The Alphabet House by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Dutton)

 I'm a fan of the Adler-Olsen novels, especially the Department Q stories. In The Alphabet House, the author departs from his usual writing style but still stays with the psychological aspect of how mental illness, disorders, and ultimately our thinking affects our actions.

This novel reminds me of the writing style of Hans Helmut Kirst, set during and after World War II. It already begins with extraordinary action, as English paratroopers land on German soil and the only chance for survival turns out to be a German medical train, which takes them to a mental hospital, where they will be ranked according to letters if someone can continue to fight in a war or not anymore.

Each of the two friends tries to survive in a hospital full of lunatics, and as it soon turns out, it is also full of simulants, criminals, and murderers.

Bryan manages to escape, but for many years after the war, he struggles with the guilt of leaving his friend behind, so he tries to find him, but in doing so, he finds himself in grave danger with people from his dark past.

The novel is tense from beginning to end, cinematic, and full of atmosphere, the characters are described exceptionally well and the book reads like watching a movie.

I enjoyed it.

4/5