The sixth Det. Joona Linna mystery (after
Stalker) arrives in the States from internationally best-selling Kepler, pseudonym for a Swedish husband-and-wife writing team. Joona now resides in a high-security prison after helping a convicted felon escape and assaulting a guard. He harbors no hope of returning to his police career, but when the Swedish foreign minister is murdered and more high-profile deaths seem imminent, the prime minister asks Joona to investigate in exchange for his freedom. As the killing continues, he must quickly find the thread that connects the victims. While he scours an elite boarding school in Sweden, security police detective Saga Bauer heads to Chicago, hoping to discover more clues at a psychiatric home. Soon it becomes clear that past horrors have caused this current nightmare, and it will take all of Joona’s wits and strength to stop the lethal killer.
VERDICT With a captivating detective, a hideous serial killer, and nonstop suspense, this confirms Kepler as a master of disturbing psychological crime novels, showing the darker side of humanity. [See Prepub Alert, 7/8/19.]