Exposed

Scandinavia's undisputed queen of crime fiction, Liza Marklund is the #1 international bestselling author of the Annika Bengtzon series, now available for the first time in Canada from Vintage Canada.

Rookie reporter Annika Bengtzon has a coveted, yet temporary, position at a major Stockholm tabloid. Before she has had the slightest chance to adapt to the bullish and fast-paced world of news journalism, a dead body is found at a city cemetery. The victim is an exotic dancer who has been raped and strangled, and the prime suspect is a government minister. Annika realizes that this could become her breakthrough story. But as she exposes the dark underworld of sex clubs, chauvinism and corruption, she is drawn deep into a dangerous world of sex and violence. LIZA MARKLUND is an author, publisher, journalist, columnist and goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. She has written ten novels and one non-fiction book. Her crime novels featuring the gutsy reporter Annika Bengtzon instantly became an international hit, and Marklund's books have sold nineteen million copies in thirty languages to date. Liza has co-written a #1 internationally bestselling crime novel with James Patterson. She is currently working on the next instalment in the Annika Bengtzon series. "There's a dead girl in Kronoberg Park."

The voice was breathless, the words slurred, suggesting drug use. Annika Bengtzon looked away from her screen and fumbled for a pen amongst the mess on her desk.

"How do you know?" she asked, sounding more sceptical than was strictly called for.

"Because I'm standing right next to it, for fuck's sake!"

The voice rose to a falsetto and Annika had to hold the phone away from her ear.

"Okay, how dead?" she said, aware that the question sounded ridiculous.

"Bloody hell, completely dead! How dead can you be?"

Annika looked around the newsroom uneasily. Spike, the head of news, was sitting over at the newsdesk, talking on the phone. Anne Snapphane was fanning herself with a pad of paper behind the desk opposite, and Picture-Pelle had just switched on his Mac over at the picture desk.

"I see," she said, as she found a Biro in an empty coffee cup and an old printout of a news agency telegram, which she started making notes on the back of.

"In Kronoberg Park, you said. Whereabouts?"

"Behind a headstone."

"Headstone?"

The man on the other end started to cry. Annika waited in silence for a few seconds. She didn't know what to do next. The tip-off line - officially known as the Hotline but only ever referred to in the office as Cold Calls - was almost only ever used by pranksters and nutters. This one was a strong candidate for the latter.

"Hello... ?" Annika said cautiously.

The man blew his nose. He took several deep breaths and started talking. Anne Snapphane was watching Annika from the other side of the desk.

"I don't know how you keep answering those calls," she said when Annika had hung up.

Annika didn't respond, and just carried on making notes on the back of the telegram.

"I have to have another ice-cream or I'll die. Do you want anything from the canteen?" Anne Snapphane asked, standing up.

"I just need to check something first," Annika said, picking up the phone and dialling the police emergency desk. It was true. Four minutes ago they had received a report of a dead body in the section of the park facing Kronobergsgatan.

Annika got up and went over to the newsdesk, holding the telegram in her hand. Spike was still talking on the phone, his feet up on the desk. Annika stood right in front of him, demanding his attention. The head of news looked up, annoyed.

"Suspected murder, a young girl," Annika said, waving the printout.

Spike ended his call abruptly by simply putting the phone down, and dropped his feet to the floor.

"Is it from one of the agencies?" he wondered, turning towards his screen.

"No, Cold Calls."

"Confirmed?"

"The emergency desk have got it, at any rate."