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jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t know if Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö planned for there to only be ten books in the Martin Beck series but here, at book nine, things seem to be wrapping up. This book is the most self-referential of its predecessors by far, even going as far as bringing a former convict from one of the past crimes back as a minor but important character. It acknowledges the journey you go on with these people.
At the heart of this one is Martin Beck. The series bears his name only because he’s the highest ranking officer in the homicide department. Usually, these pieces feature an ensemble cast. Yet with few exceptions, he mostly takes the lead. And I think there’s a clear reason why the writing team does that.
Previous books had been critical of the criminal justice system in Sweden. There have been strong hints at the rise of police militarization and the problems that causes. Usually, they’re but a few brushstrokes on the painting. Here, they’re dragged to the center. Whatever Beck’s faults are as a (fictional) human, Sjöwall and Wahlöö clearly see him as the moral balance of the police force, just by nature of him being competent and not hot-headed. He has prejudices but he rarely acts on them in his job.
The case itself becomes two cases and they’re resolved in typical Sjöwall/Wahlöö fashion, with luck and shoe leather police work. As Beck is working on the case, he reads in the paper that he’s been referred to as “the Swedish Maigret”, a reference to Georges Simenon’s legendary Parisian detective. Beck scoffs at this and those who have journeyed this far in the series will too. It’s an anti-thriller. Crimes get solved and the big picture never gets resolved.
This is the most didactic of the Beck series since Murder at the Savoy. It’s clear the writers have an axe to grind with their native land. That impacts the book a little bit but not enough to shake its standing as another good entry in a great series. Sadly, I have but one book left.
At the heart of this one is Martin Beck. The series bears his name only because he’s the highest ranking officer in the homicide department. Usually, these pieces feature an ensemble cast. Yet with few exceptions, he mostly takes the lead. And I think there’s a clear reason why the writing team does that.
Previous books had been critical of the criminal justice system in Sweden. There have been strong hints at the rise of police militarization and the problems that causes. Usually, they’re but a few brushstrokes on the painting. Here, they’re dragged to the center. Whatever Beck’s faults are as a (fictional) human, Sjöwall and Wahlöö clearly see him as the moral balance of the police force, just by nature of him being competent and not hot-headed. He has prejudices but he rarely acts on them in his job.
The case itself becomes two cases and they’re resolved in typical Sjöwall/Wahlöö fashion, with luck and shoe leather police work. As Beck is working on the case, he reads in the paper that he’s been referred to as “the Swedish Maigret”, a reference to Georges Simenon’s legendary Parisian detective. Beck scoffs at this and those who have journeyed this far in the series will too. It’s an anti-thriller. Crimes get solved and the big picture never gets resolved.
This is the most didactic of the Beck series since Murder at the Savoy. It’s clear the writers have an axe to grind with their native land. That impacts the book a little bit but not enough to shake its standing as another good entry in a great series. Sadly, I have but one book left.
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
4.0
I can't help noting the similarity in titles between this book and the first of the Ed McBain books that I read earlier this month. McBain's book was Cop Hater. Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo stated that McBain's work was an inspiration and model for their Martin Beck series, so was this title an homage to McBain?
Whether it was or not, Sjowall/Wahloo's writing style continues to owe much to that established by McBain in his police procedurals. The writing is spare and straightforward, although the series does allow for considerable character development. We've gotten to know Martin Beck and the members of his team very well in the course of these books.
The books have gotten progressively better as the series has continued, in my opinion, and I have to say that this one, the penultimate entry, is my favorite so far.
Cop Killer focuses on the working relationship between Martin Beck and Sten Lennart Kollberg, his most trusted colleague. Together they go to the village of Anderslolv in southern Sweden to investigate the disappearance of a woman. A few days into the investigation the woman's body is found in an out-of-the-way location near a lake. She has been murdered, so now the two have a murder case on their hands. They are aided in the investigation by a local policeman, Herrgott Allwright, who seems to know everything about everyone in the small village.
Suspicion immediately falls on the woman's next door neighbor who turns out to be the culprit who was apprehended by Beck and his team in the first novel, Roseanna. The man had been released from prison and was trying to make a new life for himself in Anderslolv.
Beck's superiors insist that the neighbor be arrested and Beck and Kollberg reluctantly comply although neither really believes the man is guilty and they continue investigating.
Meanwhile, in another part of the country, two inept young criminals have burgled an unoccupied summer cottage and taken everything that wasn't nailed down. In their escape, they drive without turning on their headlights which gets the attention of a police patrol and they are stopped by the infamous Karl Kristiansson and his new partner (His first one was killed in The Abominable Man.) Kenneth Kvastmo, who is just as inept as his old partner but is much more zealous in the pursuit of criminals. It is Kvastmo who insists on pursuing and stopping the car and he emerges from the police vehicle with his gun drawn. Before the encounter ends, two policeman are shot and another is injured in a very weird way and one of the young criminals is dead. The other one escapes and later ditches his car and steals another one. As serendipity would have it, that car turns out to be connected to Beck's murder case!
It all turns into a typical horrible mess, again exemplifying the ineptitude of the Swedish police system. As always in these books, Sjowall/Wahloo are very critical of the brutality and excesses of the police which they see as an outgrowth of failings of the Swedish welfare state of the period. All of this is portrayed in a very sardonic way in their prose. They use humor very effectively to make their points and often the reader can't help chuckling over some of the Inspector Clouseau-like episodes.
At the same time, individual policemen like Beck and Kollberg and several of their colleagues - Gunvald Larsson, Fredrik Melander, Per Mansson, etc. - are shown as dedicated and hard-working, if flawed, professionals who doggedly pursue their investigations of criminality, even in the face of bureaucratic indifference or ignorance.
On a lighter note, we finally see Martin Beck in a satisfying romantic relationship after so many years in a very unfulfilling marriage that ended in divorce. Rhea Nielsen, a woman that he met in the last novel, has become his lover and for the first time since we've know him, he actually seems happy! But will it last?
Only one more book to go in the series. I miss Martin Beck already and he's not even gone.
Whether it was or not, Sjowall/Wahloo's writing style continues to owe much to that established by McBain in his police procedurals. The writing is spare and straightforward, although the series does allow for considerable character development. We've gotten to know Martin Beck and the members of his team very well in the course of these books.
The books have gotten progressively better as the series has continued, in my opinion, and I have to say that this one, the penultimate entry, is my favorite so far.
Cop Killer focuses on the working relationship between Martin Beck and Sten Lennart Kollberg, his most trusted colleague. Together they go to the village of Anderslolv in southern Sweden to investigate the disappearance of a woman. A few days into the investigation the woman's body is found in an out-of-the-way location near a lake. She has been murdered, so now the two have a murder case on their hands. They are aided in the investigation by a local policeman, Herrgott Allwright, who seems to know everything about everyone in the small village.
Suspicion immediately falls on the woman's next door neighbor who turns out to be the culprit who was apprehended by Beck and his team in the first novel, Roseanna. The man had been released from prison and was trying to make a new life for himself in Anderslolv.
Beck's superiors insist that the neighbor be arrested and Beck and Kollberg reluctantly comply although neither really believes the man is guilty and they continue investigating.
Meanwhile, in another part of the country, two inept young criminals have burgled an unoccupied summer cottage and taken everything that wasn't nailed down. In their escape, they drive without turning on their headlights which gets the attention of a police patrol and they are stopped by the infamous Karl Kristiansson and his new partner (His first one was killed in The Abominable Man.) Kenneth Kvastmo, who is just as inept as his old partner but is much more zealous in the pursuit of criminals. It is Kvastmo who insists on pursuing and stopping the car and he emerges from the police vehicle with his gun drawn. Before the encounter ends, two policeman are shot and another is injured in a very weird way and one of the young criminals is dead. The other one escapes and later ditches his car and steals another one. As serendipity would have it, that car turns out to be connected to Beck's murder case!
It all turns into a typical horrible mess, again exemplifying the ineptitude of the Swedish police system. As always in these books, Sjowall/Wahloo are very critical of the brutality and excesses of the police which they see as an outgrowth of failings of the Swedish welfare state of the period. All of this is portrayed in a very sardonic way in their prose. They use humor very effectively to make their points and often the reader can't help chuckling over some of the Inspector Clouseau-like episodes.
At the same time, individual policemen like Beck and Kollberg and several of their colleagues - Gunvald Larsson, Fredrik Melander, Per Mansson, etc. - are shown as dedicated and hard-working, if flawed, professionals who doggedly pursue their investigations of criminality, even in the face of bureaucratic indifference or ignorance.
On a lighter note, we finally see Martin Beck in a satisfying romantic relationship after so many years in a very unfulfilling marriage that ended in divorce. Rhea Nielsen, a woman that he met in the last novel, has become his lover and for the first time since we've know him, he actually seems happy! But will it last?
Only one more book to go in the series. I miss Martin Beck already and he's not even gone.
antij's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brontebucket's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and finished it quite quickly. There always seem to be two Strands to the stories - in this one the disappearance/ murder of Sigrit and the botched robbery by 2 young kids which went wrong and one of them shot a policeman. Stockholm itself is a character in the book which is portrayed as a beautiful but dangerous place with high suicide rate and lack of jobs. The action also moves to Skane, Southern Sweden, for this book which is nice as it is Wallander territory!
At the end of the book Becks colleague Kollberg resigns. He doesn’t believe police should carry guns and Malm his superior is all about tooling the police up and sending in disproportionally large numbers of police to incidents when it is not necessary. Kollberg believes police being armed creates a more violent society. As the authors have written this series of 10 books as a 10 year book then the resourcing of the police has been a theme. At this point there is no end of money in the force and they all have shiny new cars although a picture is painted of a disaffected society with low employment for young people and lots of crime. A far cry from agony ABBA!!!
At the end of the book Becks colleague Kollberg resigns. He doesn’t believe police should carry guns and Malm his superior is all about tooling the police up and sending in disproportionally large numbers of police to incidents when it is not necessary. Kollberg believes police being armed creates a more violent society. As the authors have written this series of 10 books as a 10 year book then the resourcing of the police has been a theme. At this point there is no end of money in the force and they all have shiny new cars although a picture is painted of a disaffected society with low employment for young people and lots of crime. A far cry from agony ABBA!!!
mobyskine's review against another edition
5.0
This book caught my attention at the very first chapter-- a woman was murdered and dumped in a swamp. And Folke Bengtsson is back after the Roseanna's incident. I really love the plot this time, Herrgott Allwright was a lovely policeman and Beck and Kollberg doing great like usual.
Love on how the book shows me about the crime and given me few suspects but with no how and whom exactly. Giving me so much chills and nervousness, guessing and assumptions.
The side case about Caspar was another engrossing part. Loving Kollberg so much here. I keep on assuming and guessing on how both cases could be related like how both Kollberg and Beck will cross path during the investigation-- so much thrill and action. Quite unputdownable-- those seriousness and something-is-missing-but-what is somehow making me can't wait to finish this off.
Interesting plot structure, quite excellent though few chapters in between changing perspectives and such but the flow was still great and gripping. Another favorite from Beck's series!
Love on how the book shows me about the crime and given me few suspects but with no how and whom exactly. Giving me so much chills and nervousness, guessing and assumptions.
The side case about Caspar was another engrossing part. Loving Kollberg so much here. I keep on assuming and guessing on how both cases could be related like how both Kollberg and Beck will cross path during the investigation-- so much thrill and action. Quite unputdownable-- those seriousness and something-is-missing-but-what is somehow making me can't wait to finish this off.
Interesting plot structure, quite excellent though few chapters in between changing perspectives and such but the flow was still great and gripping. Another favorite from Beck's series!
piccoline's review
5.0
4.5 stars.
Another great effort from this pair. This one snapped something into place for me, one of the things I really love about this series: it already does most of the things that should be done in these sorts of crime novels to radically undermine the lazy, proto-fascist, reactionary aspects of most police-based procedural novels. We get the pleasures of the chase, but at every turn we are also treated to examples of the many idiotic and downright cruel kinds of cops we should all understand have only become more widespread since the 1970s. (I know these books take place in Sweden. If anything, our situation in the USA is even more dire, with the direct genealogical line back to slave-catching. Shudder.)
Sjowall and Wahloo show, time and again, the many ways that society damages individuals, and then how small changes in turn feed back to distort society. The whole series can be viewed this way, as a tragedy of the downward spiral of a society, mirrored in the increasing brutality and corruption and incompetence of its ever-more-militarized police force. (Again, it's impossible not to see the parallels to the situation in the USA, now.)
And somehow, amidst all of this damage and sadness, the presence of Martin Beck and a few scattered flawed souls still doing their best to solve crimes that matter in ways that are compassionate and respect the humanity of both victims and perpetrators, somehow that allows these books to be not only enjoyable but in a strange way comforting.
Sure, this whole damn contraption is falling to pieces around us, grinding up more and more innocents in the gears along the way, but let us not forget the small noble acts of those who, even if they cannot see a way to turn it all around, do their best to render mercy in small ways as they go about their work.
Another great effort from this pair. This one snapped something into place for me, one of the things I really love about this series: it already does most of the things that should be done in these sorts of crime novels to radically undermine the lazy, proto-fascist, reactionary aspects of most police-based procedural novels. We get the pleasures of the chase, but at every turn we are also treated to examples of the many idiotic and downright cruel kinds of cops we should all understand have only become more widespread since the 1970s. (I know these books take place in Sweden. If anything, our situation in the USA is even more dire, with the direct genealogical line back to slave-catching. Shudder.)
Sjowall and Wahloo show, time and again, the many ways that society damages individuals, and then how small changes in turn feed back to distort society. The whole series can be viewed this way, as a tragedy of the downward spiral of a society, mirrored in the increasing brutality and corruption and incompetence of its ever-more-militarized police force. (Again, it's impossible not to see the parallels to the situation in the USA, now.)
And somehow, amidst all of this damage and sadness, the presence of Martin Beck and a few scattered flawed souls still doing their best to solve crimes that matter in ways that are compassionate and respect the humanity of both victims and perpetrators, somehow that allows these books to be not only enjoyable but in a strange way comforting.
Sure, this whole damn contraption is falling to pieces around us, grinding up more and more innocents in the gears along the way, but let us not forget the small noble acts of those who, even if they cannot see a way to turn it all around, do their best to render mercy in small ways as they go about their work.
sarahsadiesmith's review
4.0
The penultimate novel and it’s called Cop Killer. I approached this with a little trepidation as I’m besties with most the characters at this point and I deal with their loss much poorer than I do with actual humans, I may be defective. Or a sociopath. I need not have worried though. The cop killing happens about two thirds in, and it’s more a device in which the authors use to make a valid (and forever topical) point but I’ll get to that in a minute. What keeps us occupied until then is murder of a woman, who is left in a swamp in a rural part of Sweden. Beck and Kollberg, the original duo are left to investigate and the novels come full circle with the reappearance of the murderer from the first story, Roseanna. It sort of becomes a little roll call of quite a few characters cropping up from the prior stories in the series but never overbearingly so.
It’s interesting to see how rural Sweden differs to Stockholm where the majority of the series is set, and also the contrast in Beck and Kollberg from the first novel to this one, Kollberg in particular conveys a sense of disillusionment with regard to how the police force has changed (it was nationalised and the fallout of that become increasingly apparent as we progress through the series) and it is in this novel we get the straw that broke the camels back for him.
As ever Sjöwall and Wahlöö might be writing crime novels but it’s never so much about the crime as the cause, the far reaching consequences of a poorly ran society, and how that affects the population on an individual level. In Cop Killer we are offered a solid argument regarding gun control and why the police force should not be militarised, this crops up in several of their novels and is a point well made. You cant help but think of current day America when reading these books, these two Swedes had figured out 50 or so years ago what an awful lot of people still can’t see. I kind of think Darwin maybe got it wrong, survival of the fittest isn’t quite how it always goes with humans. Oh well.
It’s interesting to see how rural Sweden differs to Stockholm where the majority of the series is set, and also the contrast in Beck and Kollberg from the first novel to this one, Kollberg in particular conveys a sense of disillusionment with regard to how the police force has changed (it was nationalised and the fallout of that become increasingly apparent as we progress through the series) and it is in this novel we get the straw that broke the camels back for him.
As ever Sjöwall and Wahlöö might be writing crime novels but it’s never so much about the crime as the cause, the far reaching consequences of a poorly ran society, and how that affects the population on an individual level. In Cop Killer we are offered a solid argument regarding gun control and why the police force should not be militarised, this crops up in several of their novels and is a point well made. You cant help but think of current day America when reading these books, these two Swedes had figured out 50 or so years ago what an awful lot of people still can’t see. I kind of think Darwin maybe got it wrong, survival of the fittest isn’t quite how it always goes with humans. Oh well.
pgchuis's review
4.0
I like this series and the translation is good too. The humour is sometimes very subtle and there is always a political aspect - this time about whether the police should carry guns.
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