“An addictive thriller.”—Raleigh Times-Dispatch
“Laced with irony and satire . . . Reminiscent of Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson in its toughness . . . Persson does a fine job of pitting one desperate soul against another in a philosophically charged tale worthy of Ingmar Bergman—but with lots more guns.”—Kirkus (starred)
“A brilliant political thriller.”—Der Tagesspiegel
“One of the best Swedish crime novels of all time.”—Expressen
“This is not only a compelling crime story to be read without stopping until the last page. It is not only an unforgettable tale with a ferocious and bitter unexpected ending. It is much more. This is a masterpiece.”—Il Sole 24 Ore
“A teeth-gritting political thriller . . . Authentic with silent anger, tough and utterly haunting.”—Berliner Morgenpost
“One of the most exhaustive investigations ever to have been written about. A plot full of suspense, a great adventure, and a philosophical view of the dark and painful sides of life.” —Il Giornale di Vicenza
“Funny, sharp, thrilling, and entertaining. Indeed, you almost think it’s too good to be true, at least until you start reading and are convinced.”—Kristeligt Dagblad
“Leif GW Persson’s big lush novel is a tale of mystery and intrigue and murder. Mostly set in Sweden before the collapse of the Soviet Union it begins with the body of an American falling from a building. Was it an accident or a suicide? Surely it couldn’t have been a murder, or so the police believe. Enter Lars Johansson, a police official known as ‘a real policeman.’ His interest in the dead American will take him to New York and to the FBI academy in Quantico, and will reveal Cold War machinations from a generation earlier that are connected to the man who fell from the building. For Johansson, entering this case is like entering a hall of mirrors within a maze, where international scheming, secret police, including one with bizarre sexual proclivities, and even the assassination of a prime minister, are all connected one way or the other to that American. From a country known for terrific crime novelists, Sweden’s great crime writer Leif GW Persson brilliantly takes the reader into a world of fascinating mystery and secrets.”
—Joseph Wambaugh
