Midwinter Sacrifice

'An investigation consists of a mass of voices, the sort you can hear, and the sort you can't. You have to listen to the soundless voices, Malin. That's where the truth is hidden.'

Early one morning in the coldest winter in Swedish memory, police detective Malin Fors is called away from the warm flat she shares with her teenage daughter. The naked body of a man has been found hanging from a tree on the deserted, frozen plain outside the town of Link ping.

From the outset Malin is confronted with a host of unanswered questions: Who is the dead man How did he end up in a tree And where did the strange wounds on his body come from

Malin and her team must search for the truth in a community that seems determined to keep its secrets, and follow in the frigid wake of a killer to the darkest corners of the human heart.

“This is a dark novel, full of awful people and desperate loneliness. Kallentoft is ruthless in his descriptions, but there is a great story here with solid police work leading Fors to the tale of the dead man in the tree. A must for the fans of Swedish crime novels.”

Meditative. Dark. Really, really cold . . . This is a worthy successor to Larsson's Millennium trilogy . . . This first installment in Kallentoft's crime series is a splendid representative of the Swedish crime novel, in all its elegance and eeriness. - Booklist Starred Review

Don't bother with Stieg Larsson, Kallentoft is better - Magnus Utvik, Sweden's leading critic

One of the best-realised female heroines I've read by a male writer - Guardian

The highest suspense - Camilla Lackberg, international bestselling author of The Stonecutter

He has a completely unique style, an exquisite narrative that you drink in with pleasure . . . I'm convinced: a crime novel doesn't get much more beautiful than this - Kristianstadsbladet

A gripping opening gambit . . . Investigating inspector Malin Fors is a feisty single mother, whose flaws are intriguing and endearing . . . The chillingly suspense-filled story works up to a truly stunning finale. - Easy Living

Sharp writing and original insights add spice - Literary Review

- Globe and Mail

Mons Kallentoft grew up in a working-class household in the provincial town of Linkoping, Sweden, where the Malin Fors series is set. Before becoming a writer, he worked in journalism and is also a keen food critic. His first novel, Pesetas, was awarded the Swedish equivalent of the Whitbread Award. He has been married to Karolina for over 20 years, and they live in Stockholm with their daughter and son.

His novels are translated into English by Neil Smith.

Visit Mons' website at and his Facebook page at and follow him on Twitter @Kallentoft

'An investigation consists of a mass of voices, the sort you can hear, and the sort you can't. You have to listen to the soundless voices, Malin. That's where the truth is hidden.' Early one morning in the coldest winter in Swedish memory, police detective Malin Fors is called away from the warm flat she shares with her teenage daughter. The naked body of a man has been found hanging from a tree on the deserted, frozen plain outside the town of Link ping.From the outset Malin is confronted with a host of unanswered questions: Who is the dead man How did he end up in a tree And where did the strange wounds on his body come from Malin and her team must search for the truth in a community that seems determined to keep its secrets, and follow in the frigid wake of a killer to the darkest corners of the human heart.

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