The Hermit, Thomas Rydahl
The Hermit, Thomas Rydahl
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The Hermit

Author: Thomas Rydahl, K. E. Semmel

Narrator: Victor Bevine

Unabridged: 16 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/25/2016

Synopsis

A car is found crashed on a beach in the Canary Island resort of Fuerteventura. In the trunk is a cardboard box containing the body of an infant—no one knows his name, and there is no trace of a driver.The last thing Fuerteventura needs is a murder. The island already has half-empty bars and windswept beaches, and the local police are under pressure to abandon the investigation.But long-time islander Erhard, who sees more than most people, won’t let the investigation drop—and he has nothing to lose. He has severed ties with his wife and child in Denmark and has cut himself off from the modern world.Can an old man who knows nothing about mobile phones, the Internet, or social media possibly solve a murder in the modern world, especially one that stretches far beyond the sandy beaches of Fuerteventura?

About Thomas Rydahl

Thomas Rydahl, born in Denmark in 1974, is an author and translator. His first novel, The Hermit, won the Klaus Rifbjerg’s Debutant Prize and the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel. He studied philosophy and psychology and graduated in 1999 from Forfatterskolen, the Danish academy of creative writing. Since 2001 he has worked with storytelling and strategy in communication.

About K. E. Semmel

K. E. Semmel is a writer and translator who has received numerous grants from the Danish Arts Foundation for his work. He was an NEA Literary Translation fellow in 2016.

About Victor Bevine

Victor Bevine, Earphones Award–winning narrator, has worked for over thirty years as an actor, screenwriter, narrator, director, and more. A graduate of Yale University, his acting credits include many prestigious roles onstage as well as roles in the film version of A Separate Peace and countless television shows. He has written several screenplays, including Certainty, which was chosen for two prestigious writers’ conferences and which served as the basis for his first novel. His thirty-minute short film Desert Cross, which he wrote and directed, won accolades at the Athens International Film Festival. He serves as CEO of the World Freerunning Parkour Federation, of which he is cofounder.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jay

DNF. Lots of detail to very little purpose and rather monotonous, but most frustratingly of all without any obvious connection to Fuerteventura, where I live for nearly half the year. If you're going to devote paragraph after paragraph to close description, it has to be believable, purposeful, and e......more

Goodreads review by Rosemary

This book is translated from Danish. The Hermit is a mystery and at times a thriller. But sometimes, it meanders. These are nice breaks. It isn't slow or dragging, but more of a shift to describe the scene, the food, or the politics of the taxi business on a small island. The story is incredibilly i......more

Quotes

“In K. E. Semmel’s melancholy translation, this alienated old man proves to be a more complete human being than any of his ten-fingered friends.” New York Times Book Review

“One of the most distinctive detectives you will meet this year…nothing less than excellent.” Politiken (Copenhagen)

“Completely unique and incredibly ambitious.” Jyllands-Posten (Denmark)

“Remarkable…a flawless, immaculate piece of work.” Weekendavisen (Copenhagen)

“Brilliant, scathing…Stunningly conceived and expertly executed…proves that not even a self-isolated hermit can be an island unto himself.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Remarkably assured…A superb blend of literary and crime fiction.” Booklist (starred review)

“Unfolding one unexpected clue at a time, [The Hermit]…will keep readers guessing until the very end.” Library Journal

“A languid stroll with a sage detective through vivid locales that leaves a lasting impression.” Kirkus Reviews

Awards

  • Harald Mogensen Prize
  • Klaus Rifbjerg’s Debutant Prize
  • Glass Key Award
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