The Final Nail

Starred review from October 10, 2022
In Swedish author Ahnhem’s blistering sixth and final Fabian Risk thriller (after 2019’s X Ways to Die), the discovery of two bodies in a Mercedes submerged in a lake outside Copenhagen puts former police detective Dunja Hougaard on the trail of her nemesis, Kim Sleizner, the Copenhagen police chief, whom she once publicly humiliated. In retaliation, he tried to rape Hougaard, then forced her from her homicide job, and now she’s secretly tracking him with sophisticated electronics. In Sweden, detective Fabian Risk learns that his son has died by suicide in a Danish prison, and he sets out on a path that likewise leads him to Sleizner, “the embodiment of pure dyed-in-the-wool evil.” Meanwhile, Sleizner places “good little simpleton” detective Jan Hesk in charge of the Mercedes case, confident that Hesk will protect him and his powerful cohorts, who turn out to be engaged in a range of serious crimes, including murder and human trafficking. The complex takedown of the villain keeps the pages flying. This is a must for Scandinoir fans. Agent: Tor Jonasson, Salomonsson Agency (Sweden).