In this enthralling new addition to Hakan Nesser’s acclaimed Inspector Van Veeteren series, the Swedish detective must crack a secretive and uncooperative religious sect in order to solve a string of brutal murders.
When one of the Pure Life’s members is found raped and strangled in the forest near the group’s camp, the Chief Inspector is called to investigate. The Pure Life has chosen to remain silent about the incident rather than defend itself, so Van Veeteren’s only lead is the anonymous caller who reported the body. As the unidentified woman continues to assist the authorities, her knowledge suggests she’s more than just a passing Good Samaritan, but her tips become doubly perplexing as a new string of increasingly horrifying crimes defy everything Van Veeteren and his team thought they knew about the case.
“[Van Veeteren] tackles a murder investigation as if it were a knotty chess problem. . . . There’s much to be said for a quiet man with a good mind.”
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The New York Times Book Review “Elegantly penned. . . . Thoroughly enjoyable. . . . [A] twisty layered tale that should keep even seasoned mystery fans guessing. . . . Just as Van Veeteren is no typical fictional detective, Nesser is no typical mystery writer. And
The Inspector and Silenceis no typical summer read: a Swedish vacation tale that visits the darkness with appropriate gravity but doesn’t wallow in it—all the while managing to entertain.”
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Cleveland Plain Dealer “A thrilling investigation.”
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Newsweek “What’s surprisingly refreshing about Nesser’s writing, given the subject matter, is the wry humor and sarcasm of his characters, that and a storyline that will keep you riveted till the final page. . . . Where Jo Nesbø’s approach is more physical, visceral, Nesser’s Chief Ils,