MERCEDES-SNITTET – THE COLLECTOR

By Anne Mette Hancock

A boy has disappeared from his school. Heloise Kaldan heads over there to look into it. At the schoolyard she runs into her close friend Erik Schäfer, the outspoken investigator on this case. The boy, Lukas, doesn’t show up, but his phone does. It reveals that Lukas is obsessed with pareidolia: the psychological phenomenon that makes us see faces in random things. One particular photo of a barn door that looks like a face catches their attention. Is this where Lukas is?

Heloise is ordered to drop her current article, a controversial investigation into soldiers with PTSD, to cover the story of the missing boy. But when things that point to the traumatized soldiers appear in Lukas’ case, Schäfer will need Heloise’s help making heads or tails of this enormous jumble of clues: Who is this “Apple Man” that the school children are talking about? Does Lukas’ mother have a problem, or is she just soothing her anxiety with a cognac?

First published by Lindhardt & Ringhof in 2018

Denmark, Lindhardt & Ringhof
Estonia, Rahva Raamat
Finland, Bazar Kustannus
France, Albin Michel
Germany, Fischer Verlag
Iceland, Forlagið
Italy, Giunti Editore
Norway, Vigmostad & Bjørke
Poland, Kobiece
Russia, Eksmo
Slovenia, Mladinska Knijga Zalozba
Sweden, LB Förlag
US/UK, Crooked Lane

“A spectacular narrative and an impressive charactergallery”
 – Kulturkapellet

Gripping, full of twists, with interesting side aspects and charismatic protagonists. The series about investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan and Inspector Erik Schäfer is in top form!”
– Denglers Buchkritik

The Collector – makes you want for more!”
– Vaihinger Kreiszeitung

“Formidable”
Julie the Book Cat

“A particularly well-constructed and well-written crime novel”
Sidses Bogreol

“A fabulous, crazy suspense, well-written and insanely good crime novel!”
Livet i dukkehuset

“No wonder Anne Mette Hancock has thundered on to the international crime scene. With The Face Collector, she shows that she is among the very best Danish crime writers.”
Litteratursiden

The Collector turns out to be a stilistic and sophisticated mystery construct. At the end it takes a surprising twist, says Hancock – and she delivers!”
– Landeszeitung für die Lüneburger Heide

“Anne Mette Hancock, can do something very special!”
–  Tines Krimitanker

“Exciting … surprising, scary”
Bech’s Books

“Just as the previous book (The Corpse Flower) the plot is filled with imaginative intelligence of the highest class; there are many thrilling and surprising twists”
– Kapprakt

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