Varg Veum

Gunnar Staalesen

In a bleak coastal landscape where summer heat can feel as suffocating as winter cold, a missing woman pulls investigator Varg Veum into a case that refuses to stay simple. As Veum follows a dark, twisting trail through secrets, shifting loyalties, and corporate maneuvering, the investigation deepens into a locked-room–style mystery that turns on what’s hidden rather than what’s seen. Blending sharp Scandinavian noir atmosphere with a tightly wound plot, the story explores moral compromise, institutional power, and the bitter cost of truth. With Gunnar Staalesen’s signature, character-driven storytelling and Don Bartlett’s accessible translation, this is a suspenseful, highly readable mystery that keeps tightening until the final revelation.