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Nina Hoffman is the closest cop to the scene when gunshots are heard in a swanky Stockholm apartment building. She responds to find cop David Lindholm shot dead in his bed. Nina's best friend, David's wife, Julia, is incoherent, mumbling that a woman took her boy. Their small son is missing, and all evidence points to Julia. Even Nina can't vouch for her friend's innocence, but reporter Annika Bengtzon is on the case. The more she investigates, the clearer Julia's innocence seems, but no one else believes Annika. Julia's court-appointed lawyer is a dolt, and her case is pushed through the courts quickly; law enforcement wants revenge for David's death. Annika doesn't have the time she needs to prove her case, but she pushes on despite a crisis in her personal life (her husband has left her for another woman). The latest in Markland's Annika Bengtzon series tells a complex but fascinating story full of misdirection and police obfuscation. Recommend Marklund to fans of Jussi Adler-Olsen and Camilla Lackberg.--Alesi, Stacy Copyright 2010 Booklist

Publishers Weekly
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Things aren't going so well for Annika Bengtzon in Marklund's superlative seventh novel featuring the tenacious Stockholm crime reporter (after 2012's Last Will). For starters, Annika's house burns down, and her husband leaves her for another woman. Meanwhile, she has to investigate the brutal murder of Supt. David Lindholm, "Sweden's most well-known and respected detective." David's traumatized wife, Julia, is the primary suspect in his death and the possible kidnapping of their young son. Annika discovers that David, the model policeman, hid a darker side and may have been involved in illegal activities that led to his murder. Annika's race against time to uncover the truth and exonerate Julia is intensified by multiple roadblocks, including governmental red tape and the ever-changing infrastructure at her newspaper, the Evening Post. Marklund has created a complex page-turner, complete with gritty realism, a flawed but likable protagonist, and nonstop suspense. Agent: Niclas Salomonsson, Salomonsson Agency (Sweden). (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.