In this essay different aspects of the motif of the criminal have been traced in Lotta Lotass’s Min röst ska nu komma från en annan plats i rummet and Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. By seeking its representation in the texts, the intention was to show how themes, stylistic patterns and narrative functions interrelate in the construction of the motif. The perpetrator’s position within the narrative structure and its consequences have also been assessed. By discussing the meta-fictive aspects of the novels I stressed the importance of the reader’s function, arguing the reader’s participation in the construction of the motif.