The Secret Life of Mr Roos

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What to expect

A secluded hut in the middle of the woods. A double life that could be his downfall. The Secret Life of Mr Roos is the third Inspector Barbarotti novel from the 'Godfather of Swedish crime' (Metro), Håkan Nesser.

At fifty-nine years old, Valdemar Roos is tired of life. Working a job he hates, with a wife he barely talks to and two step-daughters he doesn't get on with, he doesn't have a lot to look forward to. Then, one day, a winning lottery ticket gives him an opportunity to start afresh.

Without telling a soul, he quits his job and buys a hut in the remote Swedish countryside. Every day he travels down to this man-made oasis, returning each evening to his unsuspecting wife. Life couldn't be better, until a young woman arrives in paradise . . .

Anna Gambowska is a twenty-one-year-old recovering drug addict. On the run from the rehab centre she hated and an abusive relationship she can't go back to, all Anna's prayers are answered when she comes across a seemingly vacant hut in the Swedish woodland. But it's not long before Anna's ex discovers her location, and an incident occurs that will mar the lives of both Anna and Valdemar forever.

Inspector Barbarotti doesn't take much interest when a woman reports her husband as missing. That is, until a dead body is found near the missing man's newly-bought hut, and Mr Roos becomes the number one murder suspect . . .

The Secret Life of Mr Roos is the third novel in Håkan Nesser’s Inspector Barbarotti quintet.

Critics Review

The godfather of Swedish crime
Metro
Told with wry humour and compassion, Nesser has four more Barbarotti stories to come — cherish them all
Daily Mail on The Darkest Day
A master of suspense
Sunday Times
In an exemplary translation by Sarah Death, this tangled tale of guilt and betrayal whets the appetite for translations of the other Barbarotti novels
Financial Times on The Darkest Day
One of the best of the Nordic Noir writers
Guardian
One of Sweden's best crime writers
Mail on Sunday
Nesser is a master storyteller and the most exciting element in his work is not the action-filled plotlines but the magnificent characterization and well-crafted prose that keeps the reader glued to his seat
Tap the Line

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