This is a truly bleak but hugely compelling Scandi-noir historical tale set in late 18th Century Stockholm.

After a limbless torso is dragged from the water and it is discovered that each limb had been removed at different times whilst the victim was still alive we follow the adventures of watchman Mickel Cardell and police investigator Cecil Winge as they try to identify both the corpse and the killer.

The characters are beautifully drawn. The watchmen (the local militia) are mostly ex military men who do not actually earn their stipend. Corruption runs deep within their world and Cardell really wants nothing to do with it earning most of his money as a security guard in a local pub. However he knows his duty and when two local street children come to tell him of the body he loses no time in plunging into the freezing water to recover it.

Cecil Winge is a rationalist and is proud to have spent his life as a lawyer ensuring that all his cases had a clear line of reasoning and that everyone he represented had an opportunity to put their side of the story. He is also dying of consumption but is determined to finish this case before either he dies or his patron, the chief of police is replaced.

Together Winge and Cardell plumb the depths of the city as they try to understand what is going on. The various locales are brought to life and peopled by a cast of believable and often tragic characters. For example we meet a man who is about to commit suicide but postpones his demise long enough to supply Winge with a vital clue and a drunken executioner who is condemned himself but is reprieved as long as he is prepared to behead his fellow prisoners.

About quarter of the way through the story the viewpoint shifts to that of a young man who has come to the city to try and make his fortune - this section is told in a series of letters to his sister and gradually we learn how his story ties up with the investigation.

The next section follows the tale of a young girl who rejects the advances of a suitor and is subsequently accused by his family of prostitution. Her treatment is truly harrowing but she is one of the strongest characters in the book. During her incarceration she encounters some of the most unpleasant and brutal characters in the story but despite the violence and injustice that she suffers she never gives up. There is humour here too though with the perpetually drunken priest in particular being a character who lightens the noir somewhat even though he himself in trapped in the tragic situation as much as the others. It is only towards the end of her tale that it becomes clear where she fits in to the bigger picture.

The book ends with Winge and Cardell concluding their investigations. Winge, in particular, is forced to question his totally rational and impartial approach to justice as he decides what should be done when the perpetrator is apprehended. The book forces Winge and hence us as readers to question whether those brought up with brutality are truly to blame if they then become monsters themselves.

This is no sanitised and idealised view of the past and could easily be described as grimdark as much as noir - life in the north was hard, violent and often short and we are left in no doubt of how bad conditions could get, especially of course, for the poor.

The book is predominantly written in the present tense which I found took some getting used to and personally did not feel that it added to the story but this is a minor point. The 18th century setting works very well and allows the lead characters to be flawed without resorting to the usual tropes of alcoholism or family break up as the cause of their problems even though these do feature in the tale. It is a very compelling read but does not pull punches in the descriptions of violence and as such is probably not one for the squeamish - it is not a cosy but for those who love Scandi-noir this is an excellent and highly recommended read.

Brilliant book a rare read a book that draws you in keeps you racing through the pages and stays with you even after you read the last page.A winner of many well deserved awards,#netgalley #johnmurraypublishers.

My thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read THE WOLF AND THE WATCHMAN.
This novel by Niklas Natt och Dag is superb, and a brilliant debut, and I would say a must read for anyone who loves gritty historical fiction.

Set in 1793, Stockholm after the assassination of King Gustav of Sweden there's no money left in the coffers and the people are suffering, living their lives in abject poverty. When a body is found in the city's swamp by watchman, Mickel Cardell, Cecil Winge who works as an investigator partners with Cardell to discover who so brutally dismembered a man and threw him in the Larder. As a team Winge and Cardell delve into a grim and seedy world inhabited by murderers, thieves, and prostitutes. It's so easy to empathise with Cardell and Winge. Both men, although utterly different, are instantly likable. When I begin to worry about the characters, I know the author has me well and truly hooked.

The novel is so well-written I could feel the grime, poverty and fear. I became totally immersed in the story and could barely be dragged away from reading it. It would be so good if these two could take on another case. A brilliant debut and thoroughly recommended. I'd give ten stars if I could!

This novel is gripping, the people we read about have true depths of character and make you have feelings about them. There is horror, honour and loads of tension. Just a brilliant read, enjoy.

thanks to John Murray Press for the review copy in exchange for honest review.

A book like this does not come around often so when it does I"m so happy I don't want it to end. This story hits all the points a good book needs.