"The novel whose translation rights have been sold to more than 28 countries." Five red and blue birthday candles... Lana is waiting to celebrate her fifth birthday, but instead, she witnesses the brutal murder of her entire family, becoming the sole survivor. The series' protagonist, Detective Everett Greens, discovers evidence of the crime in the apartment two days later, and the image of Lana and her family lying dead around her remains etched in his mind. Seventeen years later, he happens to be wanted for investigating a break-in at the same apartment. But he doesn't believe in coincidences; he suspects a major criminal conspiracy. His suspicions are confirmed when his old friend, former police informant Hoffman, tells him that a powerful gang is threatening him and his family. From then on, they race against time to unravel the great mystery that threatens the fate of the Hoffman family and the sole survivor of the Christmas massacre. "This is undoubtedly a thriller, revealing much about the workings of the Swedish police and their reliance on undercover agents... The ending is exciting and shocking; only a reader with a keen eye for detail will be able to guess how it concludes. The final three sentences will leave a profound and shocking impression." - New York Review of Books, USA "A novel in which Roslund delivers an unexpected twist with a plot that would leave even the most seasoned reader of Scandinavian crime fiction unpredictable." - Kirks Book Review, USA