In this second installment of Persson s trilogy of police procedurals featuring the "small, fat and primitive" Evert B ckstr m, the grand master s most appallingly repulsive (and funniest) character is finally given his fifteen minutes of fame by way of his patented combination of laziness, luck, and an unbelievable sense of timing. A seemingly ordinary murder puzzles B ckstr m, who is struggling with strict orders from his doctor to lead a healthier life. His gut feeling proves him right: within days, his team has another murder linked to the first on their hands, and reports of alleged ties to a Securicor heist gone out of control, killing two. The nation needs a hero, and the newly appointed head of the V sterort police force Anna Holt needs somebody to kill the dragon for her. Who better to heed to the task than Evert B ckstr m: self-sufficient, ostentatious, devoid of moral, Hawaii shirt-clad, and, latterly, armed?