In the Swedish town of Sundsvall the female owner of a basement flea market is killed by a single hammer blow. Magnus Trygg is away on an Inspector's course and so the case is reluctantly given to his rival for the post of Head of Homicide, Lennart Havendal. An unlucky man, struggling to cope with the death of his wife, he does uncover one vital clue: although the murder weapon is beside the body, another hammer has been removed from a display unit.
Unable to make more progress with the first murder, he is soon investigating a second. Magnus, when he returns, volunteers to act as protection officer for the woman Lennart believes will be the next victim. Magnus has his doubts, but another hammer is missing and time is not on their side.
Set in northern Sweden and England in 2005, this is the third book in the Magnus Trygg series.