1899: Prelude

In 1899: Prelude, Staalesen takes us back to a city on the brink of transformation. Bergen is growing, changing and divided. Two brothers from the rural valley of Eksingedalen arrive in search of opportunity, only to be confronted by the harsh realities of urban life and deep social divides. Meanwhile, police officers Ole Berstad and Christian Moland investigate two suspicious deaths, and a forbidden love affair unfolds in the shadows at a time when such desires were punishable by law.

Readers will reunite with key figures from the 1900 trilogy, as the story weaves through Bergen’s vibrant theatre scene, its upper social circles, and the spectacular Bergen Exhibition of 1898. With his signature eye for historical detail and human drama, Staalesen delivers a gripping and atmospheric prelude to his landmark series.