When DCI Ian Ahmed agrees–reluctantly–to convalesce on a remote island in the Stockholm archipelago, he expects nothing more than bitter winds, silence, and boredom. But just across the bay, a sleek, modern house stirs to life. Staff arrive in dark clothing, cleaning and prepping with military precision. And then Margrethe Cullenberg-Franz?n appears–legend of the art world, notorious matriarch, and, as Ian soon learns, a woman used to bending the world to her will. She’s come to the island to celebrate her eightieth birthday, dragging her fractious, resentful family with her–and inviting Ian and his enigmatic hostess, Berit Gardner, along for the ride.
But before the candles are blown out, Margrethe is dead–fallen from the cliff into the frigid sea during a stormy night. Accident? Suicide? Ian is certain it was murder. Trapped in a landscape of muted colors and long, creeping shadows, he and Berit begin to unravel the toxic family secrets festering behind Margrethe’s imposing legacy. As winter deepens and the ice seals the island in silence, the question echoes louder: who stood to gain the most from the matriarch’s fall? And how long will the killer wait before striking again?
Author: Katarina Bivald
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Published: 08/25/2026
Pages: 368
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 9.25h x 6.25w x 1.17d
ISBN: 9781464270338
Language: English
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