My choice for this week´s Alphabet meme, hosted by Kerrie, Mysteries in Paradise, is Uno Palmström.Palmström may be called a lesser known Swedish crime writer. He died in 2003 after having written ten crime novels, six for adults and four for teenagers. Most of them were published in Denmark during the 1980s. I found his books in the library by chance and have since bought three of them second-hand.
The series features Chief Inspector Sven Thorén, his sidekick Leonard Bergström and the journalist Olle Lyck. The books are solid police procedurals, and the journalist has quite a lot in common with our thirsty friend, Harry Hole. Lyck is so through-and-through alcoholic that he checks his pulse perpetually to be sure he is still alive!
The first book, Murder, Murder! is about a man who was convicted of murder, served his sentence and returned to society, determined to kill the woman who had cost him so many years of his life. But for some reason he sends a letter to the Stockholm police force to warn them about his intentions. A race between ´criminal´ and police can begin.
Swedish crime in the best tradition, all with solid plots, but probably forgotten by most readers, and never translated into English.
P for Palmström.
Ugens forfatter for Kerries alfabet-meme er Uno Palmström. Han er formodentlig en af Sveriges mindre kendte forfattere. Han døde i 2003, efter at have fået udgivet ti krimier, seks for voksne og fire for teenagers. De fleste af dem blev udgivet i Danmark i 1980erne. Jeg opdagede dem via biblioteket, og har senere købt tre af dem brugt.
Hovedpersonerne i serien er kriminalkommissær Sven Thorén, hans faste makker Leonard Bergström, og journalisten Olle Lyck. Bøgerne er udmærkede politikrimier, og Olle Lyck har en hel del til fælles med vores tørstige ven, Harry Hole. Lyck er så gennemalkoholiseret, at han hele tiden må tjekke sin puls for at sikre sig, han stadig er i live!
Den første bog, Morder, morder! handler om en mand som blev dømt for mord, afsonede sin straf og vendte tilbage til samfundet, fast besluttet på at dræbe den kvinde, som har kostet ham så mange år af hans liv. Men af en eller anden grund sender han et brev til politiet i Stockholm for at advare dem om sine hensigter. Et kapløb mellem ´forbryder´ og politi kan begynde.
Svensk krimi af den bedste slags, alle med solide plots, men formodentlig glemt af de fleste. Eller husker du Palmström?
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7 kommentarer:
Dorte - Thanks for sharing Palmström with us. I honestly hadn't heard of his work before, but after your description, I wish some of his stuff were translated into English...
Margot: sometimes it is difficult to figure out why some writers are translated, and others are not. Palmström´s books are not unforgettable, but in my opinion they are just as good as several others.
Is it just me who thinks that it is quite rare for an author to write crime novels for the teenage market as well as the adult market?
Petty Witter: I don´t know how common it is, but I know about 3-4 Danish crime writers who have written for both groups. Simone van der Vlugt, whose book The Reuinion I reviewed in January, wrote children´s books before her debut as thriller writer. I think she has taken the plunge very successfully.
What a pity, based on what you write they sound like just the kind of books I'd enjoy. Good choice for a "P".
In Australia Gabrielle Lord, one of our top female crime fiction writers, has been commissioned to write 12 books for teenagers with a mystery flavour and a connecting thread.
Thanks for the contribution to Crime Fiction Alphabet Dorte
Maxine: yes, I think you would. Actually I remember some of his plots though I haven´t read any of them for years(very unusual for me) because I really felt for the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen to them. And like Harry Hole, Olly Lyck is a character you want to meet again and again.
Kerrie: I think it is indeed possible for good writers to capture more than one age group. I would never try to write for teenagers myself, however.
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