In the seventh installment of the Hanne Wilhelmsen series âthat demands to be readâand the more quickly, the betterâ (Bookreporter), the brilliant female detective must untangle the complex and bitter history of one of Osloâs wealthiest families after a celebratory get-together ends in a shocking multivictim homicide.
Shortly before Christmas, four people are found shot dead at the home of the Stahlbergs, a wealthy Oslo family of shipping merchants notorious for their miserliness and infighting. Three of the victims are members of the family, and the fourth is an outsider, seemingly out of place. Cake had been set out in the living room and a bottle of champagne had been opened but not yet poured. Yes, family gatherings during the holidays can be difficult, but why did this one become a bloodbath?
As Hanne Wilhelmsen investigates the case alongside her longtime police partner, Billy T., motives for the murders emerge in abundance; each surviving member of the Stahlberg family had good reason to want the victims dead. As she searches for the killer, Hanne will once again risk everything to find out the truth. But this time, will she go too far?
âWhen you think of Scandinavian noir, names like Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, and Camilla Lackberg probably come to mind, not Anne Holt. That may be about to changeâŚ.Holt consistently delivers in her series. And Beyond the TruthâŚis her best yetâŚIf you arenât familiar with Anne Holtâs Hanne Wilhelmsen novelsâŚdive in with this oneânumber 7âbut then do yourself a favor and binge-read the first sixâ (Entertainment Weekly).