My Father's House - by Ulf Kvensler (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Isak works in home care in a small town in Smêaland. One day, he is contacted by his father, an internationally known artist, who left Isak when he was a child. His father is dying, and his only wish is to reconcile what remains of their relationship as father and son. He promises Isak his fortune, but Isak has certain reservations. Alongside his girlfriend, Madde, Isak decides to visit his father, but the line between nightmare and reality blurs as family secrets unravel."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Isak receives an unexpected inheritance from his father on one condition: that he meet and make peace with the man at his remote island retreat. Once there, Isak finds himself thrown into a twisty psychological game of life and death, from the internationally bestselling author of The Couples Trip.

Isak works in home care in a small town in Småland. One day, he is contacted by his father, an internationally known artist, who left Isak when he was a child. His father is dying, and his only wish is to reconcile what remains of their relationship as father and son. He promises Isak his fortune, but Isak has certain reservations. Alongside his girlfriend, Madde, Isak decides to visit his father, but the line between nightmare and reality blurs as family secrets unravel.

From the internationally bestselling author of The Couples Trip comes a brand-new stand-alone psychological thriller, for readers of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

Review Quotes

Praise for My Father's House

"After the fantastic debut that was The Couples Trip (...) Ulf Kvensler confirms his brilliance with My Father's House, which demonstrates the same qualities in a very different context. My Father's House is clearly the confirmation that we expected of the talented Ulf Kvensler. He is likely to appear regularly on the lists of the best Scandinavian thriller authors, every year. "--Benzine Magazine

"Just like in The Couples Trip, one can sense that the author is a skilled screenwriter. Detailed and sharp scenes follow suit whilst the dialogue flows lightly through the landscape. Much like the debut, this is a real page-turner, loaded with anxiety."--Göteborgs-Posten

"Like the debut, it's fantastically well written with very strong scenes. The read is incredible, and just like The Couples Trip, it is as if it were made to be an upcoming international blockbuster; in both books, there are scenes which leave great impressions in the readers' minds."--Kapprakt

"Ulf Kvensler skillfully and evocatively writes about Isak's growing anxiety, about the accident that came to mark his life, and about Grandpa, who became his most important supporter."--Dagens Nyheter

"A powerful and skillfully staged thriller where the tension accelerates to an almost unbearable level. A strong candidate for the Crimetime Award 2023."--Aftonbladet
"Ulf Kvensler continues to create tension in an incredibly skillful way, and builds his story effectively towards a real crescendo whilst giving the readers just the right amount of information."--Skånska Dagbladet

"High-level excitement in all areas."--Expressen Söndag

"Ulf Kvensler tells the story rapidly and effectively and manages to keep the tension alive throughout the book."--Ölandsbladet

"In the psychological thriller My Father's House, Ulf Kvensler has succeeded in creating a truly gripping triangular drama about the relationship between a father, a son, and a grandfather. The themes have elements of both Nietzsche and Dostoevsky. Kvensler's storytelling style and characters keeps the reader in a firm grip from the first page to the last."--BTJ

"My Father's House is psychological suspens at its best. Ulf Kvensler is one of my new favorites."--Smålandsposten

"My Father's House jostles the reader and traps them little by little in a very oppressive atmosphere."--Télé Star Jeux

"A merciless and Machiavellian game of life and death set against the backdrop of childhood trauma."--France Dimanche

"A gripping novel until the final twist."--Femme actuelle

"A gripping novel until the final twist."--Elle France

"A well-oiled Swedish psychological thriller."--Le Courrier de l'Ouest

"Ulf Kvensler returns with a second, masterful noir novel. My Father's House is a dark literary puzzle. A Nordic Hitchcockian atmosphere that investigates childhood trauma, the question of inheritance and sacrifice as well as the evil that each individual carries within them. Extremely effective."--Ici Paris

"After the success with The Couples Trip, [Ulf Kvensler] delivers another brilliant thriller."--Le Pèlerin

"In a seemingly peaceful and yet chilling landscape, [Ulf Kvensler] delivers a feverish thriller (...) This is a great classical novel, with family secrets, paternal madness, lies, and blackmail on every level."--Libération

Praise for The Couples Trip

"One of the best suspense novels I've read."--Camilla Grebe, award-winning author of the Hanne Lagerlind-Schon series

"Sarek is a small masterpiece that offers its readers uninterrupted spine-chilling suspense, and I envy every person who has not read it yet. Incredibly well written!"
--Kristina Ohlsson, award-winning author of Unwanted

"This is the kind of book that has the reader in a tight grip from the very first page. "--Upsala Nya Tidning

"[Ulf Kvensler] knows exactly what to do to catch the reader's attention and how to keep it until the very last page. ... Fast-paced, clever dialogue, clues and misleadings. While the characters are trying to stay alive, the reader is on a quest for the truth; one can sense the direction, but Kvensler also manages confound. Can he write a novel? Yes. Is the book bound to be made into a movie? You bet!"--Göteborgs-Posten

"With precise prose, skillful shifts between past and present, a well-paced and intriguing plot, grand settings, a dialogue filled with underlying tension that drives the plot forward, interesting characters, and a razor-sharp portrayal that captures both details and larger contexts, Ulf Kvensler has written what has to be one of this year's must-reads."--BTJ

"This is one of those books that grabs the reader from the very first page and refuses to let go."--Norrköpings Tidningar

"This excellent and horrifying hiking tale is an utterly immersive page-turner with a highly engaging psychological drama between the four hikers. /.../ Ulf Kvensler's background as a screenwriter shines through in this assured and well-composed narrative. Adding to that we have the milieu depictions from Sarek National Park. At times sunny with fragrant and vibrant splendor; at times snowy, rainy, cold and with a landscape enveloped in fog. Wuthering heights and pernicious depths. I'd warmly recommend The Couples Trip to all those who enjoys the combination of suspense, horror and epic nature settings."--Skånska Dagbladet

"Ulf Kvensler has a sure sense for horror ambiences, tempo, human aggression, and nature's relentless dangers alike."--Dagens Nyheter

"A claustrophobic chamber play of infinite nature, ever winding towards the inevitable disaster."--Swedish Academy of Crime Writers

"Everything is expertly executed, the suspense almost has a physical presence at times."--Stavanger Aftenblad

"This thriller grabs you immediately, and keeps you in its grip. You are invested in the characters, and Kvensler throws enough ingredients into the pot along the way so that you never lose interest."--Bok365

"The rhythm of the novel is supple and dense and its atmosphere thrilling."--Savon Sanomat

"Kvensler is adept at tightening the screws ever more deliberately... This claustrophobic and paranoid debut is guaranteed to set readers on edge."--Caledon Enterprise