by Maj Sjöwall
Part of Martin Beck
First published 2007
A corpse turns up in Anderslöv, a quiet village in southern Sweden. Detective Martin Beck arrives to piece together the circumstances of the woman's death. The investigation pulls him into the narrow streets and secretive relationships of small town life. Meanwhile, his colleague Larsson pursues a different case entirely. Two men gunned down a police officer during a roadside confrontation, and Larsson must track them before they strike again. The separate investigations unfold across the Swedish countryside, each detective following leads that seem to point in opposite directions. Beck methodically interviews villagers and examines evidence while Larsson races against time to prevent another officer's death. As both cases develop, the question emerges whether these seemingly unconnected crimes share hidden links. The parallel investigations test the partnership between the two detectives and force Beck to confront the violence that can erupt even in Sweden's most peaceful corners.
Genres: 20th-century, mystery, crime, adult-fiction, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, gritty, methodical, suspenseful
Tropes: detective-partnership, hidden-connections, parallel-narratives
Setting: Anderslöv, Sweden, Swedish countryside
Period: 20th-century
288 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: murder, violence