A Satanic serial killer returns. There's just one problem. He's in jail.

A dead man crucified on an oak tree used by pagans. A pentagram carved into his chest. Antlers adorning his lifeless body. A horrific discovery in the autopsy room. All hallmarks of infamous serial killer Ulrik Ahlgren—the "Brain Surgeon." It should be an open-and-shut case. Except Ahlgren is currently locked up in Kumla Bunker, Sweden's secure prison for its most deranged killers.

After committing a serious criminal offence against a senior officer, Detective Inspector Stella Cole is out of Stockholm Homicide. But as the killings mount, her superiors realise they have no choice but to bring her back. Only the "Queen of Weirdness" has the insights and the experience to solve the case.

The killer is copying every aspect of Ulrik Ahlgren's horrific crimes. Stella's new colleagues in the county town of Örebro are convinced it's a classic master-disciple set-up. But as Stella investigates, she spots more and more oddities. Aspects of the gruesome MO don't fit the pattern. She realises something else is in play. She visits Ulrik Ahlgren in the Bunker to ask for his help.

As her investigation takes her deep into the world of outlaw biker gangs and the Swedish death metal scene, it's another serial killer she turns to for help when everything appears lost. Not just for the case, but for Stella herself.

Crime fiction fans love Stella!

The eighth novel in an enthralling series

This twisty, intricately plotted crime thriller is the eighth book in Andy Maslen’s popular Stella Cole series. The action takes place in Sweden, home to fictional detectives Martin Beck, Kurt Wallander, Harry Hole, and Saga Norén.

Be prepared to lose sleep, as you promise yourself, "Just one more chapter."

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