'The best historical thriller I've read in twenty years' A.J. Finn
**'**A thrilling, unnerving, clever and beautiful story. Reading it is like giving a little gift to oneself' Fredrik Backman
The year is 1793, Stockholm. King Gustav of Sweden has been assassinated, years of foreign wars have emptied the treasuries, and the realm is governed by a self-interested elite, leaving its citizens to suffer. On the streets, malcontent and paranoia abound.
A body is found in the city's swamp by a watchman, Mickel Cardell, and the case is handed over to investigator Cecil Winge, who is dying of consumption. Together, Winge and Cardell become embroiled in a brutal world of guttersnipes and thieves, mercenaries and madams, and one death will expose a city rotten with corruption beneath its powdered and painted veneer.
The Wolf and the Watchman depicts the capacity for cruelty in the name of survival or greed - but also the capacity for love, friendship, and the desire for a better world.
'An unexpected masterpiece, a wild and unusual mix of genres that in one fell swoop succeeds in renewing the entire crime fiction genre' Arne Dahl
**
Review
“ The Alienist set in eighteenth-century Stockholm: Brawny, bloody, intricate, enthralling—and the best historical thriller I’ve read in twenty years.” (A.J. Finn, #1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window )
“In his debut novel, Natt och Dag examines the effects of a brutal murder on those who investigate it—and explores the psychological causes for the crime...Chilling and thought-provoking. Relentless, well-written, and nearly impossible to put down.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))
“Thrilling, unnerving, clever, and beautiful.” (Fredrik Backman, international bestselling author )
"A remarkable debut novel." (The Sunday Times)
"Vividly written...a superbly detailed historical mystery." (The Irish Times)
"A masterpiece of a novel." (Historical Novel Society)
“[A] masterly first novel...The book’s structure, which includes flashbacks and multiple perspectives, will remind many of Iain Pear’s An Instance of the Fingerpost , and Natt och Dag uses this structure to heighten suspense and deepen characterization. The Swedish Academy of Crime Writers named this the bets debut novel of 2017, and U.S. readers will be likewise impressed.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))
“An unexpected masterpiece, a wild and unusual mix of genres that in one fell swoop succeeds in renewing the entire crime fiction genre.” (Arne Dahl, prize-winning and Swedish #1 bestselling author of the Sam Berger series )
"A standout. The characterization is excellent, as is the evocation of eighteenth-century Stockholm, an uncommon historical setting that provides a vibrant backdrop for this unusual mystery. Natt och Dag's side-plots dovetail neatly, his pacing is skillful, and he explores with aplomb his novel's main theme, Homo homini lupus est —Man is wolf to man.” (Booklist)
"Calls to mind another auspicious debut murder mystery set in an unfamiliar place and time: Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. It’s been nearly 40 years since that foreign-language historical thriller captured the world’s imagination, thoroughly engrossing readers and propelling its author into international stardom. So we’re about due, and Natt och Dag is certainly a worthy candidate.” (Bookpage)
"An excellent story with corkscrew twists and a wonderfully clever ending, completely worthy of Cecil Winge’s splendid mind. Winge and Cardell are thoroughly engaging characters, and they give the whole book a powerful heart" (Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street )
“This gripping historical thriller surely announces the arrival of a fine new European talent. Vivid and absorbing.” (The Observer)
"Complex and richly realized... Besides the rich and fascinating characters, Natt Och Dag’s greatest strength may be selecting details to convey a city of two centuries past.... This is Natt och Dag’s first published novel, but it seems too skillful and too assured to be his first writing... [He] surely has more fine work ahead of him." (New York Journal of Books)
“A literary tour de force…a smart and suspenseful story that you’ll remember for a long time to come.” (Verdens Gang (Norway))
“Magnificent ”Stockholm Noir” and an excellent debut…A bullseye of a historical novel…[Niklas Natt och Dag] writes glisteningly and organically." (Aftenposten (Norway))
“Stylistically astonishing.” (Het Nieuwsblad (Belgium))
“Wonderfully written…[Niklas Natt och Dag’s] detailed descriptions of locations and characters and his well-crafted story ensure that The Wolf and the Watchman takes the reader along on a journey that does not end till after the final scene has been read.” (De Standaard (Belgium))
“A vivacious book. The Wolf and the Watchman is a virtuously written, pitch-black thriller.” (TROUW (Netherlands))
About the Author
Niklas Natt och Dag (“Night and Day”) is a member of the oldest surviving noble family in Sweden. He enjoys playing the guitar, mandolin, violin, and the Japanese bamboo flute. T he Wolf and the Watchman , his first novel, was named the Best Debut of 2017 by the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers and is being published in thirty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and their two sons.