OneoftheNewYorkTimes’sBestCrimeNovelsoftheYear-AGoodMorningAmericaBuzzPick#1INTERNATIONALBESTSELLER-AserialkillerinasmallSwedishtowncommitshisfirstmurderthesamenighttheprimeministerisassassinated--a“thrillingandprofoundlypoignant“(AngieKim)novelbyoneofthecountry’stopcriminologists,hailedas“thefinestcrimewriterwehaveinSweden“(DavidLagercrantz,authorofTheGirlintheSpider’sWebandothernovelsinStiegLarsson’sMillenniumSeries)“ChristofferCarlssonistothepoliceproceduralwhatCormacMcCarthyistotheWestern.“--AnthonyMarra,authorofMercuryPicturesPresentsandAConstellationofVitalPhenomenaACRIMEREADSANDKIRKUSREVIEWSBESTBOOKOFTHEYEARInFebruary1986,theHallandpolicereceiveacallfromamanwhoclaimstohaveattackedhisfirstvictim.I’mgoingtodoitagain,hesaysbeforethelinecutsoff.BythetimepoliceofficerSvenJ繹rgenssonreachesthecrimescene,thewomanistakingherlastbreath.ForSven,thiswillproveadecisivemoment.Onthesamenight,Swedenplungesintoastateofshockafterthemurderoftheprimeminister.Couldtherepossiblybeaconnection?AsSvenbecomesobsessedwiththecase,twomorefallvictim.Foryears,Svenremainshauntedbythemurdershecannotsolve,fearingthekillerwillstrikeagain.Havingfailedtocatchhim,Svenretiresfromthepolice,passinghisobsessiontohisson,whohasjoinedtheforcetobeclosertohisfather.Decadeslater,thecaseunexpectedlyresurfaceswhenanovelistreturnshometoHallandamidafailedmarriageandasputteringcareer.Thewriterbefriendstheretiredpoliceofficer,whohelpsthenovelist--ournarrator--unspoolthemanystrandsofthisengrossingtaleaboutacommunityconfrontingitsshamesandlegacies.A#1bestsellerinSweden,BlazeMeaSunmarkstheAmericandebutoftheyoungestwinneroftheBestSwedishCrimeNoveloftheYearaward,thetopprizeforSwedishcrimewriterswhosepastwinnersincludeStiegLarssonandHenningMankell.
