The Danish seaside town of Skagen is an artists' paradise in summer, but only the locals live there in winter. Two visitors come to Skagen from Copenhagen on a snowy night after the death of the elderly artist Ellen Keldberg . She was found frozen on a street bench, and now lies laid out on her bed, waiting for a post-mortem. Her student nephew Mikkel comes to Skagen because he has to organise her funeral, yet he can barely remember Aunt Ellen and knows nothing about her life. Anne Sofie comes to exhibit her photographs, and single-mindedly pursue her ruthless quest. She will allow no-one to hide, or obscure the truth about Ellen. Before Anne Sofie has finished, there will be blood in the snow, and she will have photographed death.
This unputdownable novel by the Danish writer Eddie Thomas Petersen is as relentless as Anne Sofie's smile, as unstoppable as her search for answers. It's a family saga, a murder mystery, and a portrait of Skagen in the dark and in the snow, full of alliances and old secrets. Toby Bainton's translation does full justice to the calmness of the narration, a thriller without gore, but utterly gripping. Discover Ellen Keldberg's story as Mikkel blunders through Skagen in winter, following the elusive Anne Sofie.