Woman with Birthmark: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery (4)

By Håkan Nesser

Book Overview

International Bestseller Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is on the case once more in this breathless thriller of deception, blackmail, and cold murder. Van Veeteren and his associates are left bewildered by the curious murder of a man shot twice in the heart and twice below the belt. An utterly dull man, the only suspicious activity his surviving wife can report is a series of peculiar phone calls. Repeatedly the telephone would ring, offering no answer but an obscure pop song from the 1960s. This siren song would be linked to an identical murder, but the true connection remains unknown. With a cool, critical eye, Van Veeteren pursues his subject across the country, wading through outrageous leads and fruitless tips in this chilling mystery from master crime novelist Håkan Nesser.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307387232
• ISBN13: 9780307387233
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

If you like mystery, then this is for you.

I've read all VanVeeteren mysteries now. The characters are very interesting...the plot is unpredictable and there is the right amount of tragedy, suspense and tongue and cheek humour. Great background of Europe (most of the 'action' takes place in Maardam, which is a fictional place in Holland). Swedish authors have a reputation for great mystery/crime writing, and Nesser verifies that point.

must read Swede

I had never heard of this author before ordering "Borkmans Point". Well, wow---now THIS is a superb thriller, mystery. It has a plot twist to the VERY end. Enjoy this writer. I did.

Engrossing Scandinavian police procedural

Lately, I've been on a Scandinavian mysteries book binge - Karin Fossum ["The Indian Bride", "Don't Look Back"] is my favorite author, but I've also enjoyed the works of Arnaldur Indridason ["The Draining Lake"], Henning Mankell etc. Hakan Nesser does not disappoint in his latest Insp Van Veeteren mystery, "Woman With Birthmark". The storyline itself is intriguing - a young woman is so affected by her mother's dying words that she undertakes a vendetta against those she deems wrongdoers. She undergoes a major transformation, changes her appearance, and `returns' as a sort of grim reaper, dispatching said wrongdoers with aplomb. Prior to each murder, there is a phone call, with identical music [in each case] being heard in the background. Enter Insp Van Veeteren, a veteran who has had his share of disturbing cases [the Insp Van Veeteren Series]. As the body count rises, Van Veeteren finds himself on the heels of a remarkably able and clever nemesis. The characters in this novel are well-delineated and complex, and the pacing of the plot is just right, drawing readers in and engaging our attention for the duration. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers and suspense novels, and especially for those who have developed a literary taste for Scandinavian thrillers.

Revenge Is Swedish

A mother's deathbed request. An obsessed young woman. A sudden spate of identical murders where the victims are seemingly unrelated. These ingredients are familiar to mystery fans, but Hakan Nesser finds a fascinating new way to tell the story. His melancholy Scandinavian cop, Inspector Van Veeteren ("VV" to his loyal assistants), takes on the case the way he always does, slowly and carefully. As the police begin to close in on the shadowy perpetrator, VV can't help but feel a grudging admiration for his opponent. And the killing isn't over.... This is the 4th of Nesser's award-winning series to arrive in the U.S., and it's a good one. The moody Van Veeteren and his colorful team are always entertaining, and they work well together to solve even the toughest cases. And this case, with its back-and-forth shifts between the good guys and the mysterious woman, is constantly lively. If you're a fan of police procedurals in interesting places, you'll definitely want to add Nesser to your list of "must-reads." Recommended.