You really should read this series in order. That said, Spoiler alert: At the end of the series debut, Sun Storm, attorney Rebecka Martinsson killed three men to protect herself and two young girls. As this novel opens, Martinsson has gone back to work after a lengthy convalescence following those traumatic events. Of course no one treats her the same, and she hates being the subject of gossip and conjecture. She is supported by others to confront her ghosts, to go back to northern Sweden. There is company business she can help with, and it will do her good. She finds some surprising peace there and decides to stay on a few days. She gets to know another intriguing cast of characters: ex-policeman and local power broker Lars-Gunnar and his simple son Nalle, the local friendly waitress and her tattooed boss and dog-loving ditzy mother Lisa. But of course no one is quite who they seem to be, and when a local woman priest is murdered, Rebecka becomes involved, renewing her acquaintance with police detectives Anna-Maria Mella, who has now had her fourth child, and dear Sven-Erik, distraught over a missing cat.I love that our heroine mainly contributes to the murder investigation through mental acuity and document research -- heady stuff for a librarian. I also greatly admire the writing of Asa Larsson as she travels between characters, alternating voice and technique in a narrative patchwork that comes together as the story unfolds. Interspersed with the human story is that of a wolf in the area, and Larsson shows fine writing from that perspective as well. As a matter of fact, there is a strong group of threads involving dogs, as Rebecka remembers past pets, happy canines romp through the snow at her grandmother's house, and several humans are even referred to as puppies and terriers. And there is a chapter where Lisa describes each of her dogs that is just wonderful. Anna-Maria's family woman angst and Sven-Erik's despair round out the series trio's experiences as they try to work out the perpetrator and Rebecka tries to recover from the events of Sun Storm. There is also an appearance by delightfully cranky coroner Lars Pohjanen.This book is intense and brutal, a fitting sequel to Sun Storm. If it seems female-centric to some, I'd say that's inaccurate. There are plenty of interesting male characters, equally complex and nuanced, and Sven-Erik is terrific.Second in a terrific series. Read them in order! They are: Sun Storm (also published as The Savage Altar),The Blood Spilt, The Black Path, Until Thy Wrath Be Past, and The Second Deadly Sin.Highest recommendation.