Product Description

Having come thus far in his deliberations, Van Veeteren gave in to temptation and lit a cigarette. It was time to address the big question, and that would no doubt need a bit of extra effort.

Why?

Why in hell’s name should anybody march up to somebody’s door, ring the bell and shoot whoever opened it?

A young woman shivers in the December cold as her mother’s body is laid to rest in a cemetery. The only thing that warms her is the thought of the revenge she will soon take . . .

Then a middle-aged man is killed at his home, shot twice in the chest and twice below the belt. He had recently received a series of bizarre phone calls where an old song is played down the line – evoking an eerie sense of both familiarity and unease. Before the police can find the culprit, a second man is killed in the same way.

Chief Inspector Van Veeteren and his team must dig far back into each man’s past – but with few clues at each crime scene, can they find the killer before anyone else dies?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54579 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
'It's set to become Nesser's breakthrough novel in the country, and he is being favourable compared with Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson.' --Sunday Times

Review
'A novel with superior lot and characters.'

Review
'the novel leaves us in no doubt that Nesser is a master of suspense.'

Customer Reviews

First Rate Crime Novel
This is the fourth of Hakan Nesser's Inspector Van Veeteren
mysteries to be translated into English,and the more I read
of Nesser the more he stands out as a crime novelist of the
highest order.Unlike other Scandinavian crime writers he
locates these mysteries not in a real place but in an invented
Northern European country,which seems to be a mixture of Holland,
Germany ,Sweden and Poland.
The plot of this very readable novel concerns a woman who is
motivated by the death of her mother to carry out retributive
murders.For a long time the engaging Van Veeteren and his team
can make no headway in solving the case,but the energy of the novel
is maintained by the humour (for which the translator must take
much credit)and interesting characterisation,as it progresses
to its moving conclusion.
A splendid novel by a writer deserving of a wide readership.

Served cold
Scandinavian crime is a genre you just love or not. Anyone picking up this latest Nesser might not think much of it (as the previous reviewer obviously), yet it is an excellent story, with a very interesting criminal at its heart. I guess one loves this genre precisely for the bleakness and inherent sadness that the environment provides, and because that makes for such an atmospheric background. But beyond that element, 'Woman with birthmark' is definitely a gripping, good, strong addition to the collection !

Not as good as previous books in the series
Hakan Nesser has written another good book but I have to say that this wasn't has complex as previous books in the series. I found it just a little too easy and finished the book in one day.