For fans of Jo Nesbø and Katrine Engberg, international bestselling author Anne Mette Hancock’s third thrilling novel in the series Harlan Coben calls “the best series I’ve read this year,” is a pulse-pounding Scandinavian noir about secrets, buried truths, and what happens when we go digging into the past.
When Jan Frischof, a dying elderly man, gives a deathbed confession too unbelievable to be true, journalist Heloise Kaldan immediately knows there’s a deeper story to uncover. Her gut soon proves to be right—Jan immediately backtracks and warns her that they will both be in danger if she asks any more questions. Could this kind and elderly man really be a cold-blooded killer?
Heloise quickly realizes that this is a darker, and far more complicated, investigation. Jan is clearly afraid of something, but who or what he’s afraid of could be a dangerous question for Heloise to find the answer to. As she digs deeper, Heloise begins to see that Jan's confession is connected to a string decades-old disappearances. But next of kin and police are lying to her at every turn, and she has no idea what else Jan could be hiding.
Enlisting her friend, detective inspector Erik Schäfer, Heloise begins her descent into the past, unsure of what she will unearth.
Praise for Ruthless: “Hancock saves a whopper for the deceptively quiet climax.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Scandinavian noir fans of writers like Jo Nesbø will love this dark tale.” —Booklist
Praise for the Kaldan and Scháfer Mystery series: “Gripping, endearing, dark, and funny, Anne Mette Hancock has written the best series I've read this year.” —Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Hancock writes with a razor-sharp pen, wittily and with originality. I simply adore her books.” —Katrine Engberg, #1 international bestselling author of The Tenant
“A guaranteed page-turner.” —Emelie Schepp, international bestselling author of the Jana Berzelius series
"Anne Mette Hancock has written a killer book. This one has it all—a great story, compelling characters, and a page-turning plot." —Harry Hunsicker, author of The Devil’s Country
“Absolutely wonderful. Superbly constructed and totally enthralling.” —Helene Tursten, author of Snowdrift
“Structurally flawless.” —The Washington Post
“If you enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you will thoroughly enjoy this [Danish] thriller full of action, family secrets, and intrigue.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune, Recommended Reads
“Scandinavian noir at its noirest. It’s hard, maybe unthinkable, to imagine how Hancock will follow it up.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“[A] gripping debut . . . Assured prose matches the intricate plot. Hancock is off to a strong start.” —Publishers Weekly
“A cat-and-mouse race against a killer.” —Jules Herbert, B&N Reads
“[A] tense sequel . . . [Hancock] does a good job portraying her leads’ complex motivations. Scandi noir fans will want to stay tuned.” —Publishers Weekly
“A suitably nightmarish snap . . . reads like top-line American procedurals.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Intricate, well-constructed suspense, with a sophisticated premise.” —New York Journal of Books
“If you enjoy Scandinavian crime stories, you will definitely want to check [it] out.” —San Francisco Book Review, 5-star review
“A fantastic psychological thriller . . . Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French.” —Seattle Book Review
Anne Mette Hancock made her debut as an author in 2017 with The Corpse Flower. This poignant suspense novel debuted at #1 on the Danish bestseller charts. She was awarded the Danish Crime Academy's debutant prize and was named Author of the Year in Denmark.
For fans of Jo Nesbø and Katrine Engberg, international bestselling author Anne Mette Hancock’s third thrilling novel in the series Harlan Coben calls “the best series I’ve read this year,” is a pulse-pounding Scandinavian noir about secrets, buried truths, and what happens when we go digging into the past.
When Jan Frischof, a dying elderly man, gives a deathbed confession too unbelievable to be true, journalist Heloise Kaldan immediately knows there’s a deeper story to uncover. Her gut soon proves to be right—Jan immediately backtracks and warns her that they will both be in danger if she asks any more questions. Could this kind and elderly man really be a cold-blooded killer?
Heloise quickly realizes that this is a darker, and far more complicated, investigation. Jan is clearly afraid of something, but who or what he’s afraid of could be a dangerous question for Heloise to find the answer to. As she digs deeper, Heloise begins to see that Jan's confession is connected to a string decades-old disappearances. But next of kin and police are lying to her at every turn, and she has no idea what else Jan could be hiding.
Enlisting her friend, detective inspector Erik Schäfer, Heloise begins her descent into the past, unsure of what she will unearth.
Praise
Praise for Ruthless: “Hancock saves a whopper for the deceptively quiet climax.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Scandinavian noir fans of writers like Jo Nesbø will love this dark tale.” —Booklist
Praise for the Kaldan and Scháfer Mystery series: “Gripping, endearing, dark, and funny, Anne Mette Hancock has written the best series I've read this year.” —Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Hancock writes with a razor-sharp pen, wittily and with originality. I simply adore her books.” —Katrine Engberg, #1 international bestselling author of The Tenant
“A guaranteed page-turner.” —Emelie Schepp, international bestselling author of the Jana Berzelius series
"Anne Mette Hancock has written a killer book. This one has it all—a great story, compelling characters, and a page-turning plot." —Harry Hunsicker, author of The Devil’s Country
“Absolutely wonderful. Superbly constructed and totally enthralling.” —Helene Tursten, author of Snowdrift
“Structurally flawless.” —The Washington Post
“If you enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you will thoroughly enjoy this [Danish] thriller full of action, family secrets, and intrigue.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune, Recommended Reads
“Scandinavian noir at its noirest. It’s hard, maybe unthinkable, to imagine how Hancock will follow it up.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“[A] gripping debut . . . Assured prose matches the intricate plot. Hancock is off to a strong start.” —Publishers Weekly
“A cat-and-mouse race against a killer.” —Jules Herbert, B&N Reads
“[A] tense sequel . . . [Hancock] does a good job portraying her leads’ complex motivations. Scandi noir fans will want to stay tuned.” —Publishers Weekly
“A suitably nightmarish snap . . . reads like top-line American procedurals.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Intricate, well-constructed suspense, with a sophisticated premise.” —New York Journal of Books
“If you enjoy Scandinavian crime stories, you will definitely want to check [it] out.” —San Francisco Book Review, 5-star review
“A fantastic psychological thriller . . . Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French.” —Seattle Book Review
Author
Anne Mette Hancock made her debut as an author in 2017 with The Corpse Flower. This poignant suspense novel debuted at #1 on the Danish bestseller charts. She was awarded the Danish Crime Academy's debutant prize and was named Author of the Year in Denmark.
