Rekke and Vargas – serie

A gripping new thriller from the bestselling author of THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB"A nerve-racking political thriller with the most exciting detective duo in a long time. Bring on their next case" Romy Hausmann, author of Dear Child"A rich, engrossing novel" Literary ReviewThe launch of a new series inspired by Sherlock Holmes. A murder investigation brings together two unlikely allies in a race to uncover a shadowy international conspiracy.Professor Hans Rekke: born into a wealthy Stockholm family, world authority on interrogation techniques, capable of vertiginous feats of logic and observation . . . But he might just fall apart when the going gets tough, leading to substance abuse and despair.Micaela Vargas: community police officer, born to Chilean political refugees in a tough suburb, with two brothers on the shady side of the law.Vargas feels she has something to prove. She's tenacious and uncompromising, but she needs Rekke's unique mind to help her solve the case. Rekke has it all - wealth, reputation - but also a tendency to throw it all away. He needs Vargas to help him get back on an even keel so he can focus his mind on finding the killer before they're both silenced for good.Translated from the Swedish by Ian Giles

Claire Lidman died fourteen years ago.So why does she appear in the background of a recent holiday snap taken in Venice?Her husband brings the anomaly to Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas. Initial scepticism gives way to cautious belief, but Rekke is falling apart again and Vargas has her own problems. Her gangster brother is threatening to silence her if she doesn't get off his case.Meanwhile, Rekke's daughter Julia has a new boyfriend she's determined to keep secret. He sees something in her she can't see herself, but there are hints of a darker side.Most troubling of all, Rekke is hearing whispers of a name he hasn't heard for years. A rival from his youth whose restless evil links all the threads in this incipient case. The pieces are laid and he's already one move ahead. The name of the game is revenge.Translated from the Swedish by Ian GilesReviews for Dark Music:"One Holmes himself would have loved to solve" Independent"A rich, engrossing novel" Literary Review"A complex and dark Sherlock Holmesian tale" Irish Independent

Claire Lidman died fourteen years ago.So why does she appear in the background of a recent holiday snap taken in Venice?Her husband brings the anomaly to Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas. Initial scepticism gives way to cautious belief, but Rekke is falling apart again and Vargas has her own problems. Her gangster brother is threatening to silence her if she doesn't get off his case.Meanwhile, Rekke's daughter Julia has a new boyfriend she's determined to keep secret. He sees something in her she can't see herself, but there are hints of a darker side.Most troubling of all, Rekke is hearing whispers of a name he hasn't heard for years. A rival from his youth whose restless evil links all the threads in this incipient case. The pieces are laid and he's already one move ahead. The name of the game is revenge.Translated from the Swedish by Ian GilesReviews for Dark Music:"One Holmes himself would have loved to solve" Independent"A rich, engrossing novel" Literary Review"A complex and dark Sherlock Holmesian tale" Irish Independent

Claire Lidman died fourteen years ago.So why does she appear in the background of a recent holiday snap taken in Venice?Her husband brings the anomaly to Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas. Initial scepticism gives way to cautious belief, but Rekke is falling apart again and Vargas has her own problems. Her gangster brother is threatening to silence her if she doesn't get off his case.Meanwhile, Rekke's daughter Julia has a new boyfriend she's determined to keep secret. He sees something in her she can't see herself, but there are hints of a darker side.Most troubling of all, Rekke is hearing whispers of a name he hasn't heard for years. A rival from his youth whose restless evil links all the threads in this incipient case. The pieces are laid and he's already one move ahead. The name of the game is revenge.Translated from the Swedish by Ian GilesReviews for Dark Music:"One Holmes himself would have loved to solve" Independent"A rich, engrossing novel" Literary Review"A complex and dark Sherlock Holmesian tale" Irish Independent

Professor Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas have earned a reputation for solving the unsolvable. But they've never been confronted by a serial killer.That changes when Rekke receives a visit from Spanish chief inspector Rafael Corales, who is unable to forget the unsolved murder of a young woman in Santander in 1988. Now other bodies have come to light, marked with signs that seem to be some kind of numerical order.Still recovering from his latest hypomanic episode - his relationship with Vargas strained by a secret she's keeping - Rekke agrees to help track down the killer.Clues from a posthumously published short story by the victim draw him undercover into the murky world of Sweden's literary scene - authors, agents and producers who are past masters at selling a lie. To unmask the killer, Rekke must relearn the difference between fact and fiction, and discover what really happened that night in Santander in 1988.Reviews for Dark Music and Fatal Gambit"A classic murder mystery . . . one Holmes himself would have loved to solve" Independent"Fans of dark Swedish crime will love this moody thriller" The Sun"A rich, engrossing novel" Literary ReviewTranslated from the Swedish by Ian Giles