things that had to do with the disappearance of a little boy. Despite confidentiality Frieda decided to get in touch with the police. She unintentionally got the role of a profiler and her cooperation with the police began.
In this first book, you get to know all the protagonists who play an important role later as well, and part of the mystery is solved.
Great, captivating and exciting written. ( )