(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

When gangster lawyer Thomas Eriksson, renowned defender of the guilty, is found brutally murdered in his own home the police face a rare problem. Finding a suspect isn’t difficult, but narrowing down the long list of people who wanted Eriksson dead might be...
High on the list is the celebrated Detective Superintendent Evert Bäckström, in charge of the investigation. Unfortunately for him a high profile case really gets in the way of his routine, namely avoiding the office, keeping work to a minimum and steering well clear of his inept colleagues – aside from the attractive ones, of course.
Luckily, by virtue of his questionable contacts, Bäckström has an unequalled skill for having the guilty handed to him on a plate. All he has to do is break every rule in the book – and receive a healthy wad of cash for his trouble. But this time he’s in for a surprise because even Bäckström couldn’t have predicted where this trail would lead, or how far from comfortable he might be at its end.

This is the third book in the Bäckström series.

This book was another case of "great, story, but I hate the character,"

The mystery/thriller plot was quite fascinating. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up until the end. I have long been a fan of Nordic thrillers - sometimes it is just based on the settings, and descriptions of such. And this book doesn't let me down in that regard, either.

However, the lead character is a jerk. I couldn't stand him. And, at one point, I actually hoped he died. I hate when that happens. But there wasn't many redeeming qualities...

To sum up, a great Scandinavian thriller that is sadly let down by its lead character.


Paul
ARH

Thomas Eriksson, Stockholm lawyer for all sorts of gangsters, is found dead in his private house. The list of suspects is quite long, considering his usual business partners. Evert Bäckström, Detective Superintendent with the Stockholm police, is in charge of the investigation. Avid avoider of work, his sets up his team to investigate the case which turns out to be more complicated with every piece they add to the picture. Bäckström himself investigates the case from his own point of view and with his own means, not all of them legal. Thus, he finally gets the culprits brought to him and can even make some money with the case.

Scandinavian crime novels have been quite popular for some time, mainly because the investigators are unique characters who have something to offer besides a good case. Persson’s protagonist Bäckström definitely is one of them. It makes so much fun reading his thoughts, mainly about his colleague where he has a collection of very remarkable characters. Additionally, the image of Bäckström and the reality could not differ more: a capable investigator, highly successful in the public opinion, a lazy betrayer and fraudster on the dark side. This makes him outstanding and – albeit all the despicable traits of character – a kind of lovable or at least enjoyable character.

The case itself is quite complicated, In the course of the action, more and more complicating factors are added and you really have to pay attention not to mix up anything. Nevertheless, it is solved convincingly and no questions remain unanswered. All in all, quite some joy to read.