The Talented Mr Varg

The second book in Alexander McCall Smith's new DETECTIVE VARG series . . .

'Reading the novel feels like a form of meditation . . . There is much to
enjoy' Scotsman

Spring is coming slowly to Sweden - though not quite as slowly as Detective
Ulf Varg's promised promotion at the Department of Sensitive Crimes. For Varg,
referred by his psychoanalyst to group therapy at Malmö's Wholeness Centre,
life now seems mostly a circle of self-examination, something which may or may
not be useful when it comes to the nature of his profession and the
particularly sensitive cases that have recently come to light.

All in a day's work for Detective Varg, except that one of his new
investigations involves fellow detective Anna; it will require every ounce of
self-discipline he has in order to remain professional. The other, more
curious case is centred around internationally successful novelist Nils
Personn-Cederström. According to his girlfriend, Cederström is being
blackmailed - but by whom and for what reason?

Accompanied by his irritating but kindly colleague Blomquist, Varg begins his
enquiries and soon the answers fall neatly into place. Nothing and no one is
ever that simple, however, and not for the first time he learns as much about
his own emotional and moral landscape as he does about the motives of others.
Now Varg must make a possibly life-changing decision. Will he choose his own
happiness over that of his heart's desire?