The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo introduced us to 'Scandi noir'. Now, welcome to Alexander McCall Smith's world of Scandi blanc . . .
'Life is a progression of partings,' said the psychotherapist. 'One by one, people - and things too - are taken from us. We lose them, they die, they are shown by us to be things of transitory association.'
'I'm sorry,' said Ulf.
'So am I,' said Dr Svensson.