It should have been an open and shut case: two drunks, who have met for a bite to eat and considerably more to drink, fall into an argument about one of the many pointless matters that make up their pathetic shared history. Then one of them ends their evening by savagely beating the other to death.

It’s a routine and yet strangely puzzling scenario to Detective Superintendent Evert Bäckström, whose legendary poor temper has not been improved by strict orders from his doctor to lead a healthier life. His gut feeling proves him right: within days, his team have another murder to contend with and have uncovered links to a high profile van heist in which two people died.

The nation needs a hero. Who better to save the day than Bäckström, misanthropic, devoid of morals, Hawaii shirt-clad, and, latterly, and alarmingly, armed? Once again an eye-popping combination of laziness, luck and an unbelievable sense of timing may yet rescue him from the perils of his fifteen minutes of fame…

About the Author

Leif G.W. 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 held the position of Professor at the National Swedish Police Board and is regularly consulted as the country's foremost expert on crime. He is the author of ten bestselling crime novels including three featuring the irrepressible Evert Bäckström. He is also the recipient of many prestigious awards including The Piraten Award, The Glass Key for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel, The Swedish Academy of Crime Writers' Award (three times), The Finnish Whodunnit Society's Annual Award for Excellence in Foreign Crime Writing, The Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel, and The Danish Academy of Crime Writers' Palle Rosenkrantz Prize.