Swedish author Sara Strömberg published Brændemærket on January 21, 2026, marking the third standalone entry in her Vera Bergström crime fiction series. Published by Gads Forlag, the novel follows the investigative journalist protagonist as she digs into a cold case that has remained unsolved for nearly three decades.

The narrative is set in Storlien, Sweden, where a father and two children were murdered in their home 28 years before the story's present timeline. The disappearance of the mother adds another layer of mystery to the case. Vera Bergström, working as a journalist for Jämtlandsposten, decides to reopen the investigation and develop it into a true crime series—blending journalistic research with the psychological complexity of revisiting a long-dormant tragedy.

As a standalone entry in the Vera Bergström series, Brændemærket does not require readers to have followed the character's previous cases, though Strömberg's established narrative style carries through the work. The novel exemplifies the Scandinavian crime fiction tradition, combining procedural elements with character-driven storytelling.

The book has been catalogued and distributed across Nordic book retailers and libraries, including platforms such as Saxo and Gucca in Denmark, reflecting its availability in both physical and digital formats across the region.

**Sources:** - https://www.saxo.com/dk/braendemaerket_bog_9788712074915 - https://www.gucca.dk/braendemaerket-bog-p728578 - https://bibliografi.dk/content.php?page=author&value=16357 - https://www.instagram.com/p/C6MiRVfCyJ3/ - https://bibliotek.dk/en/materiale/jordskred_sara-stromberg-f-1975-/work-of:870970-basis:140280917