Machokrimi in March # 3

To sum up my March theme in a few words, the question was if there was a genre which could be called machokrimi. My readers have suggested that noir or hard-boiled crime fiction could be the answer.

With regard to content, it seems that when femikrimi focuses too much on cooking, cleaning and child care, men begin to talk about chick-lit or ´lipstick literature´. (Too much estrogen?)

What, then, might turn women off certain male crime novels? Personally, I like many crime novels which take place in male environments, and many of my favourite protagonists are male, but the more focus on the following themes, the less I tend to like the book: spies, conspiracies, dealing with arms, the mafia, terror and international crime.

Are there certain themes or subgenres which you steer away from? Or certain authors who are too ´macho´ or too ´femi´ for your taste?

April: Crime for All
I hope you are going to enjoy the new theme, and that I can tempt or provoke some of you to participate with your own ideas, questions and comments.

April 1: Bait in the Box as usual
April 2: my first guest blogger ever – a professional crime fiction writer has agreed to write a post for me on the above subject – come back and see who!

Machokrimi i Marts
Spørgsmålet var, om der findes en genre, som kan kaldes machokrimi. Mine læsere har foreslået noir eller hårdkogt krimi.

Med hensyn til indhold, ser det ud til, at når femikrimi fokuserer for meget på madlavning, rengøring og børnepasning, begynder mænd at vride sig i sæderne og mumle ´chick-lit´ eller læbestiftlitteratur (for meget østrogen?)

Hvad får kvinder til at vælge mandekrimier fra? Personligt kan jeg lide masser af krimier, som udspiller sig i et mandligt univers, og mange af mine yndlings-helte er mandlige, men jo mere bogen fokuserer på følgende emner, jo mindre plejer jeg at synes om bogen: spioner, sammensværgelser, våbenhandler, mafiaen, terror og internationale forbrydelser.

Er der bestemte emner eller undergenrer, du går i en stor bue uden om? Eller bestemte forfattere, som er alt for ´femi´ eller ´macho´ efter din mening?

April: Krimi for Alle
Jeg håber du vil synes om det nye emne, og at jeg kan friste eller provokere nogle af jer til at deltage i diskussionen med ideer, spørgsmål og kommentarer.

1. april: Gæt en Bog - som sædvanlig
2. april: min første gæste-blogger – en professionel krimiforfatter har sagt ja til a skrive et indlæg for mig om ovennævnte emne – kig indenfor og se hvem.

2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge

I have participated in - and finished - my first reading challenge ever!
The challenge is hosted by Kay of J.Kay´s book blog. The main rule is: read twelve different sub-genres of thrillers in 2009. And here you have my twelve books including links to each review. Thanks Kay for a wonderful challenge.

My Thriller Dozen:
1) Anne Holt, What Never Happens/Det som aldrig sker - serial killer thriller
2) Sue Grafton, A is for Alibi/A for alibi - private detective mystery
3)Kerstin Ekman, Blackwater/Hændelser ved vand - psychological thriller.
4) Ingrid Hedström, The Schoolmistress of Villette/Lærerinden fra Villette - legal thriller.
5) Inger Frimansson, The Shadow in the Water/Skyggen i vandet - inverted mystery.
6) Ann Cleeves, The Crow Trap - eco thriller.
7) Mark Billingham, The Burning Girl/Den brændende pige - hard-boiled mystery.
8) Kjell Ole Dahl, The Fourth Man/Den fjerde røver - art crime/literary thriller.
9) Martin Edwards, The Coffin Trail - police procedural thriller.
10) Donna Moore, Go to Helena Handbasket - comic thriller.
11) Tana French, In the Woods/Skoven - murder mystery.
12) Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend/Vor Fælles Ven - historical thriller.

Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend (1864-65)

2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge: historical thriller.

I have read a handful of Dickens´ novels, and in my eyes this one is by far the best. Not only because of the crime story – which does not take up so much space that it should keep any non-crime reader off the book – but because it is a very early example of a ´modern´ novel: a complex and coherent plot, engaging and credible characters of all classes, and excellent descriptions of the environment. Quite impressive, actually, as Dickens wrote the book as monthly installments and always had to think of keeping up his readers´ interest from one month to the other. An example of what this publishing method may lead to is The Pickwick Papers which are more like short stories loosely tied together by recurrent characters than a novel.

Basically, the novel is about an old, cruel and tight-fisted dustman who dies, and leaves a quite spiteful will. He leaves a fortune to his only son, who ran away from home several years ago, on the condition that young John Harmon marries an unknown girl, Bella Wilfer.

It is also a story about the social classes of Britain, however. About unfathomable wealth, hypocrisy and endless, boring dinners on silverstrewn tables. About the eternal race of the newly rich and the middle class to keep up their veneer of dignity. And about poor people struggling to survive.

Other characters just try to placate everybody and end up pleasing no one as in this scandalous scene among Bella Wilfer´s mother, younger sister and former suitor:
´”… why one should go out to dine with one´s own daughter or sister, as if one´s underpetticoat was a blackboard, I do not understand.”
“Neither do I understand,” retorted Mrs Wilfer, with deep scorn, “how a young lady can mention the garment in the name in which you have indulged. I blush for you.”
“Thank you, Ma,” said Lavvy, yawning, “but I can do it for myself, I am obliged to you, when there´s any occasion.”
Here, Mr Sampson, with the view of establishing harmony, which he never under any circumstances succeeded in doing, said with an agreeable smile: “After all, you know, ma´am, we know it´s there.”
Shocking, Mr Sampson!

Furthermore, there are two wonderful love stories: young, spoilt Bella who meets a young, secretive secretary, and poor Lizzie Hexam, who struggles to help her ungrateful brother and resist the advances of the unambitious barrister Eugene Wrayburn, because she knows any relationship between them is bound to end in disaster – for her, at least.


Charles Dickens, Vor Fælles Ven.
Jeg har læst en håndfuld af Dickens´ romaner, og i mine øjne er den her absolut den bedste. Ikke kun på grund af krimi-plottet – som ikke fylder så meget, at ikke-krimifans behøver lade sig skræmme væk fra bogen – men fordi den er et meget tidligt eksempel på en ´moderne´ roman: et komplekst og sammenhængende plot, fængslende og troværdige personer fra alle sociale klasser, og fremragende miljøbeskrivelser. Særligt imponerende, fordi Dickens skrev bogen i form af månedlige afsnit (ligesom de fleste andre romaner på den tid), og altid skulle huske på at holde læserens interesse fangen fra den ene måned til den næste. Et typisk eksempel på denne genre er Dickens´ egen “The Pickwick Papers”, som nærmere er en række korte historier, som bliver løst knyttet sammen via de gennemgående personer, end en egentlig roman.

I store træk handler romanen om en ond, gammel gnier som dør, og efterlader sig fire bjerge af skrald, og et hævngerrigt testamente. Han efterlader en formue til sin eneste søn, som løb hjemmefra mange år tidligere, på betingelse af at unge John Harmon gifter sig med en for ham helt ukendt pige, Bella Wilfer.

Det er også historien om de sociale klasser i datidens Storbritannien. Om ufattelige rigdomme, hykleri og kedelige, endeløse tretårnede middage. Om de nyrige og middelklassens ræs for at holde på facaden, og om underklassens kamp for at overleve. Sidst, men ikke mindst, er der to vidunderlige kærlighedshistorier: unge, forkælede Bella Wilfer, som møder en hemmelighedsfuld sekretær, og fattige Lizzie Hexam som kæmper for at hjælpe sin utaknemmelige bror, og modstå de meget smigrende tilnærmelser fra den uambitiøse sagfører Eugene Wrayburn, fordi hun ved at et forhold mellem to så ulige børn nødvendigvis må ende med en katastrofe – i hvert fald for hende.

The Winner - vinderen.

And the winner of Wednesday´s competition is .....
Mack Lundy, Virginia!

Congratulations, Mack.

The book was: Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend. The review will come up later today.


Vinderen af onsdagens konkurrence:
Mack Lundy, Virginia.

Bogen var: Charles Dickens, Vor Fælles Ven. En anmeldelse kommer senere i dag.

Rebus Speak

Do you think the irregular English verbs ´lie´ and ´lay´ are easy to juggle with for Danish students? Oh, you have never thought about that – but as a language teacher, I have! Quite a lot. And my very best advice?

1) Whenever possible – use other verbs.
2) Remember that quite often when Danes use the verb ´ligge´ (which corresponds to ´lie´ - sometimes, that is), English-speakers regard the situation in quite a different light.

Part one of this very useful language lesson will give you a useful and varied range of verbs in a number of sentences where it is at least possible to apply the Danish verb ´ligge´. Once in a while, they DO use lie/lay, however (in which case it is advisably to use them correctly).

I. Ian Rankin, Fleshmarket Close
a) A bag of sugar sat on the worktop next to the sink, a spoon sticking out of it.
b) A toothbrush sat by the sink, but no toothpaste.
c) Detective Constable Colin Tibbett arrived at work next morning to find that someone had placed a toy locomotive on his mouse pad.
d) He´d sneaked a dead dog out of the lab and sat it in his bath.
e) Magazines were stacked on the linoleum floors.
f) The bag was lifted on to a trolley.
g) Rebus shook his head again, watching the body being loaded into the van.
h) He nodded towards a white carrier bag lying on the floor.
i) There was another skeleton there.
j) Certainly they were here before the concrete was laid.
k) The infant had been re-covered by Siobhan´s own jacket, which she´d placed over the remains with the utmost care.
l) Davidson placed a hand on Rebus´s shoulder.
m) There was a small pile of books in front of her.
n) Mag laid a curse on this country.
o) Rebus put them on the back seat beside the other toys.
p) Rebus got out to help her stash her things in the car.
q) Rebus pocketed the tape.


Part two: English-speakers do not have their houses lying around, anyway:

II. Huset ligger slet ikke ...
a) There was just the one discreet sex shop in the street.
b) The empty flat was on the first floor.
c) Knoxland was a housing scheme on the western edge of Edinburgh.
d) Gayfield Square was on the periphery of the elegant New Town.
e) What shops there were had resorted to metal grilles on windows and doors.
f) His club was called The Hallion and was a five-minute walk away.

And if you should want to read the novel now, I have at least achieved someting.

Weekly Geeks # 12. Linking to other reviews.

[Remember to try my competition & win a thriller/crime novel - 30 hours left]

1.Write a post encouraging readers to look through your archives: the easiest way to find my reviews is to follow the label ´review´. That is what I would do myself.

3. Visit other Weekly Geeks and go through their reviews. Leave links for them.
In principle, I am all for linking to other people´s reviews, and I even remember to do so occasionally. It will not be easy for me to find many Weekly Geek participants whose reviews I can link to, however, as I blog about crime novels only, and around half of the books are Scandinavian – some of which are not even translated into English.

During my hunt I came up with the following:
1) Louise of Lou’s Pages who has reviewed Asa Larsson, Black Path (in Danish). I have linked to Louise´s review in my own review (immediately below this post), and added two links to English reviews written by blog friends who are not Weekly Geeks.

2) Kerrie of Mysteries in Paradise has reviewed Jo Nesbo, Nemesis. My Nemesis review is here.

3) Erika of Kiss My Book has reviewed Sue Grafton, A is for Alibi. My review of A is for Alibi

Åsa Larsson, Sort Sti (2006)

Oversat fra svensk (Svart stig, 2006)

”Jeg må ikke blive her. Har optaget en plads længe nok. Der findes kvinder, der har mere brug for den. Den slags, der sætter ild til deres hår. Som kommer ind på afdelingen og sluger små stykker spejlglas ude på toilettet, og som skal køres på skadestuen i en allerhelvedes fart hele tiden. Jeg kan tale, svare, stå op om morgenen og børste tænder.”

Ved begyndelsen af tredje bog er Rebecka Martinsson indlagt på psykiatrisk afdeling, traumatiseret efter sine oplevelser i ”Blodskyld”. Men så snart hun ikke regnes for at være til overhængende fare for sig selv eller andre, udskrives hun til den åbne afdeling i Kiruna.

Plottet bliver skudt i gang på fin vis med en dramatisk scene på en tilfrossen sø. En skødesløs fisker er lige ved at komme helt galt af sted i kulden. Han formår at redde sig selv, men finder til gengæld liget af en 40-årig kvinde i et fiskeskur. Makkerparret Anna-Maria Mella og Sven-Erik Stålnacke kaster sig ud i sagen med begejstring – endelig noget spændende at rive i. Sven-Erik fordi han er enlig og endda har mistet sin elskede kat. Anna-Maria, fordi hun ganske vist er lykkeligt gift og mor til fire, men alligevel nyder chancen for at sætte tænderne i en rigtig god mordsag. I det hele taget er Åsa Larsson rigtig god til personkarakteristik, ligesom hun gør en sidehistorie om samisk kultur rigtig interessant.

Rebecka bliver ansat som politifuldmægtig af den sympatiske menneskekender Alf Björnfot, og kaster sig ud i en tilværelse, som ikke byder på meget andet end arbejde – det eneste i livet hun kan overskue at forholde sig til. Det viser sig, at den myrdede kvinde var ansat i en større svensk virksomhed, og her kommer Rebeckas viden om virksomhedsret til stor nytte for Anna-Maria. Og for første gang kommer de to kvinder lidt tættere på hinanden.

Nogle anmeldere har kritiseret denne bog for at Rebeckas problemer og sammenbrud fylder for meget. Jeg synes egentlig, Rebecka klarer sig flot efter omstændighederne, men jeg har en anden grund til ikke at være ovenud begejstret. Midt i bogen udvikler plottet sig til en større sag med internationale selskaber, konspirationer og minevirksomhed i Uganda. Desuden er den meget dramatiske udvikling mod slutningen af bogen meget hårdkogt og usvensk. Som der står på bagsiden: ”barsk og actionfyldt spændingsroman”. Hver sin smag, men det er nu ikke den type plot, som interesserer mig mest.

Også anmeldt på dansk af Louise, Bogsider

Åsa Larsson, Black Path (2008)
Swedish novel, first published in 2006.

“I´m not allowed to stay here. I´ve taken up a place for long enough. There are women who need it more than me. The kind who set fire to their hair. Who come onto the ward and swallow pieces of broken mirrors in the toilets, and have to be rushed into the emergency department all the time. I can talk, answer questions, get up in the mornings and brush my teeth.”

At the beginning of the third book Rebecka Martinsson is committed to a psychiatric ward, traumatized after her experiences in “The Blood Spilt”. But as soon as she is not considered an impending danger to herself or anyone else, she is discharged and transferred to a clinic in Kiruna.

The plot takes off really well with a dramatic scene on a frozen lake. A careless angler nearly gets himself killed in the cold during a call of nature. He manages to save himself, but finds the body of a fortyish woman in a small fishing cabin. The partners Anna-Maria Mella and Sven-Erik Staalnacke plunge into the case, Sven-Erik because he is single and has even lost his dear cat. Anna-Maria because, even though she is happily married and the mother of four, she enjoys the chance of sinking her teeth into a real murder case. On the whole Åsa Larsson is really good at portraying her characters, just as her flashbacks about Sami culture are fine.

Rebecka is employed as a prosecutor by the sympathetic judge of character Alf Björnfot, and engages in her work – the only part of her life she can relate to. The murdered woman was employed by a major Swedish company, thus Rebecka´s experience with business law comes in handy for Anna-Maria, and the two women get a bit closer for the first time.

Some reviewers think that Rebecka´s problems and break-down take up too much space in this book. Actually I think Rebecka copes with her traumatic experiences quite well, but I am not quite as enthusiastic about the plot which grows into an international affair with mining companies in Uganda, hitmen and conspiracies. The quite dramatic ending is hard-boiled and non-Swedish. As it says on the blurb, “tough and action-filled thriller.” Not quite the type of plot I prefer, and not ´femikrimi´ at all.

Also reviewed in English by Norman, Crime Scraps, and Maxine's Book Reviews

Susanne Staun, Som Arvesynden (1999)

[I ´borrowed´ this picture from Susanne Staun´s homepage.
Not sure whether the legs belong to Ms Staun or to Fanny Fiske]

Stauns imponerende krimidebut er svær at sætte i bås. På den ene side er plottet med de dræbte og mishandlede børn grusomt og bestemt ikke for sarte læsere. De første linjer af prologen illustrerer alvoren i bogen: "Han var en lille, vissen mand med gråt hår og grå moustache. ... Han sad på sengen, hans ansigt askegråt, hænderne foldede i bøn. Han løftede hovedet mod den grå væg. ´Hvor er de da, dine guder, dem du har gjort dig? Lad dem stå op! Kan de frelse dig i ulykkestiden?´ Han tørrede en tåre bort og rejste sig. Han så over mod døren og vidste, at det var tid igen at finde smerten."

Efter prologen forstår læseren ikke for alvor, hvad det er, der er blevet sat i gang, men når den lille grå mand er involveret, er man ikke i tvivl om at det bliver både barsk og smertefuldt. Og de retsmedicinske og psykologiske aspekter er bestemt også alt for grundigt og detaljeret beskrevet til at være morsomme.

På den anden side er der jo Fanny Fiske, den dygtigste profileringsekspert i Europas Forenede Stater, en kvinde af ukendt alder (langt højere end hun bryder sig om at indrømme), som elsker mad og mænd – gerne friske forsyninger flere gange om ugen, og jo yngre jo bedre. For at få dem til at blive ved med at bide på krogen, er hun nødt til at holde sig i supergod form og udsætte sig for den ene plasticoperation efter den anden. Og det virker, - endnu da. Lige så dygtig og professionel som Fiske er på jobbet, lige så morsom og underholdende er den private side af hendes liv med parodien på årtiers midaldrende, mandlige detektiver som kan vælge og vrage mellem underskønne kvinder.

Fanny forklarer med indlevelse, hvorfor terapi og samtaler med Europas værste seriemordere ikke virker, og hvorfor genindførelse af dødsstraffen er den eneste effektive behandling. Vi får et eksempel med en kage, som dufter dejligt og ser helt vidunderlig ud, men så tager man den første mundfuld, og kommer i tanke om, at ud over de sædvanlige ingredienser er der for resten også kommet en dosis motorolie i. Uanset hvilke anstrengelser psykiatere gør sig med en vaskeægte psykopat, vil de aldrig være i stand til at fjerne motorolien fra kagen.

Forfatteren og hovedpersonen er begge danske, men da Fanny ikke er specielt begejstret for Jantelovens flade, kedelige Danmark, har Staun valgt at lade hende arbejde for politiet i de velkendte, britiske byer Cornwell og Grafton, i en ikke nærmere bestemt fremtid under før-nævnte Europas Forenede Nationer, hvor fr Fiske for længst har fået sin vilje: dødsstraf for hendes ´drenge´.


Susanne Staun, Original Sin (1999)
Regrettably this impressive Danish crime debut (and the three volumes after it) has not been translated into English. Please do not see this commentary as an attempt to gloat, though, but as a wish to inform English-speaking readers about the Scandinavian crime scene.

The book is quite difficult to typecast. On the one hand the plot with children who are killed and abused is horrible and certainly not for squeamish readers. The forensic and psychological aspects are also described in too great detail to be amusing.

On the other hand there is Fanny Fiske, the most competent profiler in Europe, a woman of obscure age (far higher than she cares to admit) who loves food and men – preferably fresh supplies several times a week, and the younger the better. To make them swallow the bait she has to keep in shape and expose herself to one cosmetic operation after the other. And it works, - for the time being. Just as capable and professional as she is in her capacity as a profiler, just as hilarious and entertaining is the private side of her life with the parody of numerous middle-aged, male detectives who have been able to pick and choose among gorgeous young women since time immemorial.

Fanny explains quite well why therapy does not work with the worst serial killers of Europe, and why a revival of the death penalty is the only efficient treatment. You see a cake which smells and looks wonderful, you take a bite, and suddenly you remember that apart from the usual ingredients such as eggs and flour, you added a splash of motor oil. No matter how great pains psychiatrists take with a real psycho, they will never be able to separate the motor oil from the cake.

The author and the main character are Danes, but as Ms Fiske is not exactly thrilled about the Danish ´Jantelov´ (the who-do-you-think-you-are attitude), the setting is the fictive towns of Cornwell and Grafton [sic] in Britain, part of the United States of Europe. Oh, - and of course the death penalty has been reinstated.

My "Andersen" Suitcase

As my visitors seem almost as intrigued by our old suitcase as by my competition, I shall give you two new pictures to enjoy. It was a gift for our wedding anniversary a few years ago. I don´t know much about its past, but as the link can show you, my famous countryman, Hans Christian Andersen, owned one which was quite similar. I have no idea whether our case is as old as that, yet I really think it graces our living room.

Weekly Geeks # 11. Historical Fiction

[Remember to participate in my competition & try to win Sophie Hannah´s Little Face]

I decided to answer question 2: Do you have a favourite book that really pulled you back in time, or perhaps gave you a special interest in that period? My choice is not a single book, but a whole series:

Andrew Taylor, The Lydmouth Series (8 volumes published between 1994-2006)
This is a good and well-written crime series with engaging plots, but it would not be the same at all without the fictive Lydmouth environment and the British setting of the late 1940s and 50s (a period I am too young to have experienced but feel I recognize from literature and films). The books are not always cosy, however, as they give a fairly accurate view on the time rather than a picture postcard. In the first book, An Air that Kills, we are taken even further back in time when some local builders find the skeleton of a tiny baby which may date back to the Victorian era, a period when a pregnancy meant serious trouble to unmarried women.

Lydmouth is an enclosed little world populated with a manageable number of citizens, many of whom return in several books. Jill Francis, stubborn and dedicated journalist and one of the two main characters, is employed by an old friend, Philip Wemyss-Brown, editor of the Gazette, him and his wife being pillars of the local society where newcomers will be newcomers. She needs a fresh start after a hurtful love affair in London, and thinks quiet Lydmouth may be the answer.

Inspector Richard Thornhill, encumbered with mortgaged house, wife and children, is also new to Lydmouth, his wife´s home town. He tries to live up to the expectations and moral standard of the place, but obviously pretty young Jill, a successful and independent woman, seems more attractive than his slightly worn little housewife who worries about insignificant details such as threadbare socks, school uniforms and having a meal ready whenever it pleases her husband to return home in the evening.

For more information on this series you might visit Andrew Taylor´s homepage and go to “Lydmouth series” e.g. to read Martin Edwards´ very thorough introduction.

Weekly Geeks # 11 – historisk fiktion.
Jeg bestemte mig for at besvare denne uges spørgsmål 2: har du en yndlingsbog, som virkelig fører dig tilbage I tiden, eller måske gav dig en særlig interesser for denne periode? Jeg har ikke valgt en enkelt bog, men en hel serie.

Andrew Taylor, Lydmouth-serien (8 bind udgivet I perioden 1994-2006)
Her er tale om en fin og velskrevet krimiserie med spændende plots, men den ville på ingen måde være det samme uden det fiktive Lydmouth-miljø i 1940ernes og 50ernes England (en periode, jeg er for ung til at have oplevet, men som jeg føler jeg genkender fra litteratur og film). Bøgerne er ikke nødvendigvis hyggelige, da de giver et meget præcist indtryk af perioden, og ikke noget glansbillede. I første bind, De dødes måned, bliver vi bragt endnu længere tilbage i tiden, da nogle lokale bygningshåndværkere finder skelettet af et spædbarn, som muligvis stammer fra viktoriatiden, en tid hvor en graviditet betød alvorlige problemer for en ugift kvinde.

Lydmouth er en lukket lille verden, beboet af et overskueligt antal bysbørn, som ofte vender tilbage i adskillige af bøgerne. Jill Francis, vedholdende og engageret journalist og den ene af de to hovedpersoner, bliver ansat af en gammel ven, Philip Wemyss-Brown, redaktør for The Gazette. Wemyss-Brown-parret er solide amfundsstøtter i det lokale samfund, hvor man er tilflytter på livstid. Jill har brug for en frisk start efter et vanskeligt forhold i London, og forestiller sig, at fredelige Lydmouth må være svaret på hendes bønner.

Kriminalassistent Richard Thornhill, bebyrdet af hus og prioritetslån, kone og børn, er også ny i Lydmouth, hans kones fødeby. Han prøver at leve op til stedets forventninger og moral, men det står ret klart, at smarte unge Jill, succesrig og uafhængig kvinde, er mere tiltrækkende i hans øjne end hans lettere nedslidte lille husmor, som bekymrer sig om ubetydelige detaljer som hullede sokker, skoleuniformer og varm mad, uanset hvornår Thornhill kommer hjem om aftenen.

For flere oplysninger om serien, som kan læses og nydes for kærlighedshistoriens skyld, for beskrivelsen af efterkrigstidens England eller for forbrydelserne, er det en god idé at besøge Andrew Taylors egen hjemmeside og gå ind under ”Lydmouth series”, bl.a. for at læse Martin Edwards´ meget grundige introduktion.

Bait in the Box # 10 & Competition

[The charming old suitcase is my own, and a very suitable ´box´ for this week´s competition]

You may have read this English novel without thinking of it as a crime novel. Nevertheless there is a crime which is solved in it, but there is also so much else.

"The girl pulled the hood of a cloak she wore, over her head and over her face, and, looking backward so that the front folds of this hood were turned down the river, kept the boat in that direction going before the tide. Until now, the boat had barely held her own, and had hovered about one spot; but now, the banks changed swiftly, and the deepening shadows and the kindling lights of London Bridge were passed, and the tiers of shipping lay on either hand.

It was not until now that the upper half of the man came back into the boat. His arms were wet and dirty, and he washed them over the side. In his right hand he held something, and he washed that in the river too. It was money. He chinked it once, and he blew upon it once, and he spat upon it once, - ´for luck,´ he hoarsely said - before he put it in his pocket."

If you should choose not to participate in the competition, I am sure the other participants are not against your leaving little, discrete hints of the usual kind.

Rules of the competition: If you are able to guess the author and title of this book, please send a mail to do.hu.ja@mail.tele.dk called ´competition´ with the answers plus your full name and postal address. The competition ends Sunday by midnight (Danish time), and on Monday I will ask a family member to draw the lucky winner.

Prize: a used paperback edition of Sophie Hannah´s great thriller Little Face (a book in very good condition, read twice) - sent all over the world.

Gæt en bog – og vind.
[Den charmerende gamle kuffert er min egen, en meget passende emballage til ugens bog]

Det er meget muligt, at du har læst denne engelske roman uden at tænke på den som en krimi. Der forekommer imidlertid en forbrydelse som bliver løst i den, men den indeholder også rigtig meget andet.

Jeg har valgt ikke at forsøge at oversætte afsnittet til dansk, dels fordi det snarere ville blive knudret og forvirrende end til nogen egentlig hjælp, og dels fordi en læser som ikke kan forstå citatet, nok ikke har noget at bruge en engelsk krimi til alligevel. Men bogen er skam oversat, og hvis du kender dine klassikere, kender du sikkert også denne her.

Hvis du af en eller anden grund ikke ønsker at deltage i konkurrencen, er jeg sikker på de andre deltagere ikke har noget imod, at du lægger små, diskrete vink af den sædvanlige slags.

Regler for konkurrencen: Hvis du kan gætte forfatteren og titlen på bogen, så send venligst en mail til do.hu.ja@mail.tele.dk med overskriften ´konkurrence´ med svarene, samt dit fulde navn og postadresse. Konkurrencen er slut søndag aften ved midnat, og på mandag vil jeg bede et familiemedlem om at trække den lykkelige vinder.

Gevinst: en brugt paperback-udgave af Sophie Hannahs thriller ”Little Face”. Bogen er i god stand, kun læst to gange – på engelsk, men efter min mening ikke frygteligt svær at læse.

NB: jeg lover at udlove en dansk bog i min næste konkurrence.

Tana French, Skoven (2008)

Irsk thriller-debut, 2009 reading challenge: ´murder mystery´.
Mange år før plottet i denne thriller udspiller sig, forsvandt tre irske teenagers fra deres hjemby uden for Dublin. Kun Adam bliver fundet igen, blodig og chokeret, og ude af stand til at huske, hvad der er sket.

Tyve år senere er Adam tilbage i Knocknaree-området som kriminalbetjent, nu under navnet Rob Ryan, og sammen med sin makker og nære ven, Cassie Maddox, bliver han sat på en sag om en teenagepige som er fundet myrdet på en mystisk, gammel offersten nogle få hundrede meter fra Robs barndomshjem.

Tana French har skrevet en spændende thriller med et fint plot, og det viser sig naturligvis, at Robs barndomsoplevelser får en vis betydning. Personerne er også fyldigt beskrevet, og bestemt ikke flade og kedelige. Og man kan næppe bebrejde French, at hun har skabt en noget irriterende og utroværdig, mandlig hovedperson. Til trods for sit barndomstraume fungerer Rob tilsyneladende som kriminalbetjent, som makker og i forhold til kvinder, men som han selv indleder med at forklare læseren, så skal man måske ikke stole alt for meget på, hvad han siger: ”Jeg vil råde dig til ikke at glemme, at jeg er kriminalassistent. Vores forhold til sandheden er i bund og grund fuldt af sprækker …”

Så nyd en flot og lovende debut af en forfatter, jeg bestemt gerne vil høre mere fra, også for hendes glimrende miljøbeskrivelse, men lad være med at tage alt for meget af det du får fortalt for pålydende.

Tana French, In the Woods (2007)
Irish debut, part of my 2009 Suspence and thriller reading challenge: murder mystery.
Many years before the real beginning of this plot, three Irish teenagers disappeared from their hometown outside Dublin. Only Adam reappears, bloody and in shock, unable to remember anything about what has happened.

Twenty years on, Adam Ryan is back in the Knocknaree area as a police detective, now under his middle name Rob, and together with his colleague and best friend, Cassie Maddox, he gets a case about a teenage girl who is found murdered on a mysterious, old sacrificial alter a few hundred metres from Rob´s childhood home.

Tana French has written an exciting thriller with a fine plot, and of course Rob´s childhood experiences are of a certain importance.. The characters are described in great detail and not at all flat or boring. And one can hardly blame French that she has created a somewhat annoying and incredible, male character. In spite of his childhood trauma Rob seems to function in his capacity as detective, as a partner and in his various relationships with women, but as he begins by telling the reader, one is not supposed to trust what he says, “What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective. Our relationship with truth is fundamental but cracked …”

So enjoy a fine and promising debut by an author I should like to hear more from, also for her interesting descriptions of the Irish environment, but remember: do not trust too much of what her characters tell you!

The Coroner and the Flu

[Denne fantastiske bog er desværre ikke oversat til dansk - men det bliver den forhåbentlig]

Caught up in bed, sweating, croaking and dizzy, I have at least had fantastic company. I have caught up with the second half of a marvelous book, 200 page-turning pages without dozing off once.

M.R. Hall, The Coroner (2009)
This legal thriller is one of the best I have read for a long time. A book which deserves a coherent, enthusiastic, well-written review - and here we are, me and my flue!

The book certainly deserves five stars:
One for the fantastic plot: the new coroner who will not just close her eyes.
One for the engaging and credible characters, especially 42-year-old Jenny Cooper who thought her new position as a coroner would be peaceful and give her time to get on with her life after a divorce and a mental break-down.
One for the environment: the legal setting is good and convincing, Jenny´s new home near Tintern Abbey is even better.
One for the ending: no spoilers, go and read the book!
One for keeping me awake for four hours.

And now you will probably want to read a proper review - go to Maxine, reviewing the book on Euro Crime, the very kind friend who sent me this wonderful book.

40 steps from my front door

40 skridt fra min fordør

10 skandinaviske krimihelte, jeg gerne ville møde.

Se mit første indlæg, britiske og amerikanske favoritter]

1) Susanne Staun, Fanny Fiske – jeg vil frygteligt gerne se, hvordan den fascinerende profiler ser ud efter 117 kosmetiske operationer. Vi skal ikke spise sammen; jeg vil bare sidde og spekulere på, hvornår hendes ansigt revner, eller om hendes næse nu falder af midt i det hele.
2) Elsebeth Egholm, Dicte Svendsen – jeg tror en slentretur sammen med den dygtige journalist I hendes hjemby Århus (min studieby) kunne være en rigtig hyggelig oplevelse. Vi ville slutte af med et cafébesøg ved åen, og nyde en cappucino mens hun fortæller mig om sin første sag, som har forbindelse til Århus Å.
3) Håkan Nesser, Van Veeteren – han har jo trukket sig tilbage, så vi vil slet ikke diskutere kriminalsager. Han kunne vise mig nogle gode bogfund i hans antikvariat, og bagefter ville vi nyde en lærd diskussion om litteratur over en kop te (nej, jeg spiller ikke skak. Måske skulle jeg sende min mand i stedet – de to ville virkelig nyde at lære hinanden at kende).
4) Kim Småge, Annekin Halvorsen – jeg var I Trondheim for nogle få år siden, men det ville være fantastisk at have Annekin, lokalkendt politibetjent, til at vise mig rundt I den gamle bydel, som hun holder så meget af. Og bagefter ville hendes mor nok have en dejlig middag klar til os.
5) Jo Nesbø, Harry Hole – selvfølgelig vil jeg rigtig gerne møde Harry (hvis han altså er ædru). Måske er det bedst ikke at lægge planer på forhånd, men bare vente og se …
6) Anne Holt, Yngvar Stubø – Anne Holts tidligere hovedperson, Hanne Wilhelmsen, er alt for skrap for mig, så jeg vælger Stubø, som ser ud til at være en venlig og rolig type. Men vi inviterer ikke Inger Johanne med; hun vil bare sidde og være bekymret for sine børn hele tiden.
7) Stieg Larsson, Lisbeth Salander – Salander er ikke til at komme uden om, og hvis jeg nu bare kan huske at stille en række interesserede computerspørgsmål og aldrig så meget som nævne Astrid Lindgren eller Pippi (eller Mikael Blomkvist eller noget som helst andet, som er bare den mindste smule provokerende), så overlever jeg det nok endda. Og hvis jeg gør, så vil jeg foreslå at vi bestiller noget kinesisk, og jeg vil huske at rose hendes flotte tatoveringer.
8) Karin Fossum, Konrad Sejer – det er noget siden, jeg har læst Fossum (det må jeg have gjort noget ved), men jeg husker Konrad Sejer som en flink, samvittighedsfuld detektiv, som ikke er nær så skræmmende som Fossums hårrejsende bøger.

Og til sidst, to ´glemte personer´:
9) Maria Lang, Christer Wijk – hendes første bog blev udgivet I Norge I 1949, og Christer Wijk er Sherlock Holmes-typen som ynder at runde sagen af, mens han sidder I en kæmpe lænestol og drikker spandevis af tjæresort kaffe. Så efter en rundtur i Skoga (det kan vel ikke vare så længe) skal vi have kaffe sammen, måske endda med en dejlig hjemmebagt jordbærkage til, i hans mors idylliske, gamle villa.
10) Jørgen Thorgaard, Jonas Ottesen – endnu en trist historie med en hovedperson, som har de samme problemer som Harry Hole, Inspector Morse, Rebus osv, og så er han endda sognepræst. Men Ottesen er et intelligent og forstående menneske, som det burde være en stor fornøjelse at møde.


10 Scandinavian Crime Fiction Characters I´d Love to Meet.
[See my first post, British and American favourites]
1) Susanne Staun, Fanny Fiske - to see what this fascinating medico-legal expert and profiler looks like after her umpteenth cosmetic operation. We will not share a meal; I would sit worrying all the time that her face would crack up or her nose come off.
2) Elsebeth Egholm, Dicte Svendsen - I think this competent, dedicated Danish journalist will be a pleasant companion for a stroll in her hometown Aarhus (my university town). We would go to a café near the idyllic stream and have a cappucino while she told me about her first case which is related to the stream.
3) Håkan Nesser, Van Veeteren - he is retired now so we would not ´talk shop´. He could show me the treasures of his second-hand bookshop, and afterwards we would have a learned discussion of literature over a cup of tea. (Sorry, no chess for me - perhaps I should send my husband instead. They would really hit it off together).
4) Kim Småge, Annekin Halvorsen - I have been to Trondheim a few years ago, but enjoying the old part of this cosy little town together with a knowledgeable local policewoman would be a real treat. Afterwards I am sure her mother will have a nice dinner ready for us.
5) Jo Nesbø, Harry Hole - of course I would love to meet Harry (if he is sober, that is). Perhaps I should not plan anything beforehand but wait and see...
6) Anne Holt, Yngvar Stubø - Holt´s first protagonist, Hanne Wilhelmsen, is far too tough for me so I would settle for Stubø, who seems to be a kind and calm person. We would not invite Johanne Vik, though, as she would just worry about her children all the time.
7) Stieg Larsson, Lisbeth Salander - Salander is a must, and if I can remember asking interested computer questions and never, ever mention Astrid Lindgren or Pippi, (or Michael Blomkvist or anything remotely provoking) I´d probably even survive. If so, I would suggest Chinese takeaway for the two of us, and remember to praise her tattoos.
8) Karin Fossum, Konrad Sejer - for some reason I have not read any of Fossum´s books recently (must do something about that), but I remember Inspector Konrad Sejer as a nice, conscientious investigator who is not nearly as scary as Fossum´s hair-raising plots.

And finally, two ´forgotten characters´:
9) Maria Lang, Christer Wijk - her debut dates back to 1949, and Norwegian Wijk is a Sherlock Holmes type who likes rounding off his cases in a large armchair while drinking buckets of hot, strong coffee. So after a tour of Skoga, coffee it would be, perhaps accompani­ed by strawberry pie, in his mother´s idyllic old villa.
10) Jørgen Thorgaard, Jonas Ottesen - sadly, this protagonist and local vicar is as troubled by alcohol problems as Harry Hole, Inspector Morse, Rebus, and you name it. Still, he is an intelligent and considerate person whom it should be a pleasure to meet.

Åsa Larsson, Solstorm (2004)

Svensk krimi-debut (2003). Jeg genlæste Larssons debut for at kunne diskutere den i min bogklub, og så er der jo ingen grund til at snyde læsere, som eventuelt ikke kender denne fremragende forfatter, for en anmeldelse.

Første linje: "Og det blev aften, og det blev morgen første dag."
Viktor Strandgård, medlem af den kristne frikirke Kraftkilden, bliver regnet for at være en næsten mytisk skikkelse, genopstanden som han er efter en bilulykke. Viktor tænker tilbage på sit første dødsøjeblik: "Med dette billede på nethinden dør Viktor Strandgård for anden gang i sit liv. Fodtrin nærmer sig, men han hører dem ikke. Hans øjne behøver ikke igen at se den blanke kniv. Som en tom skal ligger hans krop tilbage på kirkegulvet og bliver gennem­boret. Igen og igen." For kirken bliver den dramatiske uge dog ikke nogen skabelsesproces, men snarere én lang bevægelse fra orden mod kaos.
Viktors ubehjælpsomme søster beder sin ungdomsveninde, juristen Rebecka Martinsson fra Stockholm om hjælp. Rebecka er ikke meget for at vende tilbage til det høje nord, nærmere bestemt Kiruna, hvor hun er vokset op og selv har været medlem af frikirken. Rebecka har mere end nok at se til på advokatkontoret, men føler sig alligevel aldrig bedre tilpas end når hun knokler ved sit skrivebord. "Hendes undertøj var forvasket og gråligt" Her ser vi Åsa Larssons alternative måde at udtrykke på, at her har vi en travlt optaget, single karrierepige.
Andre hovedaktører er højgravide politiinspektør Anna-Maria Mella og Sven-Erik Stålnacke, hendes næstkommanderende. Vicechefanklageren vil også gerne blande sig, her med en beskrivelse af Mella: "han havde aldrig kunnet forholde sig til den lille snotfinke af en damebetjent. Det var sgu, som om hun havde sine mandlige kolleger i efterforskningsafdelin­gen i snor, og han kunne ikke for sin død begribe hvorfor. Og som hun så ud. Højst halvanden meter i strømpesokker og et skide hestefjæs, som på det nærmeste var lige så stort som resten af kroppen... Det uundgåelige resultat af generationers indavl i Lappmarkens små isolerede landsbyer."

Denne flotte debut kommer ind under kategorien femikrimi, og er bestemt ikke fri for mandschauvinister og samarbejdsproblemer mellem kønnene, men uanset hvad man nu vælger at kalde den, er den efter min mening en velformuleret krimi hvor plottet og forholdet mellem de implicerede i mordsagen får hovedpladsen, og den burde appellere til krimielskere af begge køn.

Åsa Larsson, Sun Storm (2006)
Swedish crime debut (2003). I reread Larsson´s novel to be able to discuss it in my book club, and there is really no need to cheat readers who don´t know this brilliant writer of a short review.

First line: "And evening came and morning came, the first day."
Viktor Strandgaard, a member of the Christian church The Source of All Our Strength, is regarded as a nearly mythical figure, resurrected as he is after a car accident. Viktor remem­bers his first moment of death: "with that picture in his mind´s eye Viktor Strandgaard dies for the second time in his life. Footsteps approach, but he doesn´t hear them. His eyes do not have to see the gleam of the knife once again. His body lies like an empty shell on the floor of the church; it is stabbed over and over again." For the church this dramatic week is not a process of creation, however, but rather one long movement from order towards chaos.

Viktor´s helpless sister asks her old friend, the lawyer Rebecka Martinsson from Stockholm for help. Rebecka is not very keen on returning to Kiruna where she grew up and was a member of the church herself. Rebecka has her hands full in her office, yet she never feels better than when she is working hard at her desk, and there is no time for a private life."Her underwear was washed-out and greyish." In other words, Rebecka is a single and very busy career woman.
Other important characters are heavily pregnant inspector Anna-Maria Mella and Sven-Erik Staalnacke, her deputy. Assistant Chief Prosecutor von Post also wants to meddle in the case as he thoroughly despises Mella: "And the way she looked. One and a half meter at most, and a bloody horse face which was almost as large as the rest of her body ... The inevitable result of generations of inbreeding in Lapland´s small, isolated villages."

This impressive debut belongs under the category of ´femikrimi´, and it certainly has its male chauvinists and lack of cooperation between the sexes, but no matter what one calls it this is a well-written crime novel in which the plot and the relationships among the parties involved in the crime are in focus, and it should appeal to crime lovers of both sexes.

Jo Nesbo, The Redeemer (2009)

In 1991 a 14-year-old girl participates in a Salvation Army summer camp outside Oslo. She experiences her first falling in love, but also a nightly rape, and the reader does not know whom of the male participants is behind this crime.

The action continues in Oslo in 2003. Inspector Harry Hole with the messy life and the big heart finds a body in a container, but is soon too involved in the environment around the Salvation Army as a member is shot down in the middle of a Christmas concert. The young camp participants have grown up in the meantime and keep up the charitable work among drug and alcohol abusers in the city, but they are not always able to live up to the high ideals of the movement. Furthermore we meet a faceless contract killer who has made up his mind to retire after just one more job ... oh, and then there is the black metzner.

Harry Hole is in agony and has an untouched hip flask in his pocket as some kind of lifebelt while his beloved Rakel has found herself a competent doctor with a good grasp of life. His superior, Bjarne Møller, who has held his hand over his best investigator for years, has chosen to move to Bergen so now Harry´s only allies are detective Halvorsen and Beate Lonn, the woman with the unrivalled ability to recognize a face.

The Danish translation is good on the whole, but I came across one blunder which is quite entertaining. A crowd look at "the soldier from FRELSENS HÆR [the Salvation Army] who has got a hole in the rim of the uniform cap right under the A!"

Nesbo´s description of the Norwegian Salvation Army puzzles me, though. The movement comes across as withdrawn and sectarian, with strictly moral people who judge lapsed members severely. This sounds like the typical description of Jehovah´s Witnesses, but it is far from consistent with my impression of the Salvation Army in Danmark.

Finally I can only say that Nesbo has an impressive overview of his complex plot, lives up to his reputation for creating credible characters, and hardly any loose ends over nearly 500 pages. This is a first class crime novel.

Jo Nesbø, Frelseren (2006)
I 1991 er en 14-årig pige med på Frelsens Hærs sommerlejr på en gård udenfor Oslo, hvor hun oplever den første spirende forelskelse, men også en natlig voldtægt, og læseren ved ikke hvem af de mandlige lejrdeltagere, som står bag.

Bogen fortsætter i Oslo i 2003. Vicekommissær Harry Hole med det rodede liv og det store hjerte finder et lig i en container, sandsynligvis et selvmord, men bliver hurtigt mere optaget af miljøet omkring Frelsens hær, da et medlem bliver skudt midt under en julekoncert. De unge lejrdeltagere er i mellemtiden blevet voksne og fortsætter det velgørende arbejde blandt alkohol- og stofmisbrugere i byen, men de er ikke altid i stand til at leve op til bevægelsens høje idealer. Desuden møder vi en lejemorder uden ansigt, som lige skal have overstået et enkelt job, før han kan trække sig tilbage. Nå ja, og så en sort metzner.

Harry Hole har hjertekvaler og går rundt med en urørt lommelærke fyldt med Jim Beam, som en anden livline, mens hans Rakel danner par med en kompetent læge som har overblik over tilværelsen. Hans overordnede, Bjarne Møller, som i årevis har holdt hånden over sin dygtigste efterforsker, har valgt at flytte til Bergen, så en ny og ukendt chef truer. Andre gammelkendte politifolk (og venner af Harry) er kriminalbetjent Halvorsen og Beate Lønn fra teknisk afdeling, kvinden med den uforlignelige evne til at genkende ansigter.

Den danske oversættelse er udmærket, men en enlig brøler har efter min mening stor underholdningsværdi: en folkemængde stirrer på "soldaten fra FRELSENS HÆR, der havde fået et hul i kanten lige under A´et i uniformskasketten".

Nesbøs beskrivelse af Frelsens Hær i Norge undrer mig dog lidt. Bevægelsen beskrives som indelukket og sekterisk, bestående af strengt moralske mennesker, som fordømmer ´frafaldne´ medlemmer hårdt. Dette lyder som den typiske beskrivelse af Jehovas Vidner, men den stemmer ikke overens med mit kendskab til Frelsens Hær i Danmark.

Til slut er der vist ikke andet tilbage at sige, end at Jo Nesbø har et fantastisk overblik over sit forrygende plot, lever op til sit ry for at tegne troværdige personer, og over næsten 500 sider er der stort set ingen svinkeærinder. Dette er en krimi af høj klasse.

Sisterhood Award

I think this is award week. I have just received the Sisterhood Award again, this time from Lilly, Reading Extravaganza. Thank you so much, Lilly.

I am not going to nominate 10 blogs again so soon, but if you visit my blog regularly (perhaps without me knowing it), please consider yourself awarded. I do appreciate all your visits, they really make it worth while writing a new post nearly every day.

10 krimi-helte jeg gerne ville møde

Lidt underholdning, mens vi venter på Gæt-en-bog-anmeldelsen (har I set Nilles små, diskrete hentydninger?). Jeg fik ideen fra Cathys blog, men da jeg lynhurtigt sad med en liste på femten navne, besluttede jeg mig for at begynde med 10 engelske personer. Jeg lover at komme med en liste over ti skandinaver inden længe.

1) P.D. James´ Detective Inspector Adam Dalglish - jeg ville rigtig gerne have en middagsinvitation til hans lejlighed i London for at se hans lille private skjulested, og for at nyde hans skønne accent (eller forveksler jeg ham nu med Roy Marsden?)
2) Colin Dexters udødelige Inspector Morse - jeg ville bede ham om at vise mig rundt i Oxford med alle de smukke spir, og så ville vi nok afslutte en dejlig dag med en øl på hans yndlingspub. (Måske skulle vi også invitere Lewis, så han kunne betale).
3) Ian Rankin, Inspector Rebus - jeg har været i Skotland, men slet ikke set nok af Edinburgh, og Rebus har vel ikke andet at lave nu end at vise mig byens seværdigheder, bl.a. den spændende kirkegård ´Acropolis´ (og uanset hvad andre mener, så ser Rebus altså ud som John Hannah).
4) Sue Graftons privatdetektiv, Kinsey Millhone - det kunne være sjovt at se hendes minimalistiske lejlighed, men måske er det bedre at jeg inviterer hende ud at spise, før hun foreslår Rosies spisested.
5) Ruth Rendell, Chief Inspector Reg Wexford - hvis Dora skulle finde på at invitere på ´English breakfast´, vil jeg glæde hele min familie ved at tage dem med.
6) Caroline Graham, Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby og hans søde kone - men måske er det for stor en risiko at tage både at besøge Midsomer og udsætte sig for et måltid tilberedt af Joyce. Vi må hellere invitere dem til vores sommerhus til en middag lavet af min mand.
7) Andrew Taylors journalist Jill Francis - hun har nok en masse spændende sladder om høj og lav i Lydmouth, en by jeg altid gerne har villet se.
8) Martin Edward´s Oxford-historiker, Daniel Kind - en rundtur til nogle af de smukke steder i Lake District med Daniel som min guide må være en stor fornøjelse. Bagefter tager vi nok en pint på en lokal pub efter Daniels valg.
9) Stephen Booth, Ben Cooper - Ben kunne køre mig rundt i Peak District nationalparken i en kæmpestor firehjulstrækker, og så ville vi runde dagen af med lammesteg.
10) Ann Cleeves, Vera Stanhope - måske vil det ikke blive en udelt fornøjelse, men nysgerrig er man vel.


10 Crime Fiction Characters I´d Love to Meet
Here is a post for you while we are waiting for the Bait-in-the-Box review (did you see Nille´s very helpful clues, by the way?). I got the idea on Cathy´s blog, but when I had jotted down 15 names or so, I decided to begin with ten British & American characters, and I promise to write a new list with ten Scandinavians soon.

1) P.D. James´ Detective Inspector Adam Dalglish - I would enjoy being invited for dinner in his London flat - to see his ´hiding place´ and to enjoy his wonderful accent (or am I mixing him up with Roy Marsden?)
2) Colin Dexter´s immortal Inspector Morse - I would ask him to show me around in Oxford with all its wonderful buildings, and I think we would round off a wonderful day by having a pint in his favourite pub. (We might invite Lewis also, to pay for our drinks)
3) Ian Rankin, Inspector Rebus - I have been to Scotland, but not seen enough of Edinburgh, and he should have plenty of time now to show me the haunts of the city, including the Acropolis (and no matter which actor other people prefer, in my eyes Rebus looks like John Hannah)
4) Sue Grafton´s private eye, Kinsey Millhone - I should like to see her minimalistic home, but perhaps I´d better invite her for a meal before she suggests Rosie´s tavern.
5) Ruth Rendell, Chief Inspector Reg Wexford - if Dora should invite us for English breakfast, I would make my whole family happy by bringing them along.
6) Caroline Graham, Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby & his dear wife - but perhaps it would be too risky to visit Midsomer AND have a meal cooked by Joyce. We could invite them both to our cottage for a meal cooked by my husband.
7) Andrew Taylor´s journalist Jill Francis - I am sure she could tell me lots of interesting gossip about the good people of Lydmouth, a town I have always wanted to see.
8) Martin Edward´s historian, Daniel Kind - a tour of some of the sights of Lake District with Daniel as my guide should be a real pleasure. Afterwards we would have a meal and a pint in a local pub of Daniel´s choice.
9) Stephen Booth, Ben Cooper - Ben could drive me around the Peak District National Park in a huge four-wheeler, and I think we would try a nice bite of roast lamb for dinner.
10) Ann Cleeves, Vera Stanhope - actually I am not at all certain this will be a pleasure, but then I am a curious daredevil.

DJ's Bait in the Box # 9

[This quite suitable box for today´s quotation is my own]

This Scandinavian novel which was published in Denmark somewhat earlier than the British edition, is not the first in a series. This quotation is not quite what it seems either ;)

"The hip flask. Summoning his last strength he put his hand in his inner pocket and pulled the hip flask out. He put the bottleneck in his mouth, dug his teeth into the metal stopper and turned it round. The stopper came lose, and he caught it between his teeth while the booze filled his mouth. It jolted through his body. Oh god. He pressed his face against the wire fence so his eyes were squeezed shut and the distant lights from Plaza and Hotel Opera turned into white stripes in all the dark."

The rules:
If you recognize the quotation, or if you think you are able to guess who wrote it, please post a comment. Just leave a hint, do not spoil the fun by giving too much away. The book will be reviewed on Friday as usual.

Gæt en Bog # 9.
Denne nyere skandinaviske krimi er udgivet på dansk lidt før den engelske, og det er ikke den første i serien. Dette citat er heller ikke helt, hvad det ser ud til ;)

"Lommelærken. Med et sidste opbud af sine kræfter fik han hånden ind i inderlommen og trak lommelærken frem. Han stak tuden i munden, satte tænderne i metalproppen og drejede rundt. Proppen løsnede sig, og han fangede den mellem tænderne, mens spritten fyldte hans mundhule. Det gik som et stød gennem kroppen. Herregud. Han trykkede ansigtet mod hegnet, så øjnene blev presset sammen, og de fjerne lys fra Plaza og Hotel Opera blev til hvide striber i alt det sorte."

Reglerne:
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Sisterhood Award

This charming award was given to me from Bookwitch, a Swedish sister in crime, blogging from England. Thank you ever so much, Ann, and congratulations on your first award which you really deserve!

And now for the difficult part, selecting 10 nominees.
1) Maxine, blogging as Petrona, experienced British blogger & reviewer, this time awarded for being my ´fairy bookmother´ ;)
2) Louise, Lou´s Pages, blogging in Danish and English about books and Egyptology - and just back from Egypt with inspiration for lots of new, informative posts. (Louise, I have great expectations)
3) Jane, Possum Scriptum, blogging in Danish from Alabama & always worth a visit.
4) Nille of Nilles Litteratur blogging about good literature in Danish and French.
5) Steph, Wheredunnit Crime and Mystery Fiction, writer and blogger from Britain. I am particularly fond of her reviews with all the inspiring maps and photos.
6) Beth Fish, experienced and always helpful blogger from Pennsylvania.
7) Cathy, Kittling: Books innovative blogger from Arizona - mostly literature but also interesting posts about ostrichs and so - famous for her weekly Scene of the Blog feature.
8) J. Kay, the blogger who hosts the many tempting challenges and who writes so many interesting reviews and blog posts that one wonders whenever she has time to read all those books???
9) Elizabeth, Thoughts from an Evil Overlord, blogging from New England (and half Irish as we were reminded yesterday)- don´t let the name scare you off this charming blog.
10) Julia, A Piece of my Mind, blogging from Nova Scotia, Canada, about books, ballet, poetry and other passions.


IF YOU ARE ONE OF MY NOMINEES, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND....
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

NB: I know that some of you are even worse at adhering to rules than me - so I don´t really expect all of you to do all of these ☺

Sophie Hannah, Little Face (2006)

[Bogen er desværre ikke oversat til dansk]

This British novel is the first in a series, and the author´s crime fiction debut.

Young Alice Fancourt marries David, the single father of Felix, and move into his rich, generous mother´s large and stately home. When the novel begins, Alice has just given birth to Florence. She leaves her home for the first time after the birth, visits a health club and returns home after two hours to find a baby she does not recognize in the cot. Her husband claims she is having a mental break-down after a difficult caesarian, and the police do not know what to think. A week later, David Fancourt report his wife and the baby missing.

The leader of the police team is Sergeant Charlie Zailer, a single woman, and a modern, efficient police officer. Usually she and DC Simon Waterhouse respect each other and enjoy working together, united against their unlikeable superior, Inspector Proust, the man behind this intelligent observation: "Women talk drivel because it entertains them. They fill the air with random words, and they don´t much care whether what they´re saying has any basis in fact."

Charlie wants more than friendship from Simon, however, which has made things difficult between them. The plot is good and absorbing, and on the whole this is a very promising debut, but neither Charlie nor Simon is able to tackle the embarrassment between them in a mature way, on the contrary they let misunderstandings cloud their judgments now and then.

My overall impression: A well-written, capturing psychological thriller about living with fear and cruel manipulation, a book which is very difficult to put down (actually I didn´t - I finished it some time after midnight).

Competition coming up
As I am the lucky owner of two identical copies of this book, I will give any reader of English fiction the chance to win a twice-read paperback of "Little Face" next week.
Keep an eye on my 10th Bait of the Box post.

Mari Jungstedt, Den inderste kreds (2008)

Oversat fra svensk, Den inre kretsen 2005.

Dette er Mari Jungstedts tredje krimi fra Gotland. I løbet af de første par kapitler møder vi en flok arkæologistuderende fra mange lande som følger et kursus på Gotlands kyst, samt en lokal øbo i en varevogn, som gør en stor kummefryser grundigt rent (fantastisk så nervepirrende en fryser kan være under de ´forkerte omstændigheder´), og inden længe dukker en hovedløs hest op.

Jungstedts opdagere er som sædvanlig politiinspektør Anders Knutas og hans tropper, samt TV-journalisten Johan Berg, som mangler nyheder i sommervarmen, og gerne kaster sig over en halshugget hest, assisteret af sin entusiastiske unge punker-fotograf. Hestehovedet er forsvundet, og noget tyder på, at gerningsmanden ligeledes har opsamlet blodet og taget det med sig.

Johans samliv med Emma, som han mødte i Jungstedts debut, fylder en god del i bogen. Ind imellem præsenteres læseren for små bidder af et mysterium, som selvfølgelig viser sig at handle om noget langt alvorligere end en død hest, ligesom der er indlagt interessante beskrivelser af Gotland og arkæologers arbejde.

Mari Jungstedt sammenlignes ofte med Camilla Läckberg, og hvad de har til fælles er de udmærkede beskrivelser af det svenske miljø samt megen fokus på opdagernes familieliv, men selv om kriminalsagen fylder mere i denne bog end i Jungstedts debut, må man retfærdigvis sige, at Läckberg er en del bedre til at ´holde sig til sagen´.


Mari Jungstedt, The Inner Circle aka Unknown (2008)
This book is Swedish Mari Jungstedt´s third crime novel from Gotland. In the course of the first few chapters we meet an international group of archeology students who participate in a course on Gotland, and someone from the local community in a van who cleans a large deep freezer very thoroughly (amazing how sinister a freezer can be in the ´wrong circumstances´), and before long a headless horse appears.

As usual, Jungstedt´s investigators are Inspector Anders Knutas and his troops, plus the journalist Johan Berg who is in need of news in the summer heat and revels in the beheaded horse, assisted by his enthusiastic punker photographer. The horse´s head has disappeared, and something indicates that the perpetrator has also collected the blood!

Johan´s relationship with Emma whom he met in Jungsted´s first novel takes up a good part of the book. In between the reader is served bits of a mystery which involves much more than a dead animal, of course, just like there are interesting descriptions of Gotland and the work of an archaeologist.

Mari Jungsted is often compared with Camilla Lackberg, and what the two have in common are the good descriptions of the Swedish environment and much focus on the family lives of their detectives, but even though the criminal case takes up more space in this book than in Jungstedt´s debut, I think it is fair enough to say that Lackberg is better at sticking with her case.