Sofia Stefansson, a sometime prostitute, has a new client. Heading to his house, she’s
not sure what she’ll encounter. She thinks she’s prepared, but
not for what happens. A man enters the house, and brutally kills her
client. She escapes, but is severely traumatized.
As more bodies pile
up, the police are stymied. At first they think the motivation is
political, because the Foreign Minister is a victim. However when the
Swedish Secret Service has no success, the Prime Minister turns to
ex-Detective Joona Linna who is serving time in a high security
prison for events that happened in the previous novel. Joona
suspects that the killings are motivated not by terrorism, but by
events in the victim’s past.
This is a police
procedural that will keep you on the edge of your seat. While the
book is long, the plot is well paced so it keeps the momentum of the
case going. Joona is an excellent character. He has outstanding observational skills and makes surprising deductions that move the
hunt for the killer forward. In addition to Joona, there are other
interesting characters: a woman hospitalized with mental issues, a
celebrity chef, and his son who is filled with resentment against his
father.
This is another
excellent Nordic crime drama. It’s dark with plenty of violence.
This is the sixth book in the series. I was able to follow the plot
and characters, but I think familiarity with the earlier books would
have been helpful in understanding Joona’s background. Still, the
book can be enjoyed as a standalone.
I received this book
from Knopf for this review.
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