The Writing on the Wall

Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781906413194

Price: £10.99

Select a format:

ebook

Disclosure: If you buy products using the retailer buttons above, we may earn a commission from the retailers you visit.

“A Norwegian Chandler” JO NESBO
“In the best tradition of sleuthery” The Times
“One of the finest Nordic novelists in the tradition of Henning Mankell” BARRY FORSHAW, Independent

Bergen, Norway. Teenaged girls, many from privileged backgrounds, are being drawn into drugs and prostitution at an astonishing rate. When the local magistrate is discovered dead in a luxury hotel, clad only in women’s lingerie, the mystery deepens.

Called in by anxious parents to search for a missing girl, private investigator Varg Veum uncovers clues that lead him deep into Bergen’s criminal underworld.

As Veum begins to lift the thin veneer of normality that hides a society on the brink of collapse, it becomes clear that this time he may not escape with his life.

Translated from the Norwegian by Hal Sutcliffe

Reviews

Undoubtedly, one of the finest Nordic novelists in the tradition of such masters as Henning Mankell
Barry Forshaw, Independent
The Varg Veum series stands alongside Connelly, Camilleri and others, who are among the very best modern exponents of the poetic yet tough detective story with strong, classic plots; a social conscience; and perfect pitch in terms of a sense of place
Euro Crime
The prolific, award-winning author is plotting to kill someone whose demise will devastate fans of noir-ish Nordic crime fiction worldwide
Scotsman
An upmarket Philip Marlowe
Maxim Jakubowski, Bookseller
Norway's bestselling crime writer
Guardian
Hugely popular
Irish Independent
'In the best tradition of sleuthery
The Times
Like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this entry in Staalesen's long-running Norwegian crime series examines issues of class prejudice, misplaced trust, and self-righteous exploitation. Under pressure, Veum can skillfully dole out violence, but the essentially humane detective prefers methods that involve dialogue and deduction, investigation and intellect - a welcome contrast to many in his line of work
Publishers Weekly