The Strangler's Honeymoon (The Van Veeteren series, 9) - Tapa dura

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 * 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 * 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 Swedish crime writer as thrilling as Mankell, a detective as compelling as Wallander. . . The Strangler's Honeymoon is the penultimate gripping Scandinavian crime thriller in the Van Veeteren series by Hakan Nesser. 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 . . . The Strangler's Honeymoon is followed by the tenth and final Van Veeteren novel, The G File.