Ulf Varg works in Malmö's Department of Sensitive Crimes with his team. His hearing-impaired dog Martin is the only dog in Sweden who is able to lip-read.

Thank you for the book. I was not aware that Alexander McCall Smith was writing a series of books where the protagonist was a Swedish detective in Malmö. I am looking forward to meeting Ulf Varg as I quite enjoy McCall Smith's novels.

"Along with his colleagues, Ulf Varg is called upon to investigate a bizarre attack on a market trader, the disappearance of a handsome man who may or may not exist and the affairs of a variety of young female students whose relationships with one another leave a great deal to be desired.

Ulf and his team come to realise that the world is a puzzling place, lycanthropy (werewolfism) exists and fish might have something to teach us. In the first book of this new quasi-Scandinavian series, Ulf Varg embarks on his mission 'to bring to the surface the things that are below the surface'." (from inside slip of the front cover)

The book is set in Malmö, one of Sweden's biggiest cities, and still it reminds me of Mma Ramotswe and her detective agency in Botswana. In both of the series, the protagonists are kind and gentle and the crimes they investigate are mostly mild - and sometimes it is doubtful if they are crimes at all. I liked the novel alright, although the plot is too slow and sort of naive even for my taste, but it makes relaxed reading between heavier texts.

I tagged Chania with the book in the European Wishlist Tag game, and it is already travelling to her. Happy reading!

Thank you, I like McCall Smith's books very much!