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Translated mystery novels set outside the U.S. (obviously). I love reading these.

Until Thy Wrath Be Past, By: Åsa Larsson and translated by Laurie Thompson

January 9, 2012 By 7 Comments

UNTIL THY WRATH BE PAST (2011), wastes no time pulling you into the story. This is the fourth book in the series set in Sweden to feature district attorney Rebecka Martinsson. This is the best written book in the series that started with SUN STORM (2006). This is a tightly plotted story that is well thought out and full of tension filled scenes that introduces an interesting pair of antagonists in the Krekula brothers. The premise: a young couple go winter diving in a mountain lake and then disappear. There is mention of Germany’s occupation in the country during WWII and its impact in the lives of those affected in the present day. The narrative often splits into several different perspectives, told in third person, where one is seamlessly done from the victim’s POV.

UNTIL THY WRATH BE PAST was unputdownable. This book epitomizes all that I enjoy in Scandinavian crime fiction with its interesting locale and culture. The tone can sometimes be bleak as most books in this genre tend to be about people expressing loneliness and/or despair. I like the focus on nature and its contrasts. I like the attention to the harsh climate. I like that the characters are believable and are shown to deal with their own personal issues while investigating crimes. I liked the flow of the story and how each thread or events begin to form and connect to give a complete picture. The plot is one that uses real events about German soldiers using Swedish drivers to transport supplies to the Eastern front. The author delved into the past and unearthed some interesting facts to tell her story. [Read more...]

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The Black Path, By: Åsa Larsson and translated by Marlaine Delargy

December 28, 2011 By 7 Comments

I am on an Åsa Larsson reading spree. Her novels, described by others, are said to be more traditional crime thrillers than police procedurals and how she structures her story, told in third person narrative, works very well for me. Some of the themes in her novels have been interesting too. The novels are all set in northern Sweden, 150Km north of the Arctic Circle. So far these are entertaining reads with two strong female protagonists.

Having enjoyed THE BLOOD SPLIT so much, I thought I would dive right in to THE BLACK PATH, the third book in the series. Rebecka Martinsson has quit her job as a junior attorney at Sweden’s top business law firm, Meijer & Ditzinger in Stockholm and has taken up residence in her childhood home in the mining community of Kiruna after so many years in exile. After the devastating events in the last book that put her in mortal danger, she does a stint in a psychiatric clinic and is prescribed anti-depressants. Rebecka, over time, in the book it says 18 months, recovers and takes up residence in her grandmother’s home in Kurravaara.

The weather is still blistering cold and the wind is up. A fisherman finds a woman’s body in an ark a few miles outside the tourist station of Abisko. Detectives Anna-Maria Mella and Sven-Erik Stålnacke investigate the case with the help of the newly appointed prosecutor, Rebecka Martinsson. She was snapped up by the chief prosecutor in Kiruna because he thinks she would be good at the job (plus she’s a workaholic) and she is.

The victim is a woman in her forties who held a important position in Kallis Mining, a company that is a major player in the mining industry. She was an information specialist. There are very few clues in Inna Wattrang’s death. The victim’s brother, Diddi Wattrang arrives to identify her body along with their boss, Mauri Kallis, an overseas investor who heads Kallis Mining. He brings along his security team. The two men are upset at Inna Wattrang’s death but manage to remain guarded and tight lipped to the police. Neither of them claim to know Inna Wattrang’s whereabouts before her death and offer the police very little in helping them track down this opportunistic killer. [Read more...]

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Professor Andersen’s Night by Dag Solstad with translation by Agnes Scott Langeland

December 5, 2011 By 7 Comments


Professor Andersen’s Night is an unsettling yet highly entertaining novel of apathy, rebellion and morality. In flinty prose, Solstad presents an uncomfortable question: would we, like his cerebral protagonist, do nothing?

While Professor Andersen is drinking his cognac and letting the “Christmas spirit fill my mind”, he peeks out his window and sees a woman being strangled. He hides behind the curtains and eventually picks up the telephone to call the police but he changes his mind. He thinks: what’s done is done, the woman is probably dead anyway:

“I can’t tell them about this. The only outcome would be the murderer’s arrest.” And the murderer might well be caught, but not on account of him, Professor Andersen, intervening and notifying them that the man had committed a murder. The idea was distasteful to him.

According to the blurb of Professor Andersen’s Night, Professor Andersen runs into the murderer at a sushi bar several days later. Sadly, I didn’t make it that far into the story. Red flags went up immediately when I found myself setting this book aside after reading the first two pages. This is a book about a man and his conscience. He doesn’t phone the police but continues to rationalize his actions. The following day he attends a dinner party and plans to share the night’s events with his friend. He keeps going back and forth in his decision to say to his host/friend that he witnessed a murder and didn’t report it to the police. This is where my interest started to wan. I stopped reading at page 18 because I got bored with reading stuff like this:

[Read more...]

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The Blood Split by Åsa Larsson and translated by Marlaine Delargy

December 2, 2011 By 5 Comments

The Blood Split (2008) by Åsa Larsson with translation by Marlaine Delargy is the second book featuring tax attorney Rebecka Martinsson. She first appeared in Sun Storm, a riveting story that focused on religious zealotry. Both books are set in North Sweden where the subarctic climate is characterized by unusually long and freezing winters. The type of crime fiction that Åsa Larsson writes have to do with social criticism in family dynamics, social power, religion and the centuries old conflict between men and women.

The Blood Split takes place during the mildly warmer summer months and about a year and a half later after the event(s) of the last book. This series is best categorized as police procedurals even though the main star is a lawyer. Rebecka’s path often intersects with detectives Anna-Maria Mella (married with children) and her partner, Sven Erik Stålnacke (lives alone with his cat). There is something about Ms. Larsson’s stories and her storytelling abilities that keeps me riveted. The truth is that she’s really good about writing human drama and its triumphs and tragedies. Her prose/narrative is full of energy. Conflicts, secrets and regular people who react impulsively from their inner demons and rage make up the majority of her stories thus far. A lot of the secrets aren’t hard to figure out but that didn’t stop it from being an engrossing read. [Read more...]

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The Draining Lake written by Arnaldur Indridason

October 19, 2011 By 3 Comments

The Draining Lake (2007,336 pages) is the fourth book in the series translated by Bernard Scudder that follows Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson in Reykjavik, Iceland. Erlendur was first introduced in the US translated novel Jar City in 2004 (also known as Tainted Blood). I stayed up late and read every chance I got until I finished this excellent novel. I don’t know how this author continues to write consistently good stories but I hope he continues to write them for awhile. This is an intelligent story that is part historical and part police procedural. My immediate thoughts after closing the last page: Mr. Indridason is the real deal. He’s up there with Jo Nesbø, as far as I’m concerned. He would be a great alternative for those who enjoy crime fiction that isn’t very violent.

A hydrologist doing routine research comes across a skeleton in Lake Kleifarvatn with a hole in its skull. Found along with the skeleton is a disabled Soviet listening device that was used to spy on the US military base. Speculations begin to fly about espionage in Iceland. We get a brief taste of what life was like during the Cold War through a former student sharing his memories/experiences of his attendance at the University of Leipzig during the 1960′s. This tight group of students from Iceland find their safe haven infiltrated by the secret police and the fall out from that has an impact that is still felt after more than 30 years. [Read more...]

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Voices: A Thriller, written by Arnaldur Indridason

October 7, 2011 By 10 Comments

So, I decided to go back to Iceland and back to Arnaldur Indridason well written Reykjavik series featuring Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson. The series thus far has been solidly written. Voices (2003), translated by the late Bernard Scudder, is the third book in the series and is told in third person narrative. The story begins with Christmas approaching. The doorman is found murdered in the hotel basement. Every Christmas he would play Santa and he was a regular jack of all trades. The police investigate the case as discreetly as they can to appease the hotel manager who seems more concerned about the reputation of the hotel and scaring off the tourists. Murder seems to be more of an afterthought.

Inspector Erlendur and his team arrive at the crime scene and find Santa half-naked and stabbed to death. Trying to find someone who knew the door man proves to be difficult as the victim didn’t have any friends. Even at the hotel where he worked for several years, nobody claims to know him outside of work. As the investigation unfolds, Erlendur learns that a British collector/traveler had a scheduled meet with the victim and surprises us all when he tells Erlendur why he was meeting him. Seems the doorman/Santa was a former child star, a soprano/choirboy with a beautiful voice and a promising future ahead of him. Then something happened: his voice broke. The two recordings that he made are now worth millions of dollars. [Read more...]

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Review: The Indian Bride, by Karin Fossum

September 16, 2011 By 13 Comments

In The Indian Bride (2007) also known as Calling Out For You in the UK, is translated from the Norwegian by Charlotte Barslund. A woman is found beaten to death in a meadow in the tiny village of Elvestad. It’s a quiet community with a total population of two thousand people. The local cafe serves as heart of the village. A place where the young & the old hang out for news and gossip. Inspector Konrad Sejer says that this is the most horrific crime he’s saw in Norway. The police turn to the community for help as they try to find the killer.

I thought this was a terrific read although I did have some issues with certain character’s actions in here. I see why Karin Fossum is popular but she won’t be to everybody’s tastes. She writes atypical, unconventional crime fiction stories that for me are refreshing. Her novels focus more (like she said) on the psychology of her characters and examines the impact and the aftermath of a murder in a community. You have a foreign woman found brutally beaten in a meadow. This is an unplanned crime. This is a crime of rage and impulsiveness. [Read more...]

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Misterioso: A Crime Novel, by Arne Dahl and translated by Tiina Nunnally

September 6, 2011 By 4 Comments

Misterioso (c2011 ; 352 pages) is the first book in the Intercrime series written by Arne Dahl, pen name for Jan Arnald and translated from the Swedish by Tiina Nunnally. I must admit that the prologue didn’t grab me and I set the book aside. Several weeks later, I picked it back up again and couldn’t put it down. That’s why I hate prologues because they are utterly useless. Anyway, this is a well written and well thought out police procedural set in Stockholm during the mid-1990′s. It’s what I would say is a thinking person’s thriller. I spent all day Sunday reading this book until I finished it.

Sweden is going through an economic crisis. Out of this financial instability, a serial killer emerges and starts targeting the titans of the business industry, catapulting Sweden into a panic. [Read more...]

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Nothing, by Janne Teller

August 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Danish author, Janne Teller has written a very interesting book that for me was hard to get into. It is marketed to teens but can be easily read by adults because some of the philosophical aspects, mainly about the purpose of life, are thought-provoking. The story is self-described as a modern day Lord of the Flies. “Nothing” is set in Denmark, in a fictional place called “Tæring” which is said to be a verb that means “to corrode or eat through.” Students try to prove “the meaning of life” to one of their classmates who says life has no purpose or meaning.

The narrative is told in first person through Agnes, a seventh grader. Her first pov is told in a rather cold and detached way. Clearly I never did warm up to her character or any of the others in fact. The story begins with Pierre Anthon suddenly realizing that “nothing matters.” He leaves school to sit up in his plum tree because to him, “nothing is worth the bother.”

The plot starts off innocently enough with the students at first trying to ignore Pierre’s taunts that life is worthless, love means nothing, etc while he sits in his plum tree that’s on their route to school everyday. His thoughts/statements makes an impact as it insidiously works its way into the minds of the other students. Agnes and the rest of her classmates feel that they must counter his statements and PROVE to Pierre that life does have meaning. Eventually, the students decide to get together and devise a plan to meet secretly at an old unused sawmill on the outskirts of town. The goal is to give something to sacrifice that has meaning to each of them. [Read more...]

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Mystery Classics Review: Cotton Comes to Harlem, by Chester Himes

August 16, 2011 By 4 Comments

I stumbled upon Chester Himes (July 29, 1909 – November 12, 1984) after reading an essay where someone described him as being the “black Raymond Chandler” and “the father of the black crime fiction novel.” His detective novels are now recognized as a significant part of American literature and his work is often linked to other writers whose styles are very similar, namely, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.

Himes writing is concise, cinematic and stylistic. I found this story quite compelling. His depiction of urban crime in 1960′s Harlem is raw and in your face, leaving little to the imagination in terms of the everyday poverty,crime, economic hardship, racism and drug use. He doesn’t do too bad with the dialogue either (although a bit of the language is rather dated) and I found myself laughing a little at his sardonic sense of humor.

Upon completing this book, I wanted to read more by this author. His writing is uncompromising and gritty. Cotton Comes to Harlem (1965;160 pages) is apart of his “Harlem domestic novel” series that were first published in French (he’d left the US to live in France) then translated to English. The first book in the series is A Rage in Harlem (also For Love of Imabelle, 1957;160 pages).

Two black NYPD plainclothes detectives – Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones are investigating a hijacking where 87 families had their money stolen from them during a caper that set off a string of violence and mayhem in Harlem. The story opens with ex-convict and phony preacher, Reverend Deke O’Malley, sponsoring a Back To Africa rally. It’s an idea he got from Marcus Garvey. He cashes in with his emotional spiel about a better life in Africa with no regard for the “starry eyed black people” putting their “chips on hope.” Deke’s plan to pocket the $87,000 he’s collected is thwarted when four white men with guns show up and steal the money right from under him, leaving one volunteer dead. [Read more...]

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Review: Lost World, By: Patrícia Melo

July 22, 2011 By 2 Comments

Writer Patrícia Melo has penned a compelling story about an ex-contract killer in search of his family in Lost World (UK 2009). The novel is translated from the Brazilian Portuguese by Clifford Landers. The protagonist is Máiquel, a fugitive who’s been in hiding for ten years. He first appears in The Killer which won critical acclaim. Melo’s work is gritty, atmospheric and very dark. From page one I was hooked into this world. Thoughts after I closed the book: this is a damn good read.

After ten years hiding out as a fugitive, Máiquel resurfaces at his aunt Rosa’s funeral in São Paulo to settle her affairs. He sells the house, gets a set of fake ID’s and decides to hire a detective to look for his family. Ten years ago, his girlfriend, Erica ran off with a preacher who ratted him out to the cops. She took his daughter and his money and disappeared. She left a scathing note that he remembers word for word.

His road trip and mission proves to be a complicated one as his breaks all of his rules for keeping a low profile. The author has him passing through many favela’s (shanty towns in Brazil). Has him shacking up in smelly boarding houses, hiding out in a landless camp and run down hotels. The weather is always hot. Exotic foods are always on display with market vendors selling their wares in different languages around him as he passes through town. Some were er quite interesting. [Read more...]

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The Rap Sheet: Barry Forshaw on Nordic Noir | Kirkus Book Reviews

July 19, 2011 By 9 Comments

The Rap Sheet: Barry Forshaw on Nordic Noir | Kirkus Book Reviews.

Excerpt:

In your opinion, what are the best, most representative Nordic crime novels available in English today?

The 10 “Story of a Crime” novels of Sjöwall and Wahlöö, of course. [Danish author] Peter Høeg’s Smilla’s Sense of Snow [1992]. [Stieg Larsson’s] Millennium Trilogy. Early-to-mid-period Mankell. And the wonderful Icelander Yrsa Sigurdardóttir.

And which new Nordic crime novels should we watch for in the near future?

Too many to mention! But look out for the atmospheric and allusive work of [Sweden’s] Johan Theorin. [Norway’s] Anne Holt will make a mark. And don’t miss [Norwegian author] Thomas Enger’s Burned!

Never heard of Barry Forshaw but according to the article he’s a crime fiction critic in Britain who’s promoting his “authoritative” work on Scandinavian crime fiction coming out in 2012. He even wrote a book about Stieg Larsson. Listen, I don’t know if I can take anyone seriously when they discuss Scandinavian crime fiction and they don’t even mention Jo Nesbo. Plus, I’ve heard nothing but praise about Thomas Enger’s Burned. I’m skeptical of praise these days…I downloaded a sample of Enger’s latest novel. Oh and The Hypnotist – not reading it for various reasons (read a sample of that one too).

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Review: Water-Blue Eyes, By: Domingo Villar

July 18, 2011 By 2 Comments

Writer Domingo Villar has impressed readers with his debut novel, “Ojos de Agua” or as it’s known in English Water-Blue Eyes (UK 2008), that introduces Inspector Leo Caldas. This 167 page crime fiction novel is translated from the Spanish by Martin Schifino. It’s the first in a series that takes place in northwest Spain, in the Galician community. No digital copy available at the time that I write this so I was forced to buy paper. Immediate thoughts after closing the book: good story albeit with a predictable storyline.

Inspector Leo Caldas and his new partner, Rafael Estévez are investigating a crime of passion. The victim is a musician found murdered in his duplex by the sea. He’s gagged with his hands tied to the headboard and his genitals are almost unrecognizable. Forensics are baffled at the level of tissue damage. The substance used was formaldehyde which is a preservative used in most laboratories. The coroner had no idea that injecting formaldehyde directly into the body could cause such devastating tissue damage. The skin looks leathery without the heat source (ouch). The victim is said to have had the prettiest eyes or “water-blue eyes” hence the title. [Read more...]

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Review: Echoes From the Dead, By: Johan Theorin (writer) and Marlaine Delargy (translator)

July 11, 2011 By 5 Comments

cover for echoes from the dead by johan theorin Skumtimmen is the Swedish title for Echoes From the Dead (2008). It’s the first novel in the loosely connected quartet of books written by Swedish writer Johan Theorin and translated by Marlaine Delargy. Each story is set in a different season and in here it’s autumn on the desolate, beautiful island of Öland, in the Baltic Sea. The other two books include The Darkest Room (US/UK) and the recently released title, The Quarry (UK). Echoes From the Dead won the CWA New Blood Dagger award in 2009.

I finished this 364* page novel on a late Saturday afternoon. My immediate impression: The story is very well written with a narrative that unfolds at a leisurely pace. Nature seems to be a big theme in his books as the author really takes his time in giving his readers a strong sense of time and place. The characters are well drawn and what I love about his work is that his stories are packed with human emotion. You care about these characters for the short period that you are with them. [Read more...]

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Nemesis, By: Jo Nesbø (writer) and Don Bartlett (translator)

June 30, 2011 By 5 Comments

“Good bank robbers are neither famous or quotable. You’ve never heard of them because they’ve never been caught. Because they are not direct or simple. The one you’re looking for is one of them.”

Nemesis is the book that got me started on Jo Nesbø two years ago. The series is set in Oslo and follows Inspector Harry Hole. I remember when I read this book I thought the writing was brilliant. I’d read nothing like it at the time (still true today). The protagonist might be cliche-ridden but the writing is awesome (!) The reason for my short excerpt above is that the story opens with a bank robbery. Cloaked in a balaclava, the armed suspect grabs the teller and demands the bank manager open the safe within 25 seconds or else. All hell breaks loose and under the nose of the police the suspect gets away.

An investigative team is quickly assembled in a conference room nicknamed The House of Pain. The team consists of several police officers but I’ll introduce the main ones in the story. First is Beate Lønn. She’s a cop whose expertise involves viewing endless hours of videotape and recognizing faces. She’s able to remember every face she’s ever seen in her life. She has this skill because of the abnormality in the part of the brain that is responsible for face and body recognition: the fusiform gyrus. She’s partnered with Inspector Harry Hole, who’s recently rejoined Crime Squad. He was working on an unrelated case (see The Redbreast). [Read more...]

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