Oscar Rieder, playboy son of the Swedish ambassador in Moscow, is found dead in the Swedish embassy with a badly injured prostitute by his side. Was it an overdose or was it murder? Russian prosecutor Sergej Skurov is called upon to lead the investigation. With the assistance of his ambitious young police inspector, Anton Levin, Skurov tries to find out what really happened within the dark halls of diplomacy.
Swedish businessman Tom Blixen, who is a friend of Skurov, is given the opportunity to succeed the late Rieder at Russian tech and arms company Maratech. He soon realizes that the company is involved in illegal arms trading. Swedish-produced weapons intended for the Russian military are ending up in the hands of dictators and terrorists – who is responsible? Together with Skurov, Tom begins to unravel the dirty affair, which leads up to the very highest levels of Swedish politics. Did Oscar Rieder find out about the illegal affairs? Did the knowledge get him killed? Tom is playing a dangerous game and soon he finds that his own life is on the line.
The Merchant from Omsk is a captivating read that highlights the dark side of the arms industry and paints a credible picture of Russian business life.
Author
Reviews
“An enthralling thriller where conflicts are many and paranoia lies in wait behind every corner. The depiction of Moscow is informed and the portrayal of the complications of international arms trade credible. The novel is set in 2008 but the situation in Russia today is constantly present in the back of your mind while reading.”
Smålandsposten (SE)
“Camilla Grebe and Paul Leander-Engström are able to bring the reader into a fascinating and typically closed-off world, portraying what living and working in the land of Putin is like in an excellent way.”
Arbetarbladet (SE)