A ritualistic grave. A silent widow. A secret that refused to stay buried.

Wilhelm Jacobsson was a man defined by his friction - a stubborn, fiercely independent farmer who spent his life at war with his neighbors. But when he vanishes without a trace from the Gotland ferry, his silence becomes more dangerous than his words.

Days later, during the revelry of Gotland's Medieval Week, the festivities are shattered by a gruesome discovery. In the shadow of the ancient Iron Age ruins of Vallhagar, a dog unearths Wilhelm's body. He hasn't just been murdered; he has been staged in a 'chieftain's burial,' complete with a crushed snake at his feet - a symbolic warning from a killer who plays by ancient rules.

Detective Inspector Maria Wern, on Gotland for what was supposed to be a peaceful summer working vacation, is thrust into a community where the past is never truly dead. Wilhelm knew something that made him a target, and his widow, Mona, knows it too - but she isn't talking.

Under the scorching Baltic sun, Maria and her team must navigate a maze of local grudges and cryptic symbols. In a land of limestone 'rauk' formations and monastery ruins, the truth is within Maria's grasp, but it is wearing a mask she doesn't yet recognize. She has only days to unmask a killer before the ancient soil of Gotland claims another victim.

'The Silver Crown... is a page turner and that's that.' - The Police Magazine

'Anna Jansson has a depth in her thrillers that other authors lack. Her empathy and finesse are unique. When she ties together all the threads it's thrilling from page one. The books about Maria keep getting better and better.' - Länstidningen Södertälje Sweden