Everything can be bought for money – except the truth.

The historic Villa Caledonia in Djursholm has burned down, and its owner, Miriam de Brenner, is found dead. At the scene, Inspector Claes Ståhl and his colleagues make strange discoveries – in the basement, there is a vast collection of antique dolls, a ceramic kiln, and bone remains. The will also reveals an unexpected heir to the family’s great fortune…

Behind the fire lies a tangled web of lies and bizarre relationships, family trauma, and crimes beyond anything one could imagine.

The Peacock Man is the first part of the trilogy Mara’s Children. A story about how abundance, trauma, and lovelessness can affect a family for generations – and create people who are dangerous to everyone, even themselves.