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Amazon Crossing to publish a true crime story from the archives of Stieg Larsson

Amazon Crossing, the literature in translation imprint of Amazon Publishing, announced today the acquisition of The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson’s Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin by Jan Stocklassa, translated by Tara F. Chace for publication on October 1, 2019. Ten years after The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo author Stieg Larsson’s death, journalist Jan Stocklassa gained exclusive access to Larsson’s private archive, uncovering Larsson’s unknown project—research and investigation into the unsolved assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. Stocklassa picks up on Larsson’s extensive research and quest to solve one of the most enigmatic murder mysteries in European history. Amazon Crossing Senior Editor Elizabeth DeNoma acquired global English rights from Judith Toth at The Nordin Agency.

On February 28, 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot dead on the streets of Stockholm and the crime is still unsolved today. Before authoring his international best-selling Millennium Trilogy, Stieg Larsson began his own intense investigation into the assassination. He continued his search for the murderer for years—until his own death in 2004. In 2014, the journalist and documentary filmmaker Jan Stocklassa gained access to Larsson’s files through Larsson’s former employer, the anti-fascist magazine Expo, and discovered his private investigation into the Olof Palme homicide case in twenty cardboard boxes. In The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson and the Hunt for an Assassin, Stocklassa reveals new facts about the case and reveals the hitherto unknown research of the best-selling author in a fascinating true crime story. For the first time in many years, the police in Sweden have taken active measures to investigate a new suspect in the murder case and are pursuing leads based on the research revealed in Stocklassa’s book.

“The explosive cocktail of a world-famous crime writer and an unsolved murder of a Prime Minister makes for a truly unique story,” said Jan Stocklassa. “Add in the biggest publisher of literature in translation in the U.S., Amazon Crossing, for the English-language edition and I couldn’t wish for more.”

“Jan Stocklassa’s access to Stieg Larsson’s investigation and his own years-long intrepid, exciting exploration into the suspects, motives, and connections gives readers a true crime story about one of the most gripping unsolved murder mysteries of modern times, investigated by one of the most well-known authors of all time,” said Elizabeth DeNoma, Senior Editor of Amazon Crossing. “We can’t wait to share this story with Stieg Larsson’s English-language fans who will be struck by the parallels between the famous author and his famous character, Mikael Blomkvist.”

Published originally in Swedish in November 2018, Jan Stocklassa’s book has now been published in Dutch, Finnish, Danish, German, Polish, Norwegian, French, and Estonian with another 16 languages to follow. Jan Stocklassa is also executive producer of a documentary film focusing on Larsson’s research into extreme right-wing groups. The documentary, titled The Man Who Played with Fire, premiered internationally at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019.

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