Reviews

• “A grand and powerful story. /…/ A story with near-epic proportions where [Engman] hands a number of characters different prerequisites from birth and elegantly has them cross each other’s paths. [The Clan] is a very well-written start to a story with big potential, but also a treat for the experienced crime and suspense fan, who can keep track of a large cast of characters.”

• “Jo Nesbø’s main competitor to the crime throne. /…/ Pascal Engman efficiently carves out believable portraits of the increasingly rich gallery of characters. /…/ It’s not far off to associate The Clan with The Godfather.”

• “What made the greatest impression (…) is Engman’s portrayal of the Mansour daughter Zara’s desperate struggle to gain a life worth living. She is resourceful, intelligent, a reader, she doesn’t believe in any kind of god. /…/ The chapters about Zara is terribly painful to read. I was furious with them. They reveal, in my opinion, that Engman (…) is a writer with something to say.”

• “The Nordic crime king has written a new novel that will be read down to the smallest detail. /…/ Engman delivers a jarring portrayal of reality in fictional form, a highly effective combination of entertainment and contemporary criticism. /…/ Plot-wise, it’s first-class work; it gets intense towards the end, with a logical, brutal ending (…). It’s very skilled, a very good craft. Few are as great at creating characters readers really care about as Pascal Engman is. /…/ Engman plays uninhibitedly on sentimentality. But it works: you’re immersed in the characters, you stay with it to the end, and you long for the sequel–while also updating your knowledge on a significant societal issue which has consequences far beyond the place and people mentioned.”

• “The Clan is fast-paced and well-written, a page-turner just like Engman’s previous novels. On top of that it’s believable.”

• “With The Clan [Pascal Engman] creates a multi-faceted story about two children born on the same day at Danderyd hospital, who grow up in different worlds within the same municipality. /…/ The strength of the novel lies in the portrayals of characters and settings, with believable characters whose life choices are formed by social structures. The family relations are especially well-written, where love and loyalty are constantly challenged. The prose is effective and direct with a high tempo that drives the plot forward. Engman’s journalistic background is noticeable in the detailed and realistic portrayals of police work and criminal networks. The Clan works both as a suspenseful crime novel and a societal depiction that deals with issues like drugs trade, class differences, and honorary violence in a contemporary Sweden.”