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Readers' rating:
Published Jan 2024
464 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
This atmospheric and sinister mystery, perfect for fans of the Nordic thrillers of Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson, follows an overachieving female inspector investigating the darkest side of humanity, from "one of Sweden's most talented crime fiction authors" (Erik Axl Sund, author of The Crow Girl).
Criminal inspector Leonore Asker seems to have the leading position at Malmö's Major Crime Division within reach. But things go awry when, in the middle of a high-profile kidnapping case, management relegates her to the so-called Department of Lost Souls—the unit for odd, cold cases banished to the basement of the police station.
Despite the humiliation, Asker is drawn into one of the more peculiar cases. Someone is placing small ominous figures in town and one of them seems to represent the missing woman from the kidnapping case. As Asker's investigation takes her to abandoned buildings, she reaches out to a local architecture expert and together they explore the sinister recesses of the city and discover that an unusual kind of evil lurks in the shadows.
"Superb…De la Motte nimbly juggles a substantial cast as his plot grows increasingly intricate, ratcheting suspense to near-unbearable heights. This crackerjack page-turner will keep readers up late." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The twisty, spine-tingling mystery that unfolds is creepy and sinister, laced with a touch of dark Scandinavian folklore." ―Willy Williams, firstCLUE
"Unsettling. De la Motte had me hooked from the very first page." ―Kyle Mills, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code Red
"A masterful thriller that succeeds on all levels: absorbing, deftly-plotted, bone-chilling. Leonore Asker takes her place at the front of the line of Swedish crime solvers: awkward, headstrong, unstoppable. I honestly read the last 100 pages with the hair on my arms standing on edge." ―Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth Column
"The Mountain King is Nordic crime fiction at its best : addictive, eerie and hauntingly atmospheric (fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will devour it). Leonore Asker, and the wonderfully named 'Department of Lost Souls', are fascinating and unpredictable. This is the new series you need in your life. EXCEPTIONAL." ―Will Dean, bestselling author of The Last to Burn
This information about The Mountain King was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Anders de la Motte, a former police officer, made his debut in 2010 with the award-winning thriller Game and has since then been one of Sweden's most beloved and popular crime writers. He is the author of several acclaimed and bestselling crime fiction series, among them the suspenseful Skåne Quartet. The Mountain King is the first bestselling installment in his new Leo Asker series.
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