The Alphabet House, Jussi AdlerOlsen
The Alphabet House, Jussi AdlerOlsen
3 Rating(s)
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
Club: $11.25

The Alphabet House

Author: Jussi Adler-Olsen

Narrator: Graeme Malcolm

Unabridged: 15 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 02/24/2015


Synopsis

In the tradition of Alan Furst, the #1 international bestselling author delivers his first stand-alone novel, a psychological thriller set in World War II Nazi Germany and 1970s England

British pilots James Teasdale and Bryan Young have been chosen to conduct a special photo-reconnaissance mission near Dresden, Germany. Intelligence believes the Nazis are building new factories that could turn the tide of the war. When their plane is shot down, James and Bryan know they will be executed if captured. With an enemy patrol in pursuit, they manage to jump aboard a train reserved for senior SS soldiers wounded on the eastern front.

In a moment of desperation, they throw two patients off the train and take their places, hoping they can escape later. But their act is too convincing and they end up in the Alphabet House, a mental hospital located far behind enemy lines, where German doctors subject their patients to daily rounds of shock treatments and experimental drugs. The pilots’ only hope of survival is to fake insanity until the war ends, but their friendship and courage are put to the ultimate test when James and Bryan realize they aren’t the only ones in the Alphabet House feigning madness.

Millions of fans around the world—and in this country—know Adler-Olsen for his award-winning Department Q series. His first stand-alone, The Alphabet House, is the perfect introduction for those who have yet to discover his riveting work.

About The Author

Jussi Adler-Olsen is Denmark’s #1 crime writer and a New York Times bestselling author. His books, including the Department Q series, routinely top the bestseller lists in Europe and have sold more than fifteen million copies around the world. His many prestigious Nordic crime-writing awards include the Glass Key Award, also won by Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, Stieg Larsson, and Peter Høeg.Graeme Malcolm has appeared on and off Broadway in Aida, The King and I, Lincoln Center's Hapgood, and M. Butterfly (National Tour). His television appearances include Law & Order, Follow the River, and Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson (with Laurence Olivier). Film credits include A Further Gesture, The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, and Reunion.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Barbara on November 19, 2021

I decided to read this book because I'm a fan of Jussi Adler-Olsen's 'Department Q' mysteries and thought this standalone (written prior to the Dep't. Q books) might be a good read. As the story opens it's 1944 and World War II is raging. English flyboys Bryan Young and James Teasdale are sent on a......more

Goodreads review by Morana on October 15, 2015

Još jedan vrhunski uradak odličnog, danskog autora J.A. Olsena! Iako se radnja ovog izvrsnog i vrlo potresnog psihiloškog trilera događa u okrutnim vremenima 2. svjetskog rata ( i nešto nakon njega), ovo nije ratni roman, što i sam autor naglašava u pogovoru. Ovo je jaka, ljudska priča o prijateljs......more

Goodreads review by Gary on February 26, 2015

It’s got evil Nazis and narrow escapes. It takes place in a mental hospital staffed with soulless doctors and nurses whose “care” is administered with equal parts cruelty. It’s got betrayal and a swift and certain death sentence for anyone suspected of deception. Add in a pair of World War II Briti......more

Goodreads review by Liz on August 20, 2014

The first thing I have to say is that this must have been extremely well researched, the detail is magnificent, horrifying and yet strangely fascinating. Set in two parts, the first following two friends, trying to evade capture, who end up in a mental institution in Germay, the second portion of th......more

Goodreads review by Cold War Conversations Podcast on March 17, 2015

The nature of friendship, war, loyalty, guilt and love told via a brilliant thriller. I must admit I was expecting a standard World War 2 escape story, and the book does start that way. However, it rapidly descends into a dark place as the two escapees hide on a train reserved for wounded SS men wher......more


Quotes

Praise for Jussi Adler-Olsen and the Department Q novels:

"Adler-Olsen merges story lines...with ingenious aplomb, effortlessly mixing hilarities with horrors...This crime fiction tour de force could only have been devised by an author who can even turn stomach flu into a belly laugh."
Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Purity of Vengeance

“[A] sordid tale… inspired by actual events during a dark period of Danish history. Ah, but there is more, so much more in this frenzied thriller…”
The New York Times Book Review on The Purity of Vengeance

“When your series relies on cold cases, it’s not always easy to craft plots that have both historical interest and an air of urgency, but it’s something Adler-Olsen is very good at.”
Booklist on The Purity of Vengeance

“This series has enough twists to captivate contemporary mystery readers and enough substance and background to entertain readers with historical and literary tastes."
Library Journal (starred review)

"Plan on putting everything else in your life on hold if you pick up this book.”
The Oregonian on The Keeper of Lost Causes