Leif GW Persson is the Grand Master of Scandinavian crime fiction. Over three decades, he has taken a scalpel to the political and social mores of Swedish society in his dark and complex crime novels. His work melds the social realism of a Balzac or a Dickens with the hard-boiled street smarts of James Ellroy. Persson is Scandinavia's most renowned criminologist and a leading psychological profiler. He has also served as an advisor to the Swedish Ministry of Justice. Since 1991, he has been Professor at the National Swedish Police Board and is regularly consulted by media as the country's foremost expert on crime. He is the author of nine novels. This is the first one to be translated into English.
From a country known for terrific crime novelists, Sweden's great crime writer Leif G.W. Persson brilliantly takes the reader into a world of fascinating mystery and secrets -- Joseph Wambaugh Leif GW Persson's books are both brilliant and unique - stylish crime requiems marked by pitch-black humour and an unparalleled satiricat sting -- Hakan Nesser Reminiscent of Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson in its toughness... A philosophically charged tale worthy of Ingmar Bergman-but with lots more guns * Kirkus Reviews (starred) * A masterpiece of political and police intrigue * Yorkshire Evening Post * Ambitious... as well as being an intricately detailed crime narrative this is a powerful state-of-the-nation novel. Those who feel that crime fiction can tackle truly serious issue should pay close attention to Persson's magnum opus * Independent *