"A fantastic thriller that engages readers from the beginning and doesn't let go until the twisted end. . . . With deadly alliances and betrayals at the highest political levels, this story takes readers through an unfolding of conspiracy until the shocking end settles it all."

Autorentext

Anders de la Motte, a former police officer, made his debut in 2010 with the award-winning thriller Game and has since then been one of Sweden’s most beloved and popular crime writers. He is the author of several acclaimed and bestselling crime fiction series, among them the suspenseful Skåne Quartet. The Rust Forest is the third installment in his bestselling Leo Asker series.

Klappentext

David Sarac of the Stockholm Police Force's Intelligence Unit, weeks after his violent encounter with the enigmatic high-level informant, Janus, is recuperating from his gunshot wounds. While the hunt for the elusive Janus has ended, the secrets and lies linger. The mysteries of that night deepen when David's nurse slips him an anonymous letter; the writer wants to swap secrets with David to bring someone powerful to justice after a betrayal at the Janus shoot-out. David's only clues are two photos enclosed with the letter: a snapshot of a happy family and another of a dead woman sprawled over the hood of a car.

Zusammenfassung
A follow up to his “breakneck” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) MemoRandom, this gripping new thriller from the internationally bestselling author Anders de la Motte takes you deep inside the world of police intelligence: a world of secrecy, betrayal, and deadly competition, where one second you’re on top, and the next you’re fighting for your life.

David Sarac of the Stockholm Police Force’s Intelligence Unit, weeks after his violent encounter with the enigmatic high-level informant, Janus, is recuperating from his gunshot wounds. While the hunt for the elusive Janus has ended, the secrets and lies linger. The mysteries of that night deepen when David’s nurse slips him an anonymous letter; the writer wants to swap secrets with David to bring someone powerful to justice after a betrayal at the Janus shoot-out. David’s only clues are two photos enclosed with the letter: a snapshot of a happy family and another of a dead woman sprawled over the hood of a car…

In this thrilling sequel, de la Motte again crafts a breathtaking “thriller of international class” (Norra Skane).

Leseprobe
Ultimatum

One

The smell coming from the kitchen woke Minister of Justice Jesper Stenberg. Bacon and eggs, freshly brewed coffee. Those thick American pancakes that the girls loved to drown in maple syrup.

He got out of bed and pulled on his robe. It was just past ten o’clock. He had slept for almost eight hours. Eight hours of deep sleep, just the way it should be. It had been several months since he last had any nightmares, which was as good a sign as any that his brain had moved on. That he’d put everything that happened last winter behind him.

In the bathroom he splashed his face with water. Tried out some of his most reliable facial expressions. Interest, concern, pensiveness. Everything seemed to be working and he winked at his own reflection.

As he walked down the stairs he heard voices from the kitchen. Karolina and the girls, of course, but among them a male voice that he’d hoped to avoid. But after the previous evening that was obviously a vain wish.

“Good morning, Jesper,” his father-in-law said.

“Good morning, Karl-Erik. Morning, darling.” He glued on a polite smile, kissed his wife on the cheek, and took the cup of coffee she held out to him.

“We thought you deserved to sleep in,” Karolina said. “You did well yesterday—didn’t he, Daddy?”

“Absolutely. The papers are unanimous in saying you did an excellent job. Even the opposition papers’ lead articles express reluctant admiration.”

Stenberg took a sip of coffee. Walked around the kitchen and kissed his two children on the head.

“We saw you on television yesterday,” his youngest daughter said, looking up from her iPad.

“And what did you think?”

“You were really good. Mom let us play on our pads so we wouldn’t wake you up.”

Stenberg pulled out a chair and sat down opposite his father-­in-law. Decided to preempt any criticism.

“I could have been more aggressive with the opposition. I could have made it even clearer that they’re soft on crime and terrorism.”

His father-in-law made a soothing gesture.

“You’ll have plenty of opportunities to do that over the next few weeks. The main thing is that people saw you can handle a tough line of questioning. That you can keep a cool head and come across as solid and dignified under pressure and without a script.”

“Statesmanlike. He was, wasn’t he, Daddy?”

Karolina put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Stenberg, half as much as he would have liked. He noticed her exchanging a quick glance with her father.

Karl-Erik got to his feet and patted him on the shoulder. “High time for me to get going.”

“Don’t you want breakfast?” Karolina sounded slightly disappointed.

“Thanks, but I haven’t got time to stop. I just wanted to call in and congratulate Jesper on his performance. Boman’s waiting out in the car.”

“But why didn’t you ask him in? Nisse’s always welcome; he’s one of the family. Isn’t he?” Karolina gave Stenberg an encouraging glance as she followed her father out of the room.

“Of course, absolutely. Nisse’s always welcome,” he muttered after them.

Nisse Boman had been his father-in-law’s driver and right-hand man for the past thirty years, if not more. Before that, sometime in the Stone Age, he had been Karl-Erik’s orderly in the military. Karolina had grown up with him around, thought of him as an extra dad. The sinewy little man was always polite, never behaving with less than military correctness toward those around him. He only spoke when he had something important to say, which wasn’t very often. He was also considerate, almost protective toward Karolina and the girls. Yet there was still something about Boman that irritated Stenberg. Something about his eyes that was, in the absence of a better description, actively unpleasant. They were pale blue, cold. Almost like a fish’s. They always seemed to be watching and judging him. And not in a way that did him any favors.

His wife came back into the kitchen.

“Daddy doesn’t want to say anything to you yet,” she said, and he could hear the excitement in her voice. “But he’s having an informal meeting with the prime minister this afternoon. He’s worried about the opinion polls. And the likelihood that people regard him as old and tired, especially now that he has to walk with a stick since the operation. Yesterday’s interview was the final test, and you passed. The prime minister is going to ask if you’re ready to stand by his side for the last part of the campaign. His unofficial crown prince.”

Stenberg nodded. He could feel his face automatically delivering the right expression as his wife went on talking.

“All our dreams are coming true. After all our hard work. And sooner than we could ever have hoped. Prime Minister Jesper Stenberg—how does that sound? I’ve booked us a table at the Diplomat this afternoon to celebrate. Lina will stay on for a couple of hours to look after the girls.”

Stenberg went…