In the 1950s, Nettie Hermansen was the victim of forced sterilization and unjustified incarceration. Thirty years later, she plots her revenge against those who wronged her. Now she is a wealthy widow whose past may be catching up with her in the form of Carl Morck and his Department Q assistants.
Carl and company are focused on the cold case of a brothel owner who disappeared in the 1980s. When they begin investigating, they uncover similar disappearances and a link to a current extreme right-wing political party leader. Just how they are connected is a dangerous puzzle they must solve.
I liked how the story used flashbacks to Nettie's life and her later revenge against those who had harmed her to weave the past and present together. Nettie is a sympathetic character pitted against an unjust society that facilitated the despicable treatment of innocent women. The intricate plot, combined with some truly evil characters, made this a book I couldn't put down. The fact that actual events inspired it made it more compelling.
4.5/5 stars.
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