The setting: Oslo. An oppressively hot summer. The puzzle: Five points of the star, five fingers on a hand, and every five days a new victim. The first murdered woman had one finger less and under her eyelid, a red diamond shaped like a star. A ring with the same star-shaped red diamond adorns the severed finger of the second woman. And the murders continue...

The inspector: Blinded by drink, out of favor with his department, Harry Hole will be called to solve the puzzle along with his colleague and personal enemy Tom Woller, whom he suspects is tangled up in dirty stories. In his quest for the truth, Hole will find himself hunted and forced to make tough decisions about his professional future.

“Breathlessly, we follow Harry Hole as he tries to find his way through unexpected obstacles and twists, in a plot that moves like a bullet.” ("New York Times" - USA)

“Do not start this book if you have serious work or commitments. You won’t be able to put it down until the last page.” ("NRK" - Norway)