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Harry Kvist walks out the gates of Langholmen jail into the biting Stockholm winter of 1935. He has nothing to his name but a fiercely burning hope: that he can leave behind his old existence of gutter brawls, bruised fists and broken bones. But the city has other ideas. Nazis are spreading their poison on the freezing streets, and one of Kvist's oldest friends has been murdered. Before he can leave Stockholm's underworld for good, he must track down the killer. As Kvist uncovers a trail of blood leading to the highest echelons of Swedish society, the former boxer finds himself in a fight to the death with his most dangerous opponent yet.
About the author
Born in 1974, Martin Holmén studied history, and now teaches at a Stockholm secondary school. Down for the Count is the second thriller in the Harry Kvist Trilogy, following on from Clinch. The trilogy will be completed with Slugger published by Pushkin Vertigo in 2018.
Summary
"Pushkin Vertigo originals"--Half-title page.
Foreword
The second hard-hitting Harry Kvist thriller - fresh out of prison, Harry is determined to avenge a friend's murder, and expose a police cover-up protecting people in high places...
Additional text
"A brilliant new talent." — Sunday Times Crime Club
"It's Sin City meets Raymond Chandler in this atmospheric and compulsive series." — Attitude magazine
"Well-crafted noir that doesn’t pull its punches, hitting you in the guts with stark surprises." — Thriller Books Journal
"The plot is excellent, the filth and every punch palpable." — Strange Alliances
"Cleverly twisted and well-clued, and with a satisfying ending... A Nordic Sam Spade thriller, beautifully written, with fast action, memorable characters and a vividly described setting." — Mystery People (blog)
"Harry Kvist with a magnificent comeback!" — TQR Stories (blog)
Praise for The Stockholm Trilogy:
"Holmén has Raymond Chandler's rare ability to evoke a character in a few deft strokes." — Lynda La Plante, Mail on Sunday, best crime reads of 2016
"Ferociously noir... If Chandler and Hammett had truly walked on the wild side, it would read like this." — Val McDermid
"Gritty, stylish Scandinavian noir from one of Sweden's hottest emerging authors." — Booklover
"Atmospheric Scandi retro, but Chandleresque to its core." - The Sunday Times Crime Club
"A real tour de force... a fascinating race through 1930s Stockholm." - Kate Rhodes
"Clinch is a gritty, stylish debut from a Swedish history teacher and in Kvist he has created a brutal anti-hero quite unlike any seen in crime fiction before." - Express
"A fabulously classy twist on pulp fiction: it'll be a top-notch summer book for readers looking for something diverting but smart." - Elle Thinks
