The Believer: A Novel - Softcover

“Page-turning. . . . This Swedish former lawyer’s hypnotic first book is already drawing comparisons to the work of famed spy novelist John le Carré.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“A terrific globe-trotting page-turner, rich with complex conflicts and a big, meaty, chillingly credible conspiracy.” (Chris Pavone, author of The Expats and The Accident)

“Swedish author Zander’s entertaining first novel owes more to Forsythe and Ludlum than to Larsson and Mankell. . . . Given Zander’s literate, descriptive style, it’s easy to see why this thriller has been a bestseller in Europe.” (Publishers Weekly)

“A hypertopical tale of international intrigue. . . . Zander’s twisting, high-octane plot could not be more timely, but it’s the characters, all three of them, that bring this vivid novel to life. Suspenseful and primed for Hollywood adaptation, this is escapist fiction at its best.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“A tense, taut, gut-ripping thriller that is also beautifully written, smart, and sophisticated.” (Alafair Burke, author of The Ex)

“A prime slice of Nordic noir. Zander is part of the influx of new blood into the genre, and this second novel is both forceful and subtle. [...] What we have here are two crucial ingredients of Scandicrime: powerfully orchestrated tension set against a strong dose of social commentary.” (The Independent)

“Fresh, raw and exciting.” (Sunday Times Crime Club, star pick)

Yasmine Ajam has fled her past in the rough Stockholm borough of Bergort, reinventing herself as a trendspotter in New York City. One day she receives a startling message: there are riots erupting on the streets of Stockholm, and they appear to be connected with the disappearance of her brother, Fadi.

Following rumors that Fadi was radicalized and died fighting for ISIS in Syria, Yasmine returns to Stockholm to discover what really happened to her brother. There she becomes entangled in a dangerous web of allegiances and violence that stretches far beyond the gangs on her childhood streets.

Meanwhile, in London, Klara Walldéen has landed a job at a human rights research institute working on a report to predict the effects of privatizing police forces. When Klara travels to Stockholm to present her findings to European Union policymakers, her laptop is stolen and one of her colleagues is pushed in front of an oncoming subway train. As her path collides with Yasmine’s, Klara begins to realize that she may unwittingly be contributing to the sinister agendas of powerful interests who will stop at nothing to attain their goals.

In The Believer, internationally bestselling author Joakim Zander delivers another “page-turning” (Entertainment Weekly) novel of suspense that is as sophisticated and timely as it is compelling.