When The Devil Holds The Candle

This novel in the acclaimed Scandinavian mystery series is "an engrossing psychological thriller" about a missing teen being held by a deranged captor. (Sunday Telegraph)

When the theft of a purse from a stroller results in an infant's death, two teenagers are in trouble. Unaware of the enormity of their crime, Zipp and Andreas are intent on committing still another. They follow an elderly woman home, and Andreas enters her house with his ever-reliable switchblade. Motionless in the dark, Zipp waits for his friend to come out.


Inspector Konrad Sejer and his colleague Jacob Skarre see no connection between the infant's death and the reported disappearance of a local delinquent. And so while the confusion in the world outside mounts, the chilling, heart-stopping truth unfolds inside the old woman's home.


Unflappable as ever, Sejer digs below the surface of small-town tranquility to understand how and why violence destroys everyday lives. Another brilliantly observed, precisely rendered psychological mystery from the highly acclaimed Karin Fossum.


Praise for Karin Fossum:


"A superb writer of psychological suspense." —New York Times

"Sejer is a beautifully created character, a thoughtful, lonely man with great empathy." —Publishers Weekly

"Essential reading for fans of Scandinavian crime fiction." —Booklist, starred review


"With sharp psychological insight and a fine grasp on police procedure, Fossum is easily one of the best new imports the genre has to offer." —The Baltimore Sun

"A truly great writer and explorer of the human mind." —Jo Nesbo, New York Times–bestselling author of the Harry Hole series


"Fossum . . . writes like Ruth Rendell with the gloves off." —Kirkus Reviews