An "impressive" and "gripping" Scandinavian mystery from an author who "succeeds in evoking sympathy for all her characters . . . [in a] fair-play whodunit" (Publishers Weekly). Inspector Sejer is hard at work again, investigating the brutal murder of a woman who lived alone in the middle of the woods. The chief suspect is another loner, a schizophrenic recently escaped from a mental institution. The only witness is a twelve-year-old boy, overweight, obsessed with archery, and a resident at a home for delinquents. When a demented man robs a nearby bank and accidentally takes the suspect hostage, the three misfits are drawn into an uneasy alliance.Shrewdly, patiently, as is his way, Inspector Sejer confronts a case where the strangeness of the crime is matched only by the strangeness of the criminals, and where small-town prejudices warp every piece of information he tries to collect. Fossum once again provides extraordinary insight into marginalized lives and richly evokes the atmosphere she captured so brilliantly in Don't Look Back .Praise for Karin Fossum:"A superb writer of psychological suspense." -- New York Times "Sejer is a beautifully created character, a thoughtful, lonely man with great empathy." -- Publishers Weekly "With sharp psychological insight and a fine grasp on police procedure, Fossum is easily one of the best new imports the genre has to offer." -- The Baltimore Sun "A truly great writer and explorer of the human mind." --Jo Nesbo, New York Times bestselling author of the Harry Hole series"Fossum . . . writes like Ruth Rendell with the gloves off." -- Kirkus Reviews