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Review
—Jonathan Franzen
"A tantalizing, intricate tale."
—The New York Times Book Review
“Sjöwall and Wahlöö write unsparingly and unswervingly. . . . Their plots are second to none.”
—Val McDermid
“Lively and stylistically taut. . . . Sjöwall and Wahlöö changed the genre.”
—Henning Mankell
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Swedish Version of "NYPD Blue",
By Erin Hubbard (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Laughing Policeman (Paperback)
Sweden meets "NYPD Blue" in this non-action-packed police detective mystery by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. All of the action of "The Laughing Policeman" seems to take place before the book even begins. At the start of the book we learn that a terrible crime has been committed, nine passengers have been shot dead on a public bus in the streets of Stockholm. In light of the current events that have recently taken place in the U.S., it is ironic that the Swedish detectives on the case speak of how strange the crime is, stating that such a crime would more likely be seen on U.S. soil. The reader gains a good knowledge of the city of Stockholm, its streets, its people, its dark side, as the detectives leave no stone unturned in their search for the killer. Yet, while the characters are busy searching all over the city, we, the readers, are busy exploring the depths of the characters themselves. Each character has many interesting distinctions and, much like the way the details of the crime are slowly unraveled, different facets of the characters involved are revealed as the novel progresses. It almost seems, at times, that the novel is more about the detectives and their lives than it is about solving the crime at hand. It comes across as a kind of police detective television show where there is always a crime to be solved, but people really watch the show just to see what will happen in the characters' personal lives. Overall, a good mystery, with an exciting conclusion, but perhaps more for the "NYPD Blue" fan, than the "Murder She Wrote" type.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Rough Brand of Justice,
By Virginia Heyburn (Charlottesville, VA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Laughing Policeman (Paperback)
The 1960?s were riotous and pivotal years in both the United States and Europe. This police procedural starring Martin Beck, the notable detective and superintendent of the Stockholm Homicide Squad, captures the political and social unrest of a nation and the world at a time of both great loss and possibility. The scene is Stockholm, Sweden. ?The time was three minutes past eleven on the evening of the thirteenth of November, 1967? (8). And while hundreds of demonstrators and policemen were finally breaking up outside the American embassy in response to the War in Vietnam, on the other side of town, ?eight murders and one attempted murder were committed in Stockholm? (5). With their straightforward, frank approach to the detective novel, Sjowall and Wahloo launch the reader into the thick of the homicide squad?s tangled investigation of the worst mass murder in Sweden?s history. The detectives, led by Superintendent Martin Beck, involve themselves in the painstaking and tedious tasks of detection in their concerted attempt to discover the perpetrator of such a heinous act. In doing so, the reader glimpses the emotional predicament that such a life and line of work at this contentious time in history created for these men. They match the brute strength of the police force against the mob of the underworld, straining to preserve humanity in the face of the awful charge of solving a terrible crime. Though in the end, intelligence and a rough justice do prevail, the final twist of the novel does not come until the final pages. Anyone fan of detective fiction will find themselves entranced by the unique combination of detective procedure and dry, black humor that resonates throughout the pages of this engrossing detective thriller.
5.0 out of 5 stars
He Laughs,
By
This review is from: The Laughing Policeman (Paperback)
In this fourth Martin Beck mystery book, he laughs. The Laughing Policeman in the perfect mystery thriller. You are kept guessing right until the last page. A spectacular crime. No clues. I found myself working hard to try and figure out who amongst the victims was 'the' victim. Man, did this was more fun that those 'brain game' books. Have fun, it's a great ride.
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