Varg Veum is a singular character in Nordic Noir, a completely messed up man haunted by his social worker background, and with bottomless empathy for the child victims of this world.

This one is a typical Veum outing. Varg attends the funeral of an old schoolfriend, and hooks up with some of his former mates, members of an old rock and roll band. One of them asks Varg to help track down his wife, who has left him.

In the bitter weather leading up to Christmas, Varg digs through his own childhood memories, begins to think that there have been a few too many funerals lately, and starts looking for an explanation. What he finds out is shocking.

As always, Staalesen brings Bergen to life in a manner matched only by Ian Rankin's Edinburgh. His unique character, set in this unique place, with suitably twisty and disturbing plots, make this series unmissable. ( )

En av Gunnar Staalesens beste, men også en av hans drøyeste. Incest, barnedrap og voldtekt er ikke direkte hyggelig å lese om, men boka er ekstremt spennende og godt skrevet. ( )