Münster stumbles upon the body of a young woman who has been strangled in her home and surprises the killer, who is still at the scene. The killer flees, but an unusual book is found at the scene, dedicated to the killer. When another victim is found, Van Veeteren's literary expertise is put to the test when it becomes clear that they are dealing with a serial killer who chooses his victims based on the names of characters from 19th-century crime novels. What will be the name of the next victim?

"Who is the murderer?"