The Father

How does a child become a criminal? How does a father lose a son?

An epic crime novel reminiscent of The Godfather, Heat and Shantaram, THE FATHER is inspired by the extraordinary true story of three brothers who held Sweden to ransom, committing ten audacious bank robberies over just two years.

None had committed a crime before. All were under 22 years old. All of them would be changed forever.

In this intoxicating, heartbreaking thriller, the fourth brother, who was not involved in the real robberies, tells of three boys who grew from innocent children to become public enemy number one - and of the man who made them that way.

Long-listed for CWA Daggers: International 2016 (UK)

“A powerful real-life story”

Guardian The emotional centre of the story is truly compelling ... the sweep and scope are epic Herald Unique and stunning. One of the most powerful novels you'll read this year Stephen Booth Superior... builds to a breathless climax Sun A deep, clean cut into the body of fathers, sons, loyalty and family Sainsburys Magazine Will delight fans of Nordic Noir Crime Fiction Lover Mind boggling and captivating The Crime Warp An incredible story Crime Time Incredibly efficient and easy to read ... gripping and thrilling Helsingborgs Dagblad, Sweden An unbelievably exciting and authentic story... One of the year's best crime stories Ostran, Sweden An insider story that beats any action film Aftonbladet, Sweden A remarkable blend of fact and fiction Skanska Dagbladet, Sweden Many of the scenes stick with you Expressen, Sweden A powerful and riveting reading experience Deckarbloggen, Sweden One of the summer's best thrillers Cafe, Sweden The action in The Father is captivating. It holds us in suspense from the first page to the last LitteraturMagazinet, Sweden I have a soft spot not only for suspense novels, but also for coming-of-age stories; here, I get both! Bokbabbel, Sweden The craftsmanship in this novel is first-class. It is both exciting and dramatic in an almost cinematic way Gefle Dagblad, Sweden It is hard to put The Father down for more than the briefest moment. It is an empathetic story that vividly portrays perpetrators, victims and police Upsala Nya Tidning, Sweden It is captivating to read about the inner workings of a gang of robbers Boras Tidning, Sweden A very clever suspense novel, a classic story of crime and punishment that is simultaneously a gripping family drama with a genuinely painful element BTJ, Sweden The Father is more than a traditional suspense novel. It is also a story of exclusion, a fractured family, an unfamiliar Sweden and a kind of honour culture. This is why it is so totally relevant to us Mariestads-Tidningen, Sweden The Father isn't just exciting-it also gives a sincere picture of a home that is a far cry from that of your average Joe Olandsbladet, Sweden A thrilling novel that becomes something much more than a book you can't put down Tara, Sweden A flawlessly constructed thriller Femina, Sweden The Father is thoroughly exciting from the first line to the last. Seductively well-written Kristianstadsbladet, Sweden A gripping coming-of-age story, flush with exciting scenes and the psychological battle between father and son Falu-Kuriren, Sweden The Father is a novel where we know already from the beginning how it will all end, but the way there is worth our while Aftonbladet, Sweden A book that seems infallible: bring on the cartloads of stars, the stellar reviews and the millions of readers de Volkskrant, Netherlands The Father is a book that will elicit a lot of response, a must-read for every crime lover. Actually, a must for anyone who likes to read Hebban, The Netherlands An incredible crime novel Brabants Dagblad, Netherlands The meticulous preparation and execution of the robberies are depicted stunningly NRC Handelsblad, Netherlands It is amazing how much tension the authors create while merely describing the preparations for the robberies. Even more exciting are the robberies themselves VN Thriller & Detective Guide, Netherlands Never before have I read a book that so successfully explains how people can end up as criminals Het Nieuwsblad, Netherlands The Father provides an intriguing insight in the criminal life De Telegraaf, Netherlands The Father is a technically wonderful novel crafted with breathtaking cleverness Corriere della Sera, Italy Totally crazy, totally reckless and totally brilliant: a well-researched fictional reality of a book ... the best crime thriller of the year so far Nordjyske Stiftstidende, Denmark The structure is strictly cinematic: well-formed scenes with sharp dialogue and seamless progress, making reading a pleasure. Once you've started reading, it's hard to put the book down Politiken, Denmark It's extremely well written, thrilling, gripping, gruesome, cheerful, anguished, heartwarming, and ice cold - spectacular in all ways. The Father is a world-class piece of fiction Fredericia Dagblad, Denmark [An] action-packed page turner - not for the faint of heart Elle, Germany Guardian The emotional centre of the story is truly compelling...the sweep and scope are epic The Herald Unique and stunning. One of the most powerful novels you'll read this year Stephen Booth Superior... builds to a breathless climax Sun Heartbreakingly blurs the line between criminal and victim in this stunning first of a two-novel series based on a sensational string of bank robberies in 1990s Sweden Publishers Weekly A deep, clean cut into the body of fathers, sons, loyalty and family Sainsburys Magazine A heartbreaking but fast-paced thriller, expect to be gripped and to question the bonds of brotherly love Womans Way

'Anton Svensson' is a pseudonym for Stefan Thunberg and Anders Roslund.

Stefan Thunberg is one of Scandinavia's most celebrated screenwriters. His body of work spans popular TV series such as Henning Mankell's Wallander and Hakan Nesser's Van Veeteren as well as two of Sweden's biggest box office successes in recent years: Hamilton and Jagarna 2. While Thunberg achieved fame as a screenwriter, the rest of his family became infamous in an entirely different way: his father and brothers were Sweden's most notorious bank robbers, dubbed Militarligan (The Military Gang) by the media.

Anders Roslund is an award-winning investigative journalist and one of the most successful and critically acclaimed Scandinavian crime writers of our time. Roslund is part of the New York Times bestselling author duo Roslund & Hellstrom, who are recipients of many prestigious awards, including the CWA International Dagger, the Glass Key and the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers' Award, and who boast sales exceeding five million copies. Films and TV series based on Roslund & Hellstrom's novels are in the works, both in Hollywood and Europe.

How does a child become a criminal? How does a father lose a son? An epic crime novel reminiscent of The Godfather , Heat and Shantaram , THE FATHER is inspired by the extraordinary true story of three brothers who held Sweden to ransom, committing ten audacious bank robberies over just two years.None had committed a crime before. All were under 22 years old. All of them would be changed forever.In this intoxicating, heartbreaking thriller, the fourth brother, who was not involved in the real robberies, tells of three boys who grew from innocent children to become public enemy number one - and of the man who made them that way.

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