"Another Scandinavian star has been born into the world of crime fiction. Don't miss out on Hakan Ostlundh "

--Stephen Booth, author of "The Devil's Edge"

Published in nine countries worldwide, Hakan Ostlundh is well on his way to becoming one of the new superstars of Scandinavian crime fiction. In this gripping and haunting novel, Arvid, a ruthless business consultant for a major international company, returns home to Sweden after a lengthy assignment in Tokyo. Four days after his return, the maid discovers two dead bodies on the living room floor a man and a woman. At first, police detective Fredrik Broman assumes the two bodies to be Arvid and his wife, but the male body is badly disfigured and could be anyone. Soon, Fredrik is knee-deep in case that is much more complex than he could ever have imagined.

Set on the island of Gotland, "The Viper "is a fabulous crime novel that explores the terrors lurking beneath small town life, where escaping one's past is impossible.

Praise for The Viper

"An engrossing thriller [that] upholds the Scandinavian literary tradition of using crime to peek into deep-rooted social malaises."
--Publishers Weekly

"Combining the viewpoints of police and local residents gives Ostlundh’s first crime novel to appear in English an extra level of interest. This latest Swedish import is sure to please fans of Asa Larsson and Johan Theorin." 

--Booklist

"A future classic of crime fiction.”
--Stephen Booth, author of The Devil’s Edge

"There is no question about the fact that the Swedes have captured the Nordic crime throne and Håkan Östlundh is definitely one of the most interesting authors in the genre... A classic crime story."
--Helsingør Dagblad

"A classic crime novel that touches upon our time and the relationships between the people that our time creates."
--Gotlands Tidningar

Praise for Håkan Östlundh

"Swedish crime writing at its best."
--Ove Österman, UNT

“Exceptionally thrilling…Breath-taking reading.”
--Dagens Nyheter