The Polar Bear Killing

From the million-copy bestselling author, perfect forfans of Stieg Larsson, Anne Holt, and The Killing. 'Michael Ridpath is on the war path, trouncing the Scandinavians on their home turf. This is international thriller writing at its best, fine characters, page turning suspense and a great, fresh location.' PETER JAMES When a polar bear is sighted in a sleepy Icelandic fishing village, then shot dead by local policeman Constable Halldór, it triggers a debate in the local community. Was Halldór a hero for killing the bear, or should the animal have been protected? Animal rights activists in the area see the constable as a villain, and when days later the dead body of Halldór is discovered at a remote beauty spot, the activists are immediately under suspicion. As Sergeant Magnus Ragnarsson and his colleague Detective Vigdís Audardótti begin to investigate the policeman's murder, they soon discover that things are not as clear-cut as might first appear. By degrees, Magnus and Vigdís are drawn into this small and complex community - one riven with rivalries and grudges - in search of a deadly killer...

Michael Ridpath grew up in North Yorkshire. He read history at Merton College, Oxford and went on to spend eight years as a bond trader in the City, before giving up his job to write full time. He is also the author of several financial thrillers which have been translated into 38 languages. He first visited Iceland while promoting his first novel, Free To Trade. He lives in North London with his wife and three children.