This is the fourth novel in the Inspector Van Veeteren series, but you don’t need to have read the other three to understand everything.

At least I haven’t read the rest of the series and I don’t think I missed anything important (or anything at all).

Maybe if you know what happens in the previous books you have more insight on the characters, but they are described here as if the reader is meeting them for the first time.

The book in general is okay, but most of the plot is predictable.

Once you figure out the sex of the murderer, than it appears obvious why the victims are murdered.