Maria Norberg is accused of mass murder of her high school class mates and the story is divided into days of the trial. But this is much more than just a murder trial. We are told the story through Maja's eyes (Maja short for Maria) and she doesn't deny her guilt in this crime. Thus this is not a mystery in who is the killer but a mystery in the why's and how's of the incident. And this is where the novel really shines. Themes of power, money and class are explored together with what it means to be a friend and a parent. For those interested in criminal trials there is also much to learn in the way evidence can be manipulated as well as the power and flaws of eye witness reports.