The Caveman

July 6, 2015
In Horst’s absorbing fourth mystery featuring Chief Insp. William Wisting of the Larvik police to be published in English (after 2014’s The Hunting Dogs), the 53-year old widower’s investigative journalist daughter, Line, researches a story involving Viggo Hansen, a resident of Wisting’s neighborhood, who apparently died while watching TV and whose body was undiscovered for four months. Meanwhile, Wisting follows up the few leads in a murder case concerning a badly decomposed body found in a wooded area. Shockingly, the clues connect to a serial killer wanted in America who has been on the run for the last 24 years. As Wisting and Line investigate their respective stories—and as the body count rises—he realizes that the two seemingly disparate deaths are connected and that his daughter may be the next victim. A richly detailed narrative, morally complex characters, and a deeply contemplative, philosophical undertone make this a superior example of Scandinavian crime fiction.