Under the Storm

“When the body of a young woman was discovered in an incinerated farmhouse in 1994, resolution was swift—it was murder, her boyfriend did it, case closed. But for the boyfriend’s nephew, Isak; the arresting officer, Vidar Jörgensson; and the entire community of Marbäck, closure is a myth about to be shattered. The character trajectories (and tragedies) of Isak and Vidar have real narrative heft, but Carlsson also makes room to explore bigotry, misogyny and nativism … wonderfully translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles.”—Sarah Weinman, The New York Times

“A tense police procedural.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A brilliantly woven, unsettling crime novel … Boasting the psychological intensity of a Hitchcock film … this is a gripping, utterly distinctive mystery by a newly established Swedish master. As in Blaze Me a Sun, Carlsson explores the nature of grief and generational trauma, all while keeping readers unsure of what’s going to happen next.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Under The Storm is the quintessential crime novel—not only a brilliantly constructed whodunit about the unfolding of a murder investigation over three decades, but a profound and immersive portrait of the ripple effects of one act of crime, judgment, and doubt on a community. Christoffer Carlsson is a master at layering nail-biting suspense with psychological depth and acuity, and I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”—Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls

“[Christoffer] Carlsson is to the police procedural what Cormac McCarthy is to the Western.”—Anthony Marra, New York Times bestselling author of Mercury Pictures Presents and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

“A tense police procedural.”—Wall Street Journal

“Carlsson is the finest crime writer we have in Sweden. His writing is a perfect combination of crystal clear prose and exact knowledge.”—David Lagercrantz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl in the Spider’s Web and other novels in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series

“Carlsson demonstrates impressive character development and a knack for slow-building suspense.”—BookPage

“This slow-burning, masterfully constructed literary thriller from the author of Blaze Me a Sun (2023) and one of Sweden’s leading crime experts lays bare the haunting effects of violent crime.”—Booklist

Christoffer Carlsson holds a PhD in criminology from the University of Stockholm, where he continues to teach, and is one of Sweden’s leading crime experts. He is the youngest winner of the Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year.

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