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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “I am profoundly comforted, on days when it hardly seems worth getting up and the work that must be done seems futile, to know that Martin Beck felt that way, too. Perhaps it is just a Swedish trait. Idealism clashing with realism.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“A detailed who-dun-it that leaves you guessing until the end. My first introduction to Martin Beck but not my last. ”
maryt wrote this review Friday, February 15, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I've been on a kick of reading police procedurals that have been translated to English. This was recommended by one of the authors of another book I enjoyed, so I checked it out. It's the first in a series and I enjoyed it well enough that I'll probably run through the entire library.”
Dan wrote this review Monday, January 28, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“First installment in the Swedish noir series by Sjöwall & Wahlöö, this book sets the dismal tone for the nine Martin Beck mysteries that follow, tracing a glum, unfulfilled Stockholm policeman through his methodical homicide investigations, set under dark Scandinavian skies. Not a bad read, if you can handle all the depressing elements -- and there are too many to count -- and the slightly awkward English translation from the original Swedish, ja? ”
Mitchell Shannon wrote this review Monday, January 21, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Even though it was written in the 1960s, the book moved along very well. I enjoyed the Martin Beck character. He seemed sympathetic in the way that Kurt Wallander is. The murder wasn't as vicious as more current writers, and there weren't really any twists and turns. It was a straightforward police procedural but a good read still.”
MSchumacher wrote this review Sunday, October 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Sjowall and Wahloo are quite rightly the founding parents of the Scandinavian crime genre... this is an absolute classic detective story. Thoroughly enjoyable.”
Abby K wrote this review Monday, October 15, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Holds up well from the sixties, it felt surprisingly like AMC's The Killing. There were moments of cinematic power. Will try another by this classic author.”
jeannemarie1 wrote this review Wednesday, June 27, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very clever composition and yet simple detective story.”
Agnes B wrote this review Wednesday, June 13, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a Swedish police procedural published in 1965.”
Marilynn wrote this review Thursday, April 5, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“enjoyable, certainly zipped through the pages on a weekend afternoon, and it doesn't read like it was written nearly 50 years ago, it has a mostly contemporary feel to it.
jkdavies wrote this review Saturday, March 10, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
it felt simple, in the way that Rankin feels simple; the gory details were glossed over and left to the imagination - unfortunately, even in explanation, there was no why-done-it which was my main issue with the book. I understand the novel was more to put the police investigative process at the forefront, but it did leave a little gap behind, that I don't know exactly what, or why the man did it...”
