The Liar

By Sofie Sarenbrant

With summer just around the corner, Stockholm is more beautiful than ever. But the peace is about to be broken for Emma and her family. 

On an early morning, a teenage boy is found dead in a wooded area in the suburb Bromma. The body is badly beaten, and his valuables are missing. Tension immediately runs high in the area and suspicions are directed towards some young boys from a nearby residential area.  

Police detective Emma Sköld must solve the case before the killer strikes again, but she has a feeling that prejudice is getting in the way of finding the actual culprit. Are the boy’s friends and family trying to hide something from her? 

The Liar is the eighth book in the series about the fearless police detective Emma Sköld, and explores themes such as prejudice, exclusion, class differences and, above all, lies. Who can you really trust?  

The Liar was the most listened to book of the year on Storytel in 2020.

The series about police detective Emma Sköld has sold over 7 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 17 languages to date.

Sofie Sarenbrant’s hugely successful crime series has been optioned by Breakable Films.

Publishing information

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About the author

Sofie Sarenbrant is one of Sweden’s most beloved and successful authors. Her books have been translated into 17 languages and sold over 7 million copies to date. She was awarded the prestigious Swedish Crime Writer of the Year award in 2019 and 2020 and 2022 and has also won the Nextory E-book Award three times. Sarenbrant is most well known for her captivating and contemporary series following the police detective Emma Sköld and her team. The combination of suspenseful investigations, and unexpected cliffhangers with relatable depictions of self-doubt and courage has made the series a favorite amongst many crime readers. Sarenbrant’s way of storytelling reflects a genuine and deep understanding of different narratives and perspectives, while at the same having the page-turner quality. The series take place largely in Stockholm and the idyllic suburb Bromma, where the author herself lives with her family.  “Instead of a worn-out, alcoholic chief inspector in the lead role, I wanted a young, career-oriented woman my own age. Emma Sköld follows in her father’s footsteps, without his blessing. He thinks there are too many risks in police work, and it will turn out that he’s right. Emma encounters prejudice in her job as a police detective because she is young and beautiful. No one expects that she will be the most competent of them all and dare to question what no one else will.”  – Sofie Sarenbrant Sarenbrant has also written a psychological thriller Behind Your Back in 2017, and the acclaimed autobiography Muzzle in 2021.  In 2022, she made her debut as a children’s author with Mira and Moon, a new book series for middle-grade readers about a young girl and her strong bond with her favorite pony. Best-seller The Birthday is the first part of the new suspense series created by Carina Bergfeldt and Sofie Sarenbrant. The standalone sequel Good Friday was released in May 2024.In autumn 2026, the first instalment of the new suspense series by Sarenbrant will be published by Bokförlaget Forum.