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Learn moreThe second book in Edgar-nominated Anne Holt's internationally bestselling mystery series featuring Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen, last seen in Blind Goddess
It is only the beginning of May, but in Oslo a brutal heat wave has coincided with an alarming increase in violent crime. In the latest instance, police investigator Hanne Wilhelmsen is sent to a macabre crime scene on the outskirts of town. An abandoned shed is covered in blood. On one wall an eight-digit number is written in blood. There is no body—nor any sign of a victim. Is it a kid's prank or foul play? Is it even human blood?
As more bloody numbers are found in isolated locations throughout Oslo, Hanne's colleague Håkon Sand makes a startling discovery: the digits correspond to the filing numbers of foreign immigrants. All are female, all are missing. Is there a serial killer on the loose in Oslo? How does the killer have access to immigrant data?
Meanwhile, as the trail heats up, the victim of a horrific unsolved rape case and her father have each decided to take justice into their own hands. Hanne and Håkon soon discover that they aren't the only ones on the hunt for the killer.
Anne Holt has worked as a journalist and news anchor and spent two years working for the Oslo Police Department before founding her own law firm and serving as Norway’s minister for justice for part of 1996 and 1997. Her first book was published in 1993, and her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. She lives in Oslo with her family.
Kate Reading is an Audie Award–winning narrator and has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine. Her narration has been recognized as Reader of the Year by Publishers Weekly, and by Booklist’s 2019 Top of the List, for the American Library Association. She and her husband, narrator Michael Kramer, record at their home studio in Maryland, Madison Productions. Learn more at www.katereadingaudiobooks.com.
Anne Bruce has degrees in Norwegian and English from Glasgow University, covering both Nynorsk and Bokmål, classic and modern texts, written and spoken Norwegian, as well as Old Norse, Icelandic, Swedish, and Danish. She has translated Wencke Mühleisen’s I Should Have Lifted You Carefully Over, Jørn Lier Horst’s Dregs, and Anne Holt’s Blessed Are Those Who Thirst. She lives in Kilmarnock, United Kingdom.
Reviews
“Anne Holt is the godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction.”
“Fast-paced and involving…Holt knows psychology as well as she knows the ins and outs of police-work. She quickly draws the reader into the minds and lives of half a dozen disparate characters—none more interesting than Inspector Wilhelmsen herself…Holt’s visions of societal and ethical decay are balanced by glimpses of great poignancy, human consolation, and love.”
“A good old-fashioned mystery.”
“Move over, Jo Nesbø.”
“A perfect entry point into Scandinavian crime…A sure pleasure for police-procedural fans who read everything from Slaughter to Nesbø.”
“A sympathetic lead distinguishes Holt’s second novel.”
“It’s obvious why the Hanne Wilhelmsen series has gained popularity among Scandinavian crime enthusiasts. Holt’s tightly wound suspense plots and quirky, likable protagonist are a breath of fresh air. Her latest thriller will quench her parched fans’ thirst.”
“Expertly translated for American readers by the highly capable Anne Bruce…A wonderful combination of old-school police procedure and amateur detective work…Holt is a master of balancing criminal procedure with suspense…This is a series that demands to be read, and the more quickly the better.”
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