Protected by the Shadows

In this final installment of the internationally bestselling Irene Huss investigations, the Organized Crimes Unit pairs with the Violent Crimes Unit to help defuse the escalating tension between rival gangs in Göteborg, Sweden. But could there be a mole on the force who is thwarting their efforts?

The gang warfare that has been brewing in Göteborg is about to explode. A member of a notorious biker gang has been set on fire—alive. Even in a culture where ritual killings are common, this brutal assault attracts the attention of both Irene’s unit and the Organized Crimes Unit. Anticipating a counterattack, the two units team up to patrol the lavish party of a rival gang, but that doesn’t stop another murder from occurring just outside the event hall.

And that’s not the only thing going up in flames. Someone has planted a bomb under Irene’s husband’s car. Fearing for her family’s safety, Irene sends her husband and daughters into hiding and takes up residence at a colleague’s apartment. Still, she can’t shake the feeling that she is being stalked. Somehow, the gangs are always one step ahead of the police. Someone is leaking information. But who? Irene’s life depends on discovering the answer.

Helene Tursten was a nurse and a dentist before she turned to writing. She is the author of the Irene Huss series, including Detective Inspector Huss, Night Rounds, and Who Watcheth, as well as the short story collection An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good and Hunting Game, the first mystery featuring Detective Inspector Embla Nyström. Her books have been translated into 18 languages and made into a television series. She was born in Göteborg, Sweden, where she now lives with her husband.