Prisoners of Fear

Synopsis

A storm is coming. The clock is ticking. And the end is closer than you think. It is June in Visby, and an unusual start to the summer has brought Gotland to its knees. Hurricane-force winds have severed the Swedish island from the mainland, cancelling all boat traffic and leaving the inhabitants trapped. Amidst the howling gales, the prestigious Politicians' Week begins with a bloodbath: a young woman, married to a rising political star, is found brutally murdered in her own home. Detective Inspector Maria Wern is handpicked to lead the investigation, but she is fighting a war on two fronts. With her husband stranded on the mainland and the island's drug trade surging with a new, undetectable strain of domestic cannabis, Maria is pushed to her absolute limit. But the real threat may be hidden in the ancient assembly site of Tingstäde. There, a secretive group has gathered to await the apocalypse, guided by a family legacy dating back to the 1700s. At the heart of their cult sits an astronomical clock from the days of the legendary inventor Christoffer Polhem-a clock that is ticking inexorably toward a final, predetermined date. And Maria soon realizes the murder and the doomsday clock are linked by a singular, terrifying truth. In this gripping seventeenth installment of the Maria Wern series, international bestseller Anna Jansson delivers a masterful blend of mysticism and high-stakes suspense. On an island paralyzed by fear, the greatest danger isn't the storm outside-it's the darkness that has been waiting for centuries to be let in. 'Exciting and well written with nice descriptions of the surroundings and interesting character portraits.' - Allers / SWE