Olof struggled with the words. The truth.
-- Narrator (Pages 1 - 69)

Importance: When Olof returns home on an innocent trip to visit his father, Sven, he is not expecting to find Sven dead in the bathtub. Shortly after fleeing the gruesome scene, Sven's neighbor, Patrik, stops Olof in the street demanding to know the truth of why he is in the neighborhood. Although the question appears simple on its surface, the truth has always been complicated for Olof. Ever since he was convicted of a crime he did not commit, Olof has difficulty discerning what is real from what is not. This moment introduces the reader to Olof's traumatic past, and to the author's interest in exploring the relativity of truth.

The violence was something she had expected when she became a police officer, but not the loneliness.
-- Narrator (Pages 1 - 69)

Importance: The first time Eira visits Sven's house to investigate his murder, she is shocked by what she...