Gideon’s Ring

Detective Chief Inspector Conny Sjöberg and the Hammarby police squad have been pushed to the limit before, but the case before them could be the breaking point. What is the connection among an abused naked woman, a dead infant, and what appears to be a murder in a quiet suburb of Stockholm? Working amid a disturbing secret that involves influential men in the community, Sjöberg must find out why the young woman, Veronica, ran to the home of John Gideon, a local piano tuner, after she was assaulted—but Gideon’s not answering the door. Neighbors tell the police there are always young women coming and going from Gideon’s home, raising suspicions and theories. Gerhardsen expertly weaves into the story the complicated personal traumas of the squad’s members, adding layers to this Scandi-noir psychological thriller. Gideon’s Ring combines the best of police procedural with taut suspense, keeping readers rooted in the emotional aspects of these crimes as the Hammarby police tighten the noose on the bad guys—and they are really bad. Though fifth in the Hammarby Mysteries series, this title reads as a stand-alone, but readers may find themselves wanting to go back to where it all began with Gerhardsen’s 2012 (translated from Swedish) The Gingerbread House.—Dodie Ownes