In Fossum's moody and subtle U.S. debut, the fifth in her Inspector Sejer series, the popular Norwegian mystery writer displays her mastery of psychological suspense. Richly drawn characters reveal much about Norwegian society, though the setting, a picturesque valley town northwest of Oslo, isn't distinctive. A little girl disappears from her middle-class neighborhood, then returns home unharmed. Meanwhile, the search party discovers the nude corpse...

Konrad Sejer must face down his memories and fears as he struggles to determine why the corpses of troubled young men keep surfacing in local lakes. As Sejer begins to feel his age weigh on him, he wonders if he has the strength to pursue the elusive explanations for human evil.

Guilty of a terrible crime, Riktor isn't surprised when a police officer bursts into his house to arrest him, except that he didn't commit the crime he is being charged with and must defend his innocence without further incriminating himself.