The Writing on the Wall - by Gunnar Staalesen Paperback

About the Book

In this crime drama, set in Bergen, Norway, detective Varg Veum's adventures take him into a dark world of privileged citizens who have been drawn into cross-dressing, drugs, and prostitution. When the local judge is discovered dead, clad only in women's lingerie in a luxury hotel, Varg is called in to explain the judge's death. Soon a teenage girl goes missing and her parents ask that he find her. Varg learns that all of the clues lead him deeper into Bergen's criminal underworld.

Book Synopsis

"A Norwegian Chandler" JO NESBO
"In the best tradition of sleuthery" The Times
"One of the finest Nordic novelists in the tradition of Henning Mankell" BARRY FORSHAW, Independent

Bergen, Norway. Teenaged girls, many from privileged backgrounds, are being drawn into drugs and prostitution at an astonishing rate. When the local magistrate is discovered dead in a luxury hotel, clad only in women's lingerie, the mystery deepens.

Called in by anxious parents to search for a missing girl, private investigator Varg Veum uncovers clues that lead him deep into Bergen's criminal underworld.

As Veum begins to lift the thin veneer of normality that hides a society on the brink of collapse, it becomes clear that this time he may not escape with his life.

Translated from the Norwegian by Hal Sutcliffe

Review Quotes

'In the best tradition of sleuthery--The Times

An upmarket Philip Marlowe--Maxim Jakubowski, Bookseller

Hugely popular--Irish Independent

Like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this entry in Staalesen's long-running Norwegian crime series examines issues of class prejudice, misplaced trust, and self-righteous exploitation. Under pressure, Veum can skillfully dole out violence, but the essentially humane detective prefers methods that involve dialogue and deduction, investigation and intellect - a welcome contrast to many in his line of work--Publishers Weekly

Norway's bestselling crime writer--Guardian

The prolific, award-winning author is plotting to kill someone whose demise will devastate fans of noir-ish Nordic crime fiction worldwide--Scotsman

The Varg Veum series stands alongside Connelly, Camilleri and others, who are among the very best modern exponents of the poetic yet tough detective story with strong, classic plots; a social conscience; and perfect pitch in terms of a sense of place--Euro Crime

Undoubtedly, one of the finest Nordic novelists in the tradition of such masters as Henning Mankell--Barry Forshaw, Independent

About the Author

GUNNAR STAALESEN was born in Bergen, Norway in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over 20 titles, which have been published in 24 countries and sold over two million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Epsen Seim. Staalesen, who has twice won Norway's top crime prize, the Golden Pistol, lives in Bergen with his wife.