Murder at the Savoy (Martin Beck, #6) in Scandinavian Mysteries

May 21, 2010 Jenn rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, mystery, novel, read-2010

I know that Sjowall and Wahloo pioneered the Swedish procedural, and I know, as well, that pioneers often work within a framework that's much more limited than what we are used to. As such, it's not hard to imagine that these mysteries were ground-breaking at the time they came out. They depict a society growing anxious about its own safety, about the efficacy of its police, and about the trust-worthiness of its own home-grown businesses and elite classes. The clash between classes is more appar ...more

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Jun 17, 2010 Karmologyclinic rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-thriller, audio-books

I loved this book in the series for the reasons other people didn't. It manically blurs all the guidelines of how a crime book should be written. It's anti-heroic, anti-climactic, keeps a calm pace throughout and it won't let you have the slightest sympathy for the victim. Not enough? If you are reading the series as a whole, then you're already used to good-writing, a variety of interesting characters, cynical and bitter humour and a marxist analysis that is still valid.
Martin Beck is becoming ...more

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Jul 09, 2009 Frank Jude rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction-novels, police-procedural

I LOVE this series of novels set in Sweden and Denmark. Martin Beck and his collegues are real, they are flawed but dedicated professionals. The ten novels written by this husband and wife team together make up one long, interconnected discourse on crime. Cynical and funny, dark and critical, I recommend this series to any fans of procedurals and murder storied in general. The European sensibility is so very different from either the British or the American variety.

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Jun 26, 2011 Doreen Dalesandro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 20, 2011 Jim Coughenour rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime4connoisseurs

Enjoyable as an old friend, although this sixth book in the series impressed me less than its predecessors. Might be time to take a short break from the Beck novels.

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