The Dying Detective

Winner of The Glass Key Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel 

Winner of The Danish Academy of Crime Writers’ Palle Rosenkrantz Prize 

Named Best Crime Novel of the Year by both the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers and the Finnish Academy of Crime Writers 

After suffering a stroke, retired detective Lars Martin Johansson finds himself in the hospital. To save himself from idleness and despair, the legendary investigator turns to an unsolved murder case from years before. The victim: an innocent nine-year-old girl. 

With the help of various associates and assistants, Johansson launches an informal investigation from his hospital bed. Racing against time, he uncovers a web of connections that links sex tourism to a dead opera singer and a self-made millionaire. But as Johansson draws closer to solving the crime, he finds that he will have to confront not just a mystery but his own mortality.

“Winner of The Glass Key Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel Winner of The Danish Academy of Crime Writers' Palle Rosenkrantz Prize Named Best Crime Novel of the Year by both the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers and the Finnish Academy of Crime Writers "A brilliant police procedural. . . . An absolutely masterful crime novel." -- Booklist (starred review) "Memorable. . . . well-paced. . . . brooding. . . . the crux of the story lies in Johansson's wrestling with an appropriate solution to a crime that, incredibly, is fast slipping to the other side of the statute of limitations: does he let the bad guy get away, or does he take justice into his own hands? A knotty, sinuous story that leads to a hard-won resolution--and a decidedly conclusive end." -- Kirkus "The King of Swedish crime writing. Period." -- Kvllsposten, Sweden "Extraordinarily fascinating . . . Extremely hard to put down." -- Jyllands-Posten, Denmark (five stars) "With this amazing novel, Persson proves himself to be a significant voice, classic yet original." -- La Repubblica, Italy "Phenomenally brilliant." -- Politiken, Denmark (five stars) "Persson is a divinely gifted storyteller." -- Dagens Nyheter, Sweden "Excellent . . . Clever, amusing and imaginative." -- Folketidende, Denmark”

“A brilliant police procedural. . . . An absolutely masterful crime novel.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“[A] cleverly plotted police procedural…. Demonstrates real brilliance.”
—Publishers Weekly 

“Memorable. . . . well-paced. . . . brooding. . . . the crux of the story lies in Johansson’s wrestling with an appropriate solution to a crime that, incredibly, is fast slipping to the other side of the statute of limitations: does he let the bad guy get away, or does he take justice into his own hands? A knotty, sinuous story that leads to a hard-won resolution—and a decidedly conclusive end.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The King of Swedish crime writing. Period.”
—Kvällsposten, Sweden 

“Extraordinarily fascinating . . . Extremely hard to put down.” 
—Jyllands-Posten, Denmark (five stars) 

“With this amazing novel, Persson proves himself to be a significant voice, 
classic yet original.”
—La Repubblica, Italy 

“Phenomenally brilliant.”
—Politiken, Denmark (five stars) 

“Persson is a divinely gifted storyteller.”
—Dagens Nyheter, Sweden 

“Excellent . . . Clever, amusing and imaginative.”
—Folketidende, Denmark

Leif GW Persson’s previous novels include Between Summer’s Longing and Winter’s End; Another Time, Another Life; Free Falling, As If in a Dream; Linda, as in the Linda Murder; and Bäckström: He Who Kills the Dragon. He has served as an adviser to the Swedish Ministry of Justice and is Sweden’s most renowned psychological profiler. A professor at the Swedish National Police Board, he is considered the country’s foremost expert on crime. He lives in Stockholm.

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