{"product_id":"the-crow-girl-isbn-9780345805096","title":"The Crow Girl","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe #1 international sensation, a mesmerizing and explosive thriller that reaches into the darkest corners of the human psyche and asks: How much suffering can a person inflict upon another before creating a monster? \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a Stockholm city park, police find the tortured body of a youth. Then, they find two more, and it becomes clear that they are facing an extraordinary case—and an extraordinarily twisted killer. Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg heads the investigation, battling an apathetic prosecutor and a bureaucratic police force. She turns to the therapist Sofia Zetterlund for her expertise in psychopathic perpetrators, and under the pressure of the investigation, their lives become inextricably intertwined. As the two women draw closer to the truth about the killings, they begin to discover a hideous evil at work, and it’s much closer to them than they think. Mesmerizing and explosive, \u003ci\u003eThe Crow Girl\u003c\/i\u003e is a tale of almost unfathomably heinous deeds and of the catastrophic damage, and the profound need for revenge, left in their wake.Praise for Erik Axl Sund's \u003ci\u003eThe Crow Girl\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Unfolds in kaleidoscopic fashion. . . . Fired up by moral concerns, this book’s engine never stops humming.” —\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The most disturbing book you’ll read all year. . . . There’s a fantastic twist in store.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What is it about Sweden that produces such deliciously, darkly off-kilter thrillers, featuring idiosyncratic, complex characters such as Lisbeth Salander and now Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg? As Kihlberg investigates a killer who targets immigrant children, she must deal with xenophobia, extreme right-wing politics, and other hot-button issues that only deepen our morbid fascination.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003ci\u003eO, The Oprah Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “You will find [\u003ci\u003eThe Crow Girl\u003c\/i\u003e] to be among the most wide-ranging and forceful Scandinavian crime novels you have encountered. . . . Complex and very dark.” —\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “A huge book and a landmark achievement for its authors. . . . A darkly delightful must-read.” —\u003ci\u003eCrime Fiction Lover\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Bold, addictive, and timely.” —\u003ci\u003eChicago Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Engrossing. . . . This disturbingly fascinating look at revenge, abuse, and the impact of childhood on adult choices is not for the faint of heart, but it is highly recommended for those [who] appreciate dark, psychological mysteries.” —\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “A breakneck journey through a plot of labyrinthine complexity. . . . Sund boldly places dissociative identity disorder at the heart of this extremely disturbing novel.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e (London)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Probing. . . . Full of chills. . . . A smart, rewarding psychological thriller.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “The Swedish crime thriller tipped to make a killing. . . . Follows in the footsteps of Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Horrors abound in the pseudonymous Sund’s scathing first book that rips asunder the appearance of Sweden’s contemporary welfare state. . . . [A] challenging multifaceted descent into the abyss of evil and madness.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Brutal, upsetting, and brilliantly written, it is the best crime novel of the year so far. . . . The joint authors . . . rage against misogyny and sexism. They decry child abuse and human trafficking. And, perhaps most importantly, they tell a brilliant story. . . . This novel is dark—jet-black dark. . . . The authors’ biggest triumph, however, is to make seven hundred fifty pages whizz past. . . . Terse, direct, and compelling.” —\u003ci\u003eMetro \u003c\/i\u003e(London)ERIK AXL SUND is the pen name of Swedish author duo Jerker Eriksson and Håkan Axlander Sundquist, recipients of the Special Award from the Swedish Crime Writers Academy. In addition to writing, Eriksson has been a prison librarian and the producer of an electro punk band, and Sundquist has worked as a sound engineer, musician, and artist. They live in Stockholm. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e www.erikaxlsund.comThe house was over a hundred years old, and the solid stone walls were at least a meter thick, which meant that she probably didn’t need to insulate them, but she wanted to be absolutely sure.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To the left of the living room was a small corner room that she had been using as a combination workroom and guest bedroom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Leading off of it were a small toilet and a fair--sized closet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The room was perfect, with its single window and nothing but the unused attic above.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e No more nonchalance, no more taking anything for granted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Nothing would be left to chance. Fate was a dangerously unreliable accomplice. Sometimes your friend, but just as often an unpredictable enemy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The dining table and chairs ended up shoved against one wall, which opened up a large space in the middle of the living room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Then it was just a matter of waiting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The first sheets of polystyrene arrived at ten o’clock, as arranged, carried in by four men. Three of them were in their fifties, but the fourth couldn’t have been more than twenty. His head was shaved and he wore a black T--shirt with two crossed Swedish flags on the chest, under the words “My Fatherland.” He had tattoos of spiderwebs on his elbows, and some sort of Stone Age design on his wrists.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When she was alone again she settled onto the sofa to plan her work. She decided to start with the floor, since that was the only thing that was likely to be a problem. The old couple downstairs might  have been almost deaf, and she herself had never heard a single sound from them over the years, but it still felt like an important detail.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She went into the bedroom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe little boy was still sound asleep.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It had been so odd when she met him on the local train. He had simply taken her hand, stood up, and obediently gone with her, without her having to say a single word.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She had acquired the pupil she had been seeking, the child she had never been able to have.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She put her hand to his forehead; his temperature had gone down. Then she felt his pulse.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Everything was as it should be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She had used the right dose of morphine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe workroom had a thick, white, wall--to--wall carpet that she had always thought ugly and unhygienic, even if it was nice to walk on. But right now it was ideal for her purpose.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Using a sharp knife, she cut up the polystyrene and stuck the pieces together with a thick layer of flooring adhesive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The strong smell soon made her feel dizzy, and she had to open the window onto the street. It was triple--glazed, and the outer pane had an extra layer of soundproofing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fate as a friend.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Work on the floor took all day. Every so often she would go and check on the boy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When the whole floor was done she covered all the cracks with silver duct tape.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She spent the following three days dealing with the walls. By Friday there was just the ceiling left, and that took a bit longer because she had to glue the polystyrene first, and then wedge the blocks up against the ceiling with planks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e While the glue was drying she nailed up some old blankets in place of the doors she had removed earlier. She glued four layers of polystyrene onto the door to the living room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She covered the only window with an old sheet. Just to be sure, she used a double layer of insulation to block the window alcove. When the room was ready, she covered the floor and walls with a waterproof tarpaulin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There was something meditative about the work, and when at last she looked at what she had accomplished she felt a sense of pride.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe room was further refined during the following week. She bought four small rubber wheels, a hasp, ten meters of electric cable, several meters of wooden skirting, a basic light fitting, and a box of light bulbs. She also had a set of dumbbells, some weights, and an exercise bike -delivered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She took all the books out of one of the bookcases in the living room, tipped it onto its side, and screwed the wheels under each corner. She attached a length of skirting board to the front to conceal the fact that it could now be moved, then placed the bookcase in front of the door to the hidden room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She screwed the bookcase to the door and tested it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The door glided soundlessly open on its little rubber wheels. It all worked perfectly. She attached the hasp and shut the door, concealing the simple locking mechanism with a carefully positioned lamp.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Finally she put all the books back and fetched a thin mattress from one of the two beds in the bedroom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That evening she carried the sleeping boy into his new home.","brand":"Vintage Crime\/Black Lizard","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300070084837,"sku":"NP9780345805096","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780345805096.jpg?v=1767738880","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-crow-girl-isbn-9780345805096","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}