# The Drowned Boy - Paperback

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by **Karin Fossum** (Author)

"Sensitive and shocking." -- _Wall Street Journal_

"In the end, the novel isn't about willful murder or even accidental death, but the psychological aftershocks for the living." -- _New York Times Book Review_

"Fossum's descriptive prose is a reminder, for criminals and readers alike, that the details that damn us are likely to be the ones that escaped us." -- _Washington Post_

Carmen and Nicolai found their son, Tommy, floating in their garden pond, but it was too late to save him. Inspector Skarre arrives on the scene, and Carmen says that Tommy, a healthy toddler with Down syndrome, was playing alone and drowned. But an autopsy reveals that Tommy's lungs are full of soap, prompting Skarre and his trusted colleague Inspector Sejer to revisit the couple. When they return, Carmen, an epileptic, changes her story: she had a seizure while bathing Tommy, came to, and found him dead in the tub. Terrified, she threw him into the pond. But Skarre and Sejer are skeptical. What could Carmen be hiding? And what lengths will she take to cover her guilt?

"\[_The Drowned Boy_\] will keep readers guessing. Grade: A-." -- _Cleveland Plain Dealer_

"Simple but gripping story, balanced, believable and compassionate." -- _Guardian_  

### Front Jacket

**A new addition** **to the Inspector Sejer** **series from the author who seems to have inherited the late Ruth Rendell s gift of spinning the darkest complications out of what might seem like nothing at all (_Kirkus Reviews_)**  
  
A sixteen-month-old boy is found drowned in a pond right beside his home. When Inspector Skarre arrives on the scene, the mother reports that Tommy, a healthy toddler with Down syndrome, wandered into the garden while her husband was working in the basement and she was doing housework. Skarre senses something is off with this story and consults his trusted colleague, the famed Inspector Sejer.  
  
What could she be hiding? And to what lengths will she go to cover her guilt? As her own family starts to doubt her, Skarre and Sejer work to find the truth.  
"

### Back Jacket

In the end, the novel isn t about willful murder or even accidental death, but the psychological aftershocks for the living. _New York Times Book Review_  
  
Fossum s descriptive prose is a reminder, for criminals and readers alike, that the details that damn us are likely to be the ones that escaped us. _Washington Post_  
  
Carmen and Nicolai found their son, Tommy, floating in their garden pond, but it was too late to save him. Inspector Skarre arrives on the scene, and Carmen says that Tommy, a healthy toddler with Down syndrome, was playing alone and drowned. But an autopsy reveals that Tommy s lungs are full of soap, prompting Skarre and his trusted colleague Inspector Sejer to revisit the couple. When they return, Carmen, an epileptic, changes her story: she had a seizure while bathing Tommy, came to, and found him dead in the tub. Terrified, she threw him into the pond. But Skarre and Sejer are skeptical. What could Carmen be hiding? And what lengths will she take to cover her guilt?  
  
\[_The Drowned Boy_\] will keep readers guessing. Grade: A . _Cleveland Plain Dealer_  
  
Simple but gripping story, balanced, believable and compassionate. _Guardian_  
  
KARIN FOSSUM is the author of the internationally successful Inspector Konrad Sejer crime series. Her recent honors include a Gumshoe Award and the _Los Angeles Times_ Book Prize for mystery/thriller."

### Author Biography

KARIN FOSSUM is the author of the internationally successful Inspector Konrad Sejer crime series. Her recent honors include a Gumshoe Award and the _Los Angeles Times_ Book Prize for mystery/thriller.

**Number of Pages:** 240

**Dimensions:** 0.7 x 7.9 x 5.2 IN

**Publication Date:** August 09, 2016

## Details

- **Price:** 21.95 GBP
- **Vendor:** BooksCloud
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books, Crime, Fiction, International Crime & Mystery, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, Price Written on Book, Thrillers

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 21.95 GBP | In stock |

## Images

- The Drowned Boy

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> Updated: 2026-08-22