To Cook a Bear

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Hardback

Winner of the Petrona Award 2021

"So much to relish here . . . the plot is gripping, there's a beautifully handled thread on reading and writing, and the writing is just lovely!" DIANE SETTERFIELD, author of Once Upon A River

"The year's most memorable narrator . . . An unusual and intriguing crime story" SUNDAY TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEAR

"Niemi succeeds in constructing a story that works as a murder mystery and as a compelling study of a dangerously inward-looking community" SUNDAY TIMES

"A riveting, psychologically astute mystery . . . It is not to be missed" BOOKLIST

"An original and gripping crime story" THE TIMES

**NOW SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER**

It is 1852, and in Sweden's far north, deep in the Arctic Circle, charismatic preacher and Revivalist Lars Levi L stadius impassions a poverty-stricken congregation with visions of salvation. But local leaders have reason to resist a shift to temperance over alcohol.

Jussi, the young Sami boy L stadius has rescued from destitution and abuse, becomes the preacher's faithful disciple on long botanical treks to explore the flora and fauna. L stadius also teaches him to read and write - and to love and fear God.

When a milkmaid goes missing deep in the forest, the locals suspect a predatory bear is at large. A second girl is attacked, and the sheriff is quick to offer a reward for the bear's capture. Using early forensics and daguerreotype, L stadius and Jussi find clues that point to a far worse killer on the loose, even as they are unaware of the evil closing in around them.

To Cook a Bear explores how communities turn inwards, how superstition can turn to violence, and how the power of language can be transformative in a richly fascinating mystery.

"Superb suspense . . . Simply a great literary experience!" V.G. (Sweden)

"A masterpiece of narrative" La Vanguardia (Spain)

"A philosophical novel, a crime novel, a historical novel and a coming-of-age story complement one another" La Stampa (Italy)

"One is transported into a strange time and a fascinating world that is both beautiful and brutal" Politiken (Denmark)

"Formidable delivery . . . Unlike anything else you have read . . . An incredible novel" Adresseavisen

Translated from the Swedish by Deborah Bragan-Turner

Paperback