Where Roses Never Die

September 1977. Mette Misvær, a three-year-old girl disappears without trace from the sandpit outside her home. Her tiny, close middle-class community in the tranquil suburb of Nordas is devastated, but their enquiries and the police produce nothing. Curtains twitch, suspicions are raised, but Mette is never found.
Almost 25 years later, as the expiry date for the statute of limitations draws near, Mette’s mother approaches PI Varg Veum, in a last, desperate attempt to find out what happened to her daughter. As Veum starts to dig, he uncovers an intricate web of secrets, lies and shocking events that have been methodically concealed. When another brutal incident takes place, a pattern begins to emerge…
Chilling, shocking and full of extraordinary twists and turns, Where Roses Never Die reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s foremost thriller writers.

'Mature and captivating’ Herald Scotland

‘One of the finest Nordic novelists - in the tradition of Henning Menkell’ Barry Forshaw, Independent

‘Masterful pacing’ Publishers Weekly

‘Norwegian master Staalesen is an author who eschews police procedural narratives for noirish private eye pieces’ Financial Times

‘Staalesen is one of my very favourite Scandinavian authors and this is a series with very sharp teeth’ Ian Rankin

‘A Norwegian Chandler’ Jo Nesbo

‘One of Norway’s most skilful storytellers’ Johan Theorin


Genre: Mystery

"One of my very favorite Scandinavian authors...a series with very sharp teeth." - Ian Rankin