The City Between the Bridges: 1794: A Novel (2) (The Wolf and the Watchman)

Niklas Natt och Dag first book, The Watchman and the Wolf, was an extraordinary debut. It was honored with many awards and it deserved them. His sophomore effort which I was in great anticipation to read is not a bad book, but neither is it special. The research behind the book set, as it's predecessor was, in 18th century Sweden, has great verisimilitude. The stench and filth of that world with chamber pots emptied out bedroom windows onto the streets, baths an infrequent occurrence and the wearing of clothes for weeks without laundry made my skin crawl. I've always known my particular phobias would have rendered me nearly.nonfunctional in a world lacking modern sanitation. So I could be properly !Impressed by the accuracy of the description of Stockholm in the 1760's but the story never grabbed me. Perhaps I was simply in a non responsive head but I struggled to stay focused and finish the book.

Great sequel and well worth reading I hope that there may be more in this fascinating series. The journey through an increasingly dark Stockholm was brilliant.

<B>I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.My Review</b>: Splendidly grim; staggeringly brutal.Really, I could stop typing right there. What you need to know is: The first book isn't a necessity to read before this one, but I recommend it. If that book's truly dreadful crimes don't cause you to blench, this one's won't either plus you'll already know Mickel Cardell...he's central to the point of view of Enlightenment-era Stockholm from below our usual ten-thousand-foot aerie of aristocracy of the mind or the law. History glosses over so much.The author and the translator must have worked closely together on this series to maintain such a clear sense of the language being used with great exactness and concision. The way the imagery unfolds is gripping, especially in the more awful parts...and there are plenty of them!...so I'm not going to spend a lot of keystrokes specifying the CWs. Trust me, if you need a content warning, you might shouldn't pick this series up. Bodies and minds are abused, ground down, commodified. No one in this book has a shred of a chance at happiness.If that matters to you, shop elsewhere.What you'll get in this shop is a very trenchant take on the role of power in corrupting the powerful's souls. What happens when no one can say no to you is never pretty. What happens to others is downright horrifying. It behooves the reader willing to come down the fetid alleys and swim across the reeking canals to realize what dehumanizing and Othering costs the Othered, but also those passively complicit in it.The manner in which the story is constructed, multiple apparently disconnected viewpoints, isn't at first obviously going to lead us to Stockholm and Mickel. Be patient...it will. But that polyphony that feels so alienating early on is, in the end, an effective tool for conveying the reality of the story to the observing eye of the reader.I don't for a second think too many will see the ending coming. That is praise, coming from me. I can't honestly say I felt ma'at upheld in the resolution. Because nothing on this wide green Earth can redress the balance of horror and misery unleashed on the people in it. But it doesn't stop being worth the trip.So no happy happy, joy joy. But a lot of seriously good points being made in prose more than up to the task of delivering the burden of the tale in unforgettable ways.

Eric Three Roses was the youngest son of the Lord and nothing like his idolize older brother. Where his brother was a bully he was thoughtful and kind as a teenager he fell in love with The daughters of one of his fathers tenants. When his father found out about it he gave his blessing for a little dalliance but said he could never marry a peasant farmers daughter when Eric proclaimed his intention to marry Lanin his father sent him away to work in the slave trade. True to who Eric was he had no stomach for dealing in humans but while away having troubles of the zone he received a letter saying his older brother was dead and that he would now inherit three roses and be the Lord of the Manor. It should’ve been the happiest time of our its life his dream is coming true he could marry Lanin and live happily ever after but on their wedding night tragedy strikes he’s left to linger in a hospital and has convinced himself he deserves to be there. Can the watchmen prove his innocence especially when he starts the case believing Eric is guilty? There is so much more to the story and OMG what a great story I did not know this was a mystery series but count me in. I love historical mysteries and Wood County schools as one of the best ones I have read. I highly recommend this book if you love historical fiction great mysteries with the not so obvious outcome you need to read the city between the bridges it is so good. A total five-star read. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I continue to be surprised that this book and the one before it, The Wolf and the Watchman, are not on more lists of best books. The writing is totally immersive and covers a time and a place that I knew nothing about. Absolutely spellbinding writing very reminiscent of The Name of the Rose. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth the read!

Great book

The book was OK, but lacked the raw brutality of The Wolf And The Watchman, and I found the end quite confusing. It still gave an illuminating insight into life in 18th Century Stockholm and St. Barts. There was enough in it to get his next one - 1795 perhaps - but that might be the last one I’ll buy if it is no better than this.

Although not quite as visceral as The Wolf and the Watchman, still a compelling read.

Outstanding! Although it’s not entirely necessary to read the first before the second, it is recommended that you do. Looking forward to the next book from this excellent author.

Really enjoyable read. Plot resolution not as strong as book 1, hence 4 star.