The Strangler's Honeymoon

Description

Desperately lonely, sixteen-year-old Monica Kammerle has little idea of what she is getting herself into when she begins an affair with her mother's latest partner; the sophisticated Benjamin Kerran . . . Months later, when a woman's strangled body is found, the Maardam police must discover who has committed this terrible crime. It isn't long before they realize the perpetrator may have killed before - and is likely to do so again. Meanwhile former Chief Inspector Van Veeteren finds himself drawn into the mystery when a priest, who has learned dreadful secrets, appeals to him for help. But when the priest falls beneath the wheels of a train and the police find more dead-ends than leads, it seems Van Veeteren will have to come up with a new approach to unearth this dark serial killer. Before he chooses his next victim . . .

Hakan Nesser is one of Sweden's most popular crime writers, receiving numerous awards for his novels featuring Inspector Van Veeteren, including the European Crime Fiction Star Award (Ripper Award) 2010/11, the Swedish Crime Writers' Academy Prize (three times) and Scandinavia's Glass Key Award. The Van Veeteren series is published in over 25 countries and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Hakan Nesser lives in Gotland with his wife, and spends part of each year in the UK.

I was swept away by Hakan Nesser's The Strangler's Honeymoon which is as gruesome, tense and droll as its title. * Sunday Times Books of the Year * A richly atmospheric addition to the series . . . Nesser contrives an impressive balance between a twisty thriller plotline and satisfying characters with believable quirks . . . his subtle touch when it comes to psychological insight and his confident storytelling make for an enthralling read. * Metro * Nesser produces crime writing that is so rivetingly written that it makes most contemporary crime fare - Scandinavian or otherwise - seem rather thin gruel. Nesser's tenacious copper, Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is one of the most distinctive protagonists in the field (lauded by no less an authority than Colin Dexter: 'destined for a place among the great European detectives'), and the baffling, labyrinthine cases he tackles have a rigour and logic all too rarely encountered. * Guardian *