What do readers think of Three Seconds by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom? Write your own review.

You need to stick with this one and you will be rewarded. I almost stopped reading when Piet entered prison expecting gratuitous violence; but then the action began. Good tension is created as flawed and realistic characters expose corruption and seek to find answers. A satisfying ending.

Like a fast moving roller coaster through a cold dark night, this thriller speeds along from the very first page to the explosive end. A drug deal resulting in an execution brings in Detective Inspector Ewert Grens, a complex man with his own set of private problems. At the center of the drug deal gone bad is Piet Hoffman who has infiltrated a high level drug organization. When Hoffman is sent to prison, he soon discovers he's wanted dead by both the drug gang and the police. Lots of twists and turns in this story, and characters are not always what they seem. A compelling read that once started, readers will be hard pressed to put down, because who knows what will happen next. Recommended for those who enjoy thrillers and Swedish Noir.

Drugs, Drug mules, prison guards and the police force are at the core of this novel. I found the police officers Gren and Winters were intriguing characters and was surprised at the extent of the drug problems in the prisons. Found the going back and forth between characters and scenes a bit confusing but all in all it was a well written book. Did like very much the fact and fiction excerpt by the author at the end of the book. Also thought that the book was a bit too long.

I'm a Mankell fan and was looking forward to sampling another voice in this genre. Although Three Seconds is a good read, and very suspenseful at times, I was a little disappointed. I found myself getting sidetracked by minutiae: names, relationships -- the storyline didn't pull me from chapter to chapter in high anticipation of what was to come next. But I still recommend that Swedish mystery fans give it a try.

I wanted to review "Three Seconds" because I am a huge fan of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, the pioneers and unchallenged masters of the Swedish police procedural, as well as Henning Mankell, who has followed in their footsteps with his charming and clever Wallender mysteries. "Three Seconds" is heir to the traditional formula in that it combines an intricate plot with pointed criticism of the Swedish state. Several crimes that are initially thought to be unrelated are shown to be part of the same larger picture. The lead detective is flawed, eccentric and interpersonally-challenged. The humor is missing, however, and therefore the book reads much more like a thriller a la James Patterson. I was distracted by the repetition of information, and by the occasional Britishisms in the translation (Can you really describe the indisposition of a cold-blooded criminal as a "dicky tummy?") At first, the rapid switches between stories and characters was difficult to follow. On the other hand, the plot was engrossing and the jumpy structure probably enhances the suspense as intended. There is a sort of a trick ending, but the impact is reduced by the fact that the reader has already figured it out, and is just hanging around to find out how it was done. In spite of its flaws, I enjoyed reading "Three Seconds", and I would rate it an above-average thriller that should appeal to those who like this genre.

Unlike the Stieg Larsson trilogy, I could not get into the story. It seemed very disjointed--took time to determine who was discussing whom. There was too much focus on the characters "weird" feelings. Did not hold my interest.

I found the book to be too long and frequently boring. Ewert Grens became irritating,coupled with an unnecessary diversion. It did remind me of the corruption that happens within many Government Agencies. People are disposable.
Hard to reconcile Piet Hoffman possibly giving up his life and disrupting, possibly losing, his beloved family for undisclosed compensation.

The best description of my feelings about Three Seconds is ambivalence. On the one hand, it is loaded with details that enrich the story and enhance the suspense. While the reader can probably figure out the ending before finishing the book, the story holds interest to the last page. On the other hand, I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters. None are multidimensional and there doesn’t seem to be anything about them that evokes empathy. The book is stern and stiff and lacking in even a hint of humor. If you can make it through the first 100 pages which are agonizingly slow, the pace picks up rather quickly. I am disappointed in not discovering another Steig Larson but willing to give the authors the benefit of the doubt by hoping that something was lost in
translation.