The Farm

by Tom Rob Smith

Hardcover, 2014

Status

Available

Call number

823.92

Genres

Mystery

Collection

Your library

Publication

Grand Central Publishing (2014), Edition: 1st, 368 pages

Description

Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: The new international bestseller, from the author of phenomenal Child 44 trilogy... The Farm If you refuse to believe me, I will no longer consider you my son. Daniel believed that his parents were enjoying a peaceful retirement on a remote farm in Sweden. But with a single phone call, everything changes. Your mother...she's not well, his father tells him. She's been imagining things - terrible, terrible things. She's had a psychotic breakdown, and been committed to a mental hospital. Before Daniel can board a plane to Sweden, his mother calls: Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad... I need the police... Meet me at Heathrow. Caught between his parents, and unsure of who to believe or trust, Daniel becomes his mother's unwilling judge and jury as she tells him an urgent tale of secrets, of lies, of a crime and a conspiracy that implicates his own father..… (more)

Media reviews

The Independent

Meticulously weaving together literary themes of revenge and madness (it is easy to lose count how many woman submerge themselves in bodies of water at various points in the novel), this latest offering is a tapestry of fairytales old and new; so unsettling and oppressive that it blurs the

distinctions between sanity and madness, reality and fantasy, leaving the reader guessing until the bitter end.

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— 1 more

The Guardian

It would be easy to accuse Child 44 author Tom Rob Smith, whose latest novel is set between London and rural Sweden, of jumping on the bandwagon. The Farm lays out a pattern with which readers have become familiar. The picturesque but boring village ringed by isolated farms; a district dominated by

a strong but taciturn patriarch; the disappearance of a vulnerable young woman, which is uncovered by an unreliable female investigator; the veneer of respectability that readers soon begin to suspect masks something rotten in the state of Scandi. But Smith, whose mother is Swedish, is playing a long game. The world he has created may initially appear full of enjoyably restful conventions, but any cliches in The Farm exist to wrongfoot us. This is a neatly plotted book full of stories within stories, which gradually unravel to confound our expectations.

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User reviews

LibraryThing member jolerie

There are two versions of the truth. One told by your mother who shares an unbelievable story about a cover-up of a crime that deals with the depravity of man and his needs, a story that embroils an entire community of people. The other is told by your father who claims your mother needs help, that

she has had a psychotic episode and nothing she says should be trusted. Who do you believe? Daniel is caught in the middle of two completely different stories, but equally horrific if either one has an echo of reality. He alone is judge and juror as he weighs the evidence against experience and hopes that somewhere in all of it, the truth will be found.

Smith is masterful at leading you down rabbit trails, thinking you understand where the story is heading until you realized you didn't have a clue. His twists, turns, and revelations are mind spinning, leaving you breathless and unable to stop even though you are fully aware that the destination may not be what you expect or want. The Farm is no exception, employing similar tactics found in his previous books, letting you, the reader hang by the edge of your seat, heart racing, and mind blown. Recommended.

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24 more

LibraryThing member BooksForDinner

I read Smith's Russia trilogy and enjoyed it, yet I quit on this on after about 50 pages. The premise was interesting and it was written well, but it was a little too upsetting for me, was not enjoying it. Probably the same reason that I don't like the show Breaking Bad. I'm sure it's wonderful and

all, it's just too uncomfortable for me to watch. Or in this case, read.

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LibraryThing member Clara53

Yes, it's a page-turner. Yes, the story flows effortlessly, however sad it is. But I expected much more from the author of "Child 44" trilogy. Unless, of course, it's somewhat autobiographical (the case of the author's parents), as the NPR interview with the T.R.Smith suggests - not clear, though,

to what extent... Then it could and should be seen differently. But otherwise, as pure fiction it lacked some logic and credibility. Somehow, as I was reading, I felt constantly on the brink of a more original, justifiable plot, but it didn't happen.

The sadness that mental illness brings with itself. The search that leads to unpredictable conclusions: expecting to find one crime but stumbling upon the other, of a different category and so much "closer to home". Seems like it should have been a compelling story, but somehow it just didn't work for me.

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LibraryThing member SamSattler

First off, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Rob Smith's "Child 44" trilogy. Those three books are still some of my favorite thrillers of all time.

Now, as to "The Farm..." where to begin? I am going to stay away from the plot other than to reveal the intriguing premise set out on the

book's dust jacket itself. Daniel, a young man living in London with his partner, gets a call from a remote farm in Sweden where he believes his parents have settled into a "peaceful" retirement. According to his father, Daniel's mother has suffered a mental breakdown and she has been committed to a mental institution. Then, even before he can finish making arrangements to fly to Sweden to be with his parents, Daniel's mother calls to say, "Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm mot mad...I need the police...Meet me at Heathrow." Now what does Daniel do?

Great hook, right?

Well, this intriguing plot slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) unravels for the next 352 pages, over ninety percent of which is recounted from the past by one character or another to Daniel. Thus, all of the book's most thrilling sections and plot twists are told to Daniel by someone whose life has apparently been placed in danger time after time - long after the danger is past. No great thrill, that. Smith has broken the Thriller Golden Rule: "Show me what happens; don't tell me about it later."

For that reason, "The Farm" will be a great disappointment to readers of Smith's past thrillers - mainly because we know it could (and should) have been so much better than it is.

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LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman

Wow, this author can write! Will write a review later today. Highly recommend this book!

September 19, 2014: I have let this book percolate for a little while before writing this review. Daniel’s parents have retired to a remote farm in Sweden from England, the country where Daniel’s mother was

born and raised until she left at age 16. One day he gets a call from his father that his mother has suffered a mental breakdown and has been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital. Daniel decides to fly to Sweden to see them and find out what is going on. But when he’s at Heathrow airport ready to board, his mother calls him and says, “Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad... I need the police... Meet me at Heathrow.” Thus, Daniel does not get on his flight and, instead, meets his mother’s plane, and takes her to his home. The book mainly takes place in Daniel’s kitchen as his mother lays out the entire story, in chronological order, of events that happened starting in 1963 to the present, along with “proof” of events, which she has brought with her. Meanwhile, his father is calling him, telling him his mother has convinced the doctors to release her from the hospital and he believes she is on her way to England to see Daniel and that he needs to convince her she needs to go back. His mother is convinced her husband is going to fly to England to take her back himself and that he is involved in a conspiracy. The book is about Daniel’s dilemma in whom to believe, his father or his mother? Meanwhile Daniel has his own secret that he has not been able to share with his parents, that he is gay and living with his partner. This is not an essential element in the story and not covered extensively, but it is another layer to this novel about family secrets that they each have, and illustrates how family members don’t really know everything about each other, as they think they do. The novel is a psychological thriller, told in a crime novel way, inspired by the author’s own mother’s psychological break. Daniel’s mother’s narrative is extensive and detailed, and we do not find out until the end of the book which parent is telling the truth! The story is incredible and unbelievable and believable at the same time. Eventually Daniel goes to Sweden, to try to unravel the mystery himself, to determine the truth.
I think Tom Rob Smith is an excellent writer and the story just flowed. I understand that his Child 44 series is excellent, and he won numerous awards for it, so I will definitely read them at some point.

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LibraryThing member msf59

“I'm sure your father has spoken to you. Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad. I don't need a doctor. I need the police. I'm about to board a flight to London. Meet me at Heathrow.”

Daniel is living a quiet uneventful life in London. A few months earlier, his parents retired to

a small farm in Sweden. He has put off visiting his mother's home country and then one day he receives a frantic call from his father, stating that his mother has gone off the edge and has been hospitalized, for a serious mental condition. This sends Daniel into a tail-spin and shortly after receives a call from his mother...

To reveal anymore of the plot would be a crime but the elaborate tale the mother reveals to Daniel is shocking and absolutely frightening, but is she telling the truth or is his father? Secrets, lies, deceptions and revenge, all play a part. The author has crafted another deftly written novel, brimming with paranoia and piling on the suspense, until it becomes a powder-keg of fear and emotion.

I was a big fan of his first book, Child 44 and I am gladly reporting, that he has done it again, delivering a psychological labyrinth, that will leave you exhausted and completely satisfied.

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LibraryThing member writestuff

Daniel is struggling with his own inner demons when he gets a phone call from his father in Sweden. Apparently his mother is not well - specifically, she has been imagining things and has sunk into a paranoid fantasy world. But before Daniel can fully comprehend his father's words, he gets another

phone call - this time from his mother who insists that everything he has just learned is a lie. Who should he believe? Is his mother's convoluted story of conspiracy the truth? Or is it just the jumbled rambling of an insane woman?

The Farm is Tom Rob Smith's newest novel set alternately in Sweden and London. The first 2/3rds of the book set up Daniel's mother's story of murder and conspiracy in the countryside of Sweden. Much of the narrative is in the voice of Daniel's mother as she unpacks a satchel of evidence and outlines the events that have unfolded in her life over a period of several months. The last 1/3rd of the book is about Daniel's quest to uncover the truth and is written in Daniel's point of view.

Daniel also has secrets - namely that he is a "closeted" gay man. This theme is superficially explored in the novel, and I found it a bit detracting from the real story of what actually happened on a farm in Sweden. This fact about Daniel is supposed to give us insight into his character, but it is really the only thing about him that gives the character any depth.

There is a little twist at the end which explains everything, but I actually saw this one coming and its impact for me was blunted.

I found myself wanting to get to the "truth" but felt oddly unsatisfied once that truth is revealed. In crafting a plot driven story at the expense of real character development, I believe Smith has created a novel that packs little emotional punch.

Overall, I was disappointed in this novel, even though I was excited to read it. Some reviewers have suggested first time readers of Smith's should begin with his Child 44 trilogy which received rave reviews and won Smith several literary awards. I have Child 44 in my stacks, and my disappointment with The Farm has not curbed my desire to eventually read Smith's trilogy.

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LibraryThing member nicx27

An interesting book this one. I really enjoyed Tom Rob Smith's Leo Demidov trilogy but this book was completely different. Daniel's parents, Swedish born Tilde and Englishman Chris, have retired to Sweden. Daniel finds himself questioning his whole life up to then when his father rings and tells

him his mother is sick in the head and then his mother rings and says not to believe a word his father says and that she is on her way back to England from Sweden.

The book is mostly made up of Tilde telling her story to Daniel, with the final part being Daniel looking into what his mother has told him. I did find some of Tilde's 'voice' rather odd and implausible but this is a book that is relatively short and very easy to read so I raced through it. Overall it's a good psychological thriller but although there's a twist I did expect something more to end on and I'm finding myself wondering if I have missed something.

Good, but not as good as this author's previous novels, but it is worth a read if you enjoy psychological thrillers and mind games.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

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LibraryThing member DPLyle

If you refuse to believe me, I will no longer consider you my son.

Tom Rob Smith is a great storyteller. Hie first novel, Child 44, was an amazing work of fiction that won much critical acclaim, including the Thriller Award. He completed that trilogy with two other excellent books: The Secret Speech

and Agent 6. The Farm is another great story.

From a technical, writerly point of view, this is an interesting work. A small story with big themes, it is essentially told entirely in narrative form—-yet it reads like action, dialog, and all the other elements of storytelling. The first 80% is essentially a mother telling her son a story. Don’t let that fool you. The story races along and once you begin, you can’t put it down. That’s great writing.

Daniel is preping for a trip from London to rural Sweden to visit his parents, Chris and Tilde, on their new farm. He has put off the trip to avoid telling his family of his lover Mark. A relationship he is sure they will not approve of. But when his father calls, saying the his mother is ill, mentally ill, he must now make the trek he has avoided. But before he can climb on his flight, he receives a message from his father that Tilde has left the mental hospital and is headed to London. And indeed she arrives.

Back in his apartment, Daniel does the listening, his “mum” Tilde the telling. And what a tale. A story of child abuse, betrayal, and murder. A conspiracy involving the rich and powerful and even his father. But is it true? Could it all have really happened as Tilde describes? Is his mother insane as so many say, including his father.

As the “telling” unfolds, the reader will be whiplashed back and forth. Is the evidence Tilde posses in her satchel proof of unspeakable crimes or are they meaningless bits that are only evidence in his mother’s mind?

This story will stay with you long after you read the final page.

DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series

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LibraryThing member katiekrug

Though hampered by a somewhat slow start, this mystery eventually developed some momentum that propelled me through the last half. Unfortunately, it never turned into quite the compelling read I was expecting, as I felt constantly at a distance from the characters, especially Tilde and her

incredible story. And I use "incredible" in the sense of something that can't be believed. It never hung together for me as an explanation of what was going on, maybe because I'm not given to paranoia or seeing conspiracies wherever I look. I found the resolution interesting and believable, though, and Smith is a great writer. I loved his line about people getting ready to "undress" their lies.

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LibraryThing member lotusgreen

This is the most unable-to-put-down book I have ever read. From the moment the door opens two alternate realities are screamed into your ears, one on each side, and they are on the opposite sides, and they are your mother and father.

It feels like one long automobile ride, bumpy road, heater keeps

cutting out, or coming on unexpectedly and inappropriately.

They can't both be right, can they?

And you find yourself in the hands of a master, being led to experience his experiences as your own. And still you wonder, which is real? And when you begin to think you know, it is because that's the way he arranged it.

Who is telling the truth? Everyone. No one.

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LibraryThing member labdaddy4

A fairly slow start but the story strongly builds and keeps the reader guessing. Gradually the story grabs you and does not let go.

LibraryThing member Schatje

This psychological crime thriller is a great summer read.

Tilde, Daniel’s Swedish mother, and Chris, his English father, have left London and retired to an isolated farm in Sweden. A few months later, Daniel learns that his mother is a patient in a psychiatric facility. Before he has a chance to

fly to Sweden, his mother arrives in London full of accusations against Chris and other men of the district in which they had taken up residence. She claims that her husband was involved in a conspiracy which led to the disappearance of a teenage girl.

The majority of the novel is Daniel’s listening to his mother’s version of events in Sweden. Throughout her narration, she takes out items from a satchel she has brought with her, items she claims are evidence against Chris and other powerful men in the community. Daniel remains confused throughout; parts of his mother’s story are credible but at other times she seems paranoid. Is she sane or does she require psychiatric treatment? The reader shares Daniel’s uncertainty, and therein lies the novel’s interest. It is clear that Tilde is not an entirely reliable narrator, but it is difficult to dismiss her totally.

Besides just providing a suspenseful read, the novel does examine some serious issues. One theme is that we often do not really know the members of our family. Chris and Tilde have kept secrets from their son, and he has kept secrets from them. At one point Daniel admits, “I’d mistaken familiarity for insight and equated hours spent together as a measure of understanding” (133). People may keep secrets and tell falsehoods to others and sometimes people tell themselves stories to make their lives easier; there are several instances of this latter type of behaviour.

The book also examines mental illness. Certainly a correlation is indicated between isolation and mental health. There is also discussion of the stigma attached to mental illness. Tilde mentions that, “Once you’ve been checked into an asylum your credibility is destroyed. It doesn’t matter if you’re released the next day. It doesn’t matter if the doctors declare your mind okay” (283 – 284).

I love the use of trolls in the novel. They appear everywhere. Daniel remembers a collection of Swedish troll stories from his childhood; his mother read him the gruesome stories rather than the sanitized child-friendly versions: “It was a contradiction that she’d always shielded me from trauma, yet when it came to fairy tales she’d wilfully sought out more disturbing stories” (50). Is she now telling him another one of these grim tales or are there trolls hidden and ready to pounce on unsuspecting people?

The book is fast-paced with many short chapters ending in cliff hangers. It will keep you interested and guessing until the end when the truth is revealed. The ending may be a surprise but it reveals a great deal about the workings of the human mind.

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LibraryThing member lisalangford

Daniel is a young man living in London. He gets a frantic phone call from his father, who has been living in Sweden with his mother for several months. His father tells him that his mother is not well, that she is making accusations and behaving irrationally and even dangerously. This is worrisome

and scary for Daniel, as his mother has never been anything but gentle and loving his whole life. This phone call from his father is completely out of character for his father as well, as the father makes accusations about his mother, and he also was a calm, loving presence in Daniel's childhood. Daniel is completely surprised and taken aback. What is going on? There is much to be revealed, and we find out in this psychological thriller...fun!

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LibraryThing member agarcia85257

Title - The Farm

Author - Tom Rob Smith

Summary -

It is a normal day for Daniel, his life proceeding at a comfortable level. On the outside all is fine and he seems happy. Then comes the call from his father, the call that changes everything. The call that begins the process that strips the veneer

from his life.

"Dad?"
"Your mother...She's not well."
"Its so sad."
"Sad because she's sick? Sick how? How's Mum sick?"
Dad was still crying. All I could do was dumbly wait until he said:
"She's been imagining things - terrible, terrible things."

Daniel's parents had left England and travelled to Sweden, the country of his mother's birth. The place she had run from at such an early age. Now his mother is ill and Daniel must get to her. As he plans to take a flight he receives another call, this time from his mother and she tells him to wait. That she is coming to him. When she lands she tells him he cannot talk to his father. She tells him there is a conspiracy to prove she is mad. She tells him a story so incredible...

"..In no more than a brief aside, my mum had swept away my entire conception of our family life.."

Daniel's mother, Tilde, tells Daniel the true reason she and his father had left to go to Sweden. The truths of her childhood and her lost friend Freja. And now, while she has little time, the truth of his father and the men of the small village they had settled in and the disappearance of the young girl Mia.
Daniel must hear his mother out as his father Chris is now following her with his own tales of his mother's madness.
Daniel is forced to choose between his parents and their truths and what truly happened to the people he loved on the Farm.

Review -

Slow to begin with, this novel picks up speed and force as it builds its mystery with layer after layer of secrets and lies. You are left to wonder as Daniel must, is his Mom going mad or is his father a murderer?
You are witness as the family is torn apart by its own desire to find the truth in one another. Tilde's descent into her convictions drag her son and husband down into the same abyss.
Daniel must face the reality and step into the past of his mother's life to find out what created this break with reality. Or else, is it a break at all and is she correct.
A very good read.

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LibraryThing member Twink

Tom Rob Smith is the award winning author of the Child 44 trilogy, but an author I hadn't read until now. His newest release is The Farm.

Daniel's parents,Tilde and Chris, for personal and financial reasons, have decided to move from England to Sweden - Tilde's birth country. They buy a small farm

in an isolated community and look forward to a bucolic retirement.Daniel keeps meaning to visit, but for his own reasons, keeps putting it off, believing his parents are happily pursuing their dream.

But when his father calls saying his Mum isn't well and has in fact has been hospitalized, he is shaken. Then his Mum calls, saying she has fled Sweden - and Chris - and is on her way to see him in England. She is cryptic, saying she will only reveal what has been going on in when she gets there. But, he must believe her.....his father is dangerous and her life is in danger....If he doesn't believe her, he is no longer her son.

What a great premise! Smith slowly lets Tilde tell her carefully documented story, complete with her proof. The reader is inexorably caught up in Tilde's slowly built case. But Daniel is torn - this is not the father he knows. Could his mother be mistaken? The reader is never sure of what is the truth - Tilde's 'evidence' seems quite plausible, but her manic paranoia makes her an unreliable narrator.

I really enjoy this style of book - not knowing who is telling the truth, trying to find the thread of what has truly happened in the narrative. I thought Smith did a fabulous job with this.

It was only after I finished the book and was reading more about Tom Rob Smith, that I discovered that the inspiration for The Farm was his from his own life. (Spoiler if you click through). In fact, this book is a mirror of that situation - underlining why I thought the writing was so compelling. While Smith's personal situation was resolved much quicker, the fictional tale had me wondering until the final pages what was real and what would happen.

I really enjoyed The Farm.

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LibraryThing member sandra.k.heinzman

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LibraryThing member Bookmarque

After hearing about this audio book on the Books on the Nightstand podcast and knowing that Smith’s Child 44 books received high praise, I decided to check it out. I couldn’t deal with the grinding cruelty and the bleak outlook of the Child 44 books, but this one is very different. First I have

to talk about the two-person narration. It’s really effective and I think that’s because of the way it was done - it’s not a straightforward narration where each person has a set piece of the story, instead it’s interwoven together as mother and son have conversations. Each has large sections of text, but then they come together when Daniel asks a question and mom answers.

Anyway, it’s no secret that Tilde is a classic unreliable narrator. Her use of emotional blackmail is calculated and unattractive. She’s also a classic paranoid personality and her story is wild and crazy, but you wonder if it doesn’t have a kernel of truth. As a reader, you know it must, but where does the kernel lie? In which part of her story? Just don’t be in a hurry to find out. The pace is slow and because Tilde tells the story in the present, we know she survives to get to Daniel, and that takes some of the dread out of the story. A few of the current time scenes made up for that though. The ending, while totally conventional, explained her actions satisfactorily enough.

Smith’s execution is good, but a few things bugged me. Both mother and son make very stupid decisions which they tell you they made and wish they hadn’t. They also regret certain actions and second guess themselves a lot. When they tell you these things, it’s supposed to ratchet up the tension, but it was also faintly ridiculous and that worked against the intent. It’s laid on a bit thick.

Overall though, it’s engaging and different enough to make for a good story. Diverting and creepy with a touch of the villagers with torches thing going on.

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LibraryThing member SENSpence

Enchanting fairytale mystery. I was immediately caught up in the slow unraveling of this story. I enjoyed the detail and the spell cast over me as I read. The characters were rich and full of life. This is a bedtime story/mystery for adults full of secrets and small-town intrigue.
I would not

recommend this to those who only like super fast-paced books because most of it is told in a deliberate an intricate fashion in the form of flashback for two-thirds of the book. Nevertheless, it is still a quick read (about 5 hours for me) and well told.

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LibraryThing member JanaRose1

When Daniel receives a phone call from his father, he is shocked to learn that his mother has been put into a mental institution. Within minutes, he receives a call from his mother, begging for his help. When his mother arrives in London, she begins to unravel a tale of lies, deceit, sexual abuse

and murder. Through it all, Daniel must decide if his mother is crazy or his father is involved with criminals.

This book was well written and well paced. It was suspenseful and unraveled the story in a very dramatic fashion. I thought the tension with Daniel and his partner was a bit unnecessary, it didn't add anything but took away from the suspense. Without giving anything away, I can say that I wanted more from the ending. Why are a lot of author's foregoing the epilogue? Overall, well worth reading.

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LibraryThing member Djupstrom

My first taste of Tom Rob Smith. I liked the idea of a "which parent to believe" mystery. And I think it was satisfying. The characters were good, and things were not too predictable. I will read more by Smith.

LibraryThing member jan.fleming

If you refuse to believe me, I will no longer consider you my son...

Daniel believed that his parents were enjoying a peaceful retirement on a remote farm in Sweden, the country of his mother's birth. But with a single phone call, everything changes.

Your mother...she's not well, his father tells

him. She's been imagining things - terrible, terrible things. In fact, she has been committed to a mental hospital.

Before Daniel can board a plane to Sweden, his mother calls: Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad... I need the police... Meet me at Heathrow.

Daniel is immediately caught between his parents - whom to believe, whom to trust? He becomes his mother's unwilling judge and jury. Presented with a horrific crime, a conspiracy that implicates his own father, Daniel must examine the evidence and decide for himself: who is telling the truth? And he has secrets of his own that for too long he has kept hidden...

In a thrilling novel as transfixing as it is meticulously crafted, Tom Rob Smith creates a community, a family, a marriage and a mind in crisis, striking to the very heart of the relationship between a mother and her son.

A gripping ingenious read with excellent characters and a beautifully described location that keeps you reading because you have to know the truth....

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LibraryThing member mikedraper

Daniel tells the story in "The Farm" as he learned it from his mother.

Daniel was living with his life partner. Daniel was barely eeking out a living but thought that his parents were having a comfortable retirement in Sweden.

He receives an urgent call from his father telling him that his mother,

Tilde, has had a nervous breakdown and Daniel needs to come to Sweden to help.

Wondering if he could ask his partner for money for the airfare, he gets another call. This time it's from his mother. She tells him that she's on her way to Heathrow. She also tells him that everything he's heard has been a lie and that she needs the police. She also feels that she's in danger.

From then on, the plot moves slowly to the details of his parent's lives since they moved to Sweden. For one thing, they are broke, they squandered their retirement money in a failed property investment. Also, Tilde suspects things about one of her neighbors and feels there is a conspiracy against her.

One of the biggest problems with the story is the slowness of the plot. The other difficulty I had is that none of the characters is really likable and I never felt compelled to learn more about them.

I enjoyed Smith's "The Child 44" which had excellent suspense and a feeling of dread as the story progresses. In "The Farm" I felt the story was overly long and with most of the story coming from Daniel based on what he learned from his parents, who are mundane. I also didn't care for the conclusion of the story which left me flat.

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LibraryThing member Suzannie1

loved this, even though never read Tom Rob Smith before ,sinister and fast paced , i had no idea what was going to happen , this Swedish author is great i will read his other novels now ,Daniel receives a call from his Dad now retired to Sweden where his mother is originally from and she has been

institutionalised for irrational behaviour , she flies to england unannounced and Daniel unwinds her story and finds it to be a representation of the truth - loved it .

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LibraryThing member Cherylk

I can remember reading Child 44. This is when I knew that Mr. Smith was going to be big in the book world. When this book arrived, I got excited. This book sounded good but first I had to finish a few books before jumping in. However I can tell you that I never thought I would enjoy this book as

much as I did. I read this book in 1 day. I would have finished it in a matter of a few hours if "life" did not get in the way.

This book does give Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island a run for its money. The Farm is an acid, roller coaster ride! It will mess with your mind in a good way. The story that Daniel's mother told him was hard to believe in the beginning. However as the story progressed, I was memorized but her tale. It was hard to tell where fiction and reality merged. All I could think about as I was reading this book is how awesome this book will be if and when it gets picked up for a movie.

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