Barricaded into a large, gloomy flat in Stockholm, 1979, a battered and frightened young man – Klas Östergren – writes the story of how he came to this sorry state. But is he a reliable narrator? In this expansive and exuberant novel, he tells the story of his friends (and flatmates), the two Morgan brothers: Henry – a charismatic charmer, a man who loves to play at life but is mysteriously bound to the beautiful Maud; and Leo – a child genius who became a revolutionary poet, drinking and smoking his way to disillusionment. Despite their hedonistic lifestyle, they’ve stumbled on a dark secret that goes right to the heart of the country, a story that has sinister links with their own pasts. But now both of them have vanished, and Klas is frightened for his life. When Klas Östergren, aged 25, made his debut in Sweden with this powerful and original work, it was instantly recognised as a masterpiece. Playing with truth and lies, fact and fiction – and everything in-between – this blackly humorous spy novel, love story and boys’ own adventure is sure to charm and delight a new audience in its English incarnation.

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