Sweden Books

John Bauer's illustrations are splendid, with rich detail reminiscent of early Renaissance art. Olenius' prose is at once magical and informal. My daughter's third grade class fell in love with the book after a reading of just one of these tales. Most American children are not exposed to the tales of other cultures, and these stories of trolls and princesses, brave little boys, green-haired witches, magical plants and talking animals.

My mother got this book in the early 70's and has since been passed on to me, much to her denial. But since I no longer live with my parents and I have the book with me I think its safe to say its finally mine. This book has the most wonderful collections of fairy tales. This is a book to be loved by all generations, not just children. I have had a love for fairy tales since I was an infant and this book is the only one I have come across that can truly feed my appetite for such tales. The stories are filled with trolls, tomtes, page boys, princess', and magic. They are stories of underdogs becoming hero's, good conquering evil, and love overcomming all obsticals. Whether that love be for family (which it generally is) or the classic man and maiden. The stories are only made richer by the illustrations done by John Bauer. Of course a review can never do this book justice. To find out how truly wonderful it is you'll have to read it for yourself. Welcome to the wild woods of Sweden. Enjoy your stay!

When reading the fairy tales of a culture, you not only learn what they thought, but also the climate of their origins. The habitat of the Swedes is quite clear from this collection, where all tales are about trolls and ogres in a forest. What distinguishes these creatures from those in the tales from other locations is that the trolls are not totally evil and must follow a strict code of conduct. For example, even though a troll may want to cook and eat you, once they accept something from you they are forbidden to harm you in any way.
All manner of trolls and other creatures of the forest are described in these tales. In most of them, they are interacting with humans, sometimes passing for humans in their attempts to obtain riches, mates or just to satisfy their curiosity about humans. Oddly enough, the heroes in these tales rarely vanquish their foes by chopping of their heads. Sometimes they defeat them by trickery and other times by kindness. All of the stories have happy endings, occasionally when the captive princess is rescued by the hero in the nick of time. However, even when holding captives against their will, the trolls do not torture their victims, unless you consider troll kindness to be a torture.
I really enjoyed these tales of heroes, heroines and not so bad trolls who have their good points. With almost no killing, maiming or other features found in other fairy tales, this is a collection of stories that any child can read. It was fascinating to me that from the Swedish point of view the trolls of the forest were not evil, just similar creatures with a strict code of ethics who occasionally did bad things. Take away the strict code of ethics part and you have human behavior.

This is one of my favorite book since girlhood. As with most fairy tales, many of these involve the expected kinds of storylines (quest stories, moral tales, etc.), but have the benefit of being less well-known than the ones by Grimm et al. Charming stories told in just the right way. Lots of princesses and trolls, tomten (Scandinavian elves of a sort) and moose. And, of course, John Bauer's haunting artwork is not to be missed.

Winter seems eternal north of the Arctic Circle, and magic blows on the North Wind like snow crystals. Great Swedish Fairy Tales by Holger Lundbergh, John Bauer (Illustrator) bewitches with the charms of trolls, tomtes, courtiers, croft farmers and wide-eyed children. This collection of several truly great Swedish tales is illuminated by John Bauer's dark ink. Bauer paints a world of magic and detail making this a masterpiece beautiful to behold. You'll recognize some of the images as familiar, and some will haunt you with delight. The illustrations grace the pages; the stories grace the imagination.

An entertaining story of childhood in early 20th century Sweden. Written from a seven-year old girl's point of view, it chronicles simple, everyday life in rural Sweden. Adults are minor characters, with the main characters being three boys and three girls from the three farms that cluster into "Noisy Village". This book is suitable for both boys and girls and is in the same vein as Hilda van Stockum's Mitchell series and Bantry Bay series, though the books are much shorter. Also similar to the Little House books. A good addition to a family library. Good for read-aloud or personal reading.

These books are great for read-alouds or for early readers. My daughter LOVES the characters and tries to emulate them. Wholesome characters! Reminds me of Rebecca of Sunnybrook or Anne of Green Gables, but for younger ages!!
The Children of Noisy Village is wonderful too!

The series of "Noisy Village" was the X'mas gift given to me 20 years ago. My dad picked up the books and signed with "To My Daughter of Noisy Village ... From Father in Quiet Village". I enjoyed all the stories. I enjoyed the beautiful illustrations too. Someday, I thought, I'd go visit this tiny village of three houses and a bunch of kids with my mom, dad and my baby sister. 20 years has passed and my parents still keep the books for me in their house - I wanted to take the books when I moved but my new place did not have any extra room - and everytime I come visit my parents I never forget to visit the Noisy Village too.

I received this book from my parents for my 11th birthday (many years ago) and this past Christmas I bought one for my 7 year old son, whose favorite characters are Ninja Turtles and Pokemons. We have read this book together during quiet Christmas time and now he doesn't go to sleep without reading at least one chapter from it. He says: "It makes me feel warm inside, mommy, and I feel happy." The book shows how simple things in life (baking cookies, going to school, pulling tooth out...) can become extraordinary adventures for children. Moreover, each and every child can relate to the children from Noisy Village. Astrid Lindgren is a real writing magician. I cannot wait for her other books to be published.

a perfect seqel to The Children Of Noisy Village . It has the same heartwarming feel. The children are back hilariusly running through the year . Whether its producing a Cherry Company , Joking a perfect April fools day ,Or making tunnels in the Hay , If you loved the children of noisy village I am positive you will love this just as much.

I like books like this one - with memories, family stories and home recipes. The sweet rolls I baked were perfect. I miss pictures - there are only a few. The book is worth to buy because it presents regional Swedish kitchen which is not very popular. We think about French or Italian kitchen, but the Swedish may be good as well and not boring. Healthy, light and colourfull.

I got this book from the library, and I'm going to have to buy my own copy. My children love the Swedish Pancakes (and I love how easy they are), and my husband and I enjoyed the Lime Marinated Chicken Sandwiches. The Yellow Split Pea soup was fabulous (adding a few chopped tomatoes on top was interesting and yummy). I highly recommend this book; the explanatory notes taught me a lot about Sweden.

The Swedish Table demonstrates that not only are the French good cooks, but so are the Swedes!

Helene Henderson was born and raised in Sweden. She learned cooking from her grandmother and worked in the family business. She owns a catering business in Los Angeles where she is known for utilizing organic food. She lives there with her husband and three children.

This book has some lovely color photos. Henderson takes us on a journey with each recipe and makes me feel her enthusiasm and love of her heritage. Her recipes are easy-to-read and being she has been living in the United States, she understands what we don't know of her culture and does an excellent job at explaining the food and culture. Her recipes are so well written that this book is perfect for the novice or for the person curious of Swedich cuisine.

The chapters included in this book are: Hot and Chilled Soups; Potatoes; Meat, Game and Chicken; Fish and Shellfish; Vegetables and Salads; Sandwiches; Eggs, Waffles and Pancakes; Desserts, Pastries and Bread; Beverages; and Wild Berry Preserves.

Some wonderful recipes you will find in this book are: Gravlax and Nasturtium Sandwiches with Mustard-Dill sauce, Lentil Soup with Roasted Garlic and Baby New Potatoes, Roasted Baby Beet Salad, Sweet Rolls with Almond Paste.

I would have never thought that I would be a fan of Swedish food, but now I am. This book has inspired me to research more about the country and desires to visit the country.

Author/cook Helene Henderson is an Afro-American, Swedish-born chef raised in Sweden, where she learned to cook: her childhood memories spice The Swedish Table, an inviting and unusual blend of dishes which blend traditional Swedish flavors with modern updates. Discussions of Swedish traditions and celebrations and many color photos spice a fine set of dishes, from a Lox and Cream Cheese Quiche to an unusual Juniper/Lavender Marinated Leg of Lamb. Where the usual Swedish cookbook emphases fish main dishes, The Swedish Table ably demonstrates the diversity of Swedish dishes available to cooks.

An amazing buy, simple easy to use recipies! i never realized how much I would love swedish cooking. I have been using it for almost every meal!

From Manhattan, it is 1500 miles to Minnesota. Before departing, Karl Oskar feeds his family, and Robert and Arvid walk the length of Broadway, amazed by what they see. The group travels up the Hudson River by steamboat, from Albany to Buffalo by train and across the Great Lakes. They are now immigrants rather than emigrants. You can not be one without being both.

Alienation is a theme of Unto A Good Land. The immigrants feel the limitations imposed upon them as foreigners. They do not know the geography and cannot speak the language. Dependence breeds suspicion and paranoia.

The tension between Kristina and Ulrika begins to subside. After an attack of conscience, Kristina shares a loaf of bread with her. Ulrika and Elin are caring for Danjel's children.

At a stopover in Detroit, Ulrika totally vindicates herself in Kristina's and Karl Oskar's eyes. She recovers Lill-Marta, their 3-year-old, from an orchard where she had gone to pick cherries. This is in the nick of time as the boat is about to leave. It is a touching scene where Karl Oskar takes the hand of the woman he ridiculed.

The immigrants cut across the prairie and head up the Mississippi River. Arvid remains funny and stupid, fearing alligators which he calls crocodiles.

The novels are virtually non-violent when compared with a Hamlet or a War and Peace. They are strong on character, simple, plain. We find people determining their own course, not swept up in events so overwhelming as to have their actions dictated for them.

There is an emphasis on nature, the necessity of eking a living from the earth. There is not so much of war or what man has done to man. It is unexpected when at one point Karl Oskar has to elude some would-be bandits. The possibility of evil always lurks in the background, but it is secondary to man's struggle against the harsher side of nature. The immigrants yearn for freedom without having to harm anyone.

Once in Minnesota territory, they walk to their final destination. In the lush forest, they feel at home for the first time, and Kristina and Ulrika laugh at the shaggy hair and beards of the men. Kristina uses wool shears on Karl Oskar, giving him the look of a sheep. Robert wants his hair short so he can not be scalped by Indians.

When Danjel and Jonas Petter stake their claims near Swedish settlers, the obstinate Karl Oskar keeps going. Only when he feasts his eyes on Lake Ki-Chi-Saga does he feel he has arrived.

Ki-Chi-Saga is an Indian name, but it is Karl Oskar's for the taking. It is all here: the lake, oak trees, a pine forest and three feet of topsoil.

There is an optimism in the books and in Karl Oskar, an assurance that if we go hard enough and long enough, we will have the things we need.

Domestic life resumes. The settlers build cabins, make furniture, plow and planet and hunt and fish. Kristina prepares meals and mends clothing. Moberg pulls us down to basic survival.

Making it through the first winter is crucial. They need a cow for milk and flour for bread. Returning one night in the snow with a sack of flour, Karl Oskar gets lost. He finds his way, but realizes he might have frozen to death.

The sense of mission in the first book dissipates into a narrative of day-to-day living, into a compilation of anecdotes and close calls.

Of all the immigrants, only Kristina misses Sweden. She hides it. She now considers Ulrika a friend and requests her as midwife when the baby is born. The birth is described in detail. So is Kristina's emotional attachment to her first child born in America.

The differences between the brothers quickly surface. Robert is no farmer. He wants to get rich. Karl Oskar considers him a liar, governed by his imagination. After the first winter, Robert and Arvid leave for the gold fields of California.

Having cleaned up her act, Ulrika begins getting proposals. Women are scarce. Amazingly, she marries a Baptist minister.

The book ends with Kristina confessing to Karl Oskar how much she misses Sweden. Karl Oskar shares his vision of the future with her, that their children and grandchildren will one day thank them for emigrating to America. The pair agree to call their new home Duvemala after the village Kristina grew up in.

Immirgrants come to the U.S. daily. Population in America has increased drastically since the 1950s. Other Modern day civilization begun in Europe and Asia have develope greatly, but the U.S.exsposes immigrants to much wider opportunities.

This is an epic work by its Swedish author. Translated from Swedish into English, this beautifully written book of historical fiction was first published in 1954 and met with excellent reviews at the time. It is the second part of a four part opus, the first of which is "The Emigrants". This book, "Unto a Good Land", is followed by two additional books, "The Settlers" and "Last Letter From Home".

In the first volume, "The Emigrants", the author detailed the emigration of a Swedish family to the New World, grounding it in the reasons for the exodus of so many Swedes from their mother country in the middle of the 19th century. The focus of the first book in this four part opus is on the family, relatives, and friends of Karl Oscar Nilsson, a peasant farmer who unceasingly worked his farm, only to find that, no matter what he did, he could not progress and would continue to live on the cusp of total poverty. The focus of the first book is on their life in Sweden. Gathering up his family and friends of the family, the Nilsson family decides to take the monumental step of making a fresh start by emigrating to the new world, specifically the United States of America.

The second volume, "Unto a Good Land", focuses on the arrival of the Nilsson family and friends in the United States of America. It details their journey from New York, a journey that was to take them across the Midwest by rail, steamer, and foot to arrive in the wilds of what would one day be the State of Minnesota. It is in this wilderness that the Nilsson family and friends would homestead and struggle to make a new home. The author regales the reader with the travails this hardy group of settlers would encounter in their efforts to create by the sweat of their brow a new home in the wilderness. The early struggles of the Nilsson family to succeed in what was an unknown frontier is engagingly chronicled. I have enjoyed the first and second volumes so much that I look forward to continuing their journey with them by reading the remaining two volumes. This is a book that those who love historical fiction will greatly enjoy.

Karl Oskar Nilsson, his family, and a collection of other emigrants from Sweden now find themselves in New York harbor, ready to find their promised land in Minnesota. Traveling by steam train, riverboat, canal barge, and finally on foot, they reach Taylors Falls, Minnesota. Setting up as homesteaders, each family can claim 160 acres, and Karl Oskar is determined to pick the primest land. However, it is too late to plant crops, Karl Oskar has too little money to buy livestock, and winter is coming on fast. This is the story of the emigrants' first year in America.

This book is the second in the Emigrants quadrilogy, and this book is every bit as wonderful as the first. The characters seem as alive to me reading this book, as if I was reading their own diaries. Vilhelm Moberg is considered one of Sweden's great authors, and it is easy to see why.

As an aside, besides merely showing someone I would consider similar to my own Swedish ancestors, this book has made me understand more about life. I find myself haunted by the scene in which Karl Oskar walks twelve miles to purchase a 100-pound sack of flour so that his family can eat and survive the winter. Carrying the sack home on his back, he becomes lost in the forest, and nearly dies of exposure. But, realizing that he metaphorically carries his children in that sack, he continues on and when he finally finds his home, he delivers the flour to his wife without one word of complaint.

So, this is a wonderful book, a fitting sequel to The Emigrants. I highly recommend both books to you.

[For those of you with young children, I would like to recommend the Kirsten books in the American Girls series. Written for young readers (primarily girls), it tells the story of a Swedish family that immigrates to Minnesota in 1854.]

This is an epic work by its Swedish author. Translated from Swedish into English, this beautifully written book of historical fiction was first published in 1954 and met with excellent reviews at the time. It is the second part of a four part opus, the first of which is "The Emigrants". This book, "Unto a Good Land", is followed by two additional books, "The Settlers" and "Last Letter From Home".

In the first volume, "The Emigrants", the author detailed the emigration of a Swedish family to the New World, grounding it in the reasons for the exodus of so many Swedes from their mother country in the middle of the 19th century. The focus of the first book in this four part opus is on the family, relatives, and friends of Karl Oscar Nilsson, a peasant farmer who unceasingly worked his farm, only to find that, no matter what he did, he could not progress and would continue to live on the cusp of total poverty. The focus of the first book is on their life in Sweden. Gathering up his family and friends of the family, the Nilsson family decides to take the monumental step of making a fresh start by emigrating to the new world, specifically the United States of America.

The second volume, "Unto a Good Land", focuses on the arrival of the Nilsson family and friends in the United States of America. It details their journey from New York, a journey that was to take them across the Midwest by rail, steamer, and foot to arrive in the wilds of what would one day be the State of Minnesota. It is in this wilderness that the Nilsson family and friends would homestead and struggle to make a new home. The author regales the reader with the travails this hardy group of settlers would encounter in their efforts to create by the sweat of their brow a new home in the wilderness. The early struggles of the Nilsson family to succeed in what was an unknown frontier is engagingly chronicled. This is a book that those who love historical fiction will greatly enjoy.

This book inspired me to start carving again. The history in the book as well as the great pictures of works by the masters of this style including Harley Refsal made this not only an interesting read but also an excellent how to guide.

Anyone who wants to try their hand at figure carving...get this book!. It has a few pages giving a background behind this style of carving, but has an EXCELLENT step by step project in the back. I thought I could never do it; all the figures I have seen looked like it took someone years to learn the trade. This may be so but I was able to finish my first figure over about 3-4 days and everyone is astonished at what I have done. Seriously, this book is one of the best Ive seen. Its a "must-have".

I have long wanted to learn how to carve, and jealously watched a friend develop this talent. He recommended this book to me. A weekend's worth of following the instructions in the book produced three carvings each a little better than the other. This instructive book also mixes the history of Scandinavian Carving along with rich color pictures of completed carvings. Take your wood working to another level. You to can create a masterpiece.

This is the book I have been looking for! It clearly teaches step by step technique with GOOD photos. The many patterns are all easilly adaptable to whatever kind of character you wish to create. If you like to carve interesting characters, this is THE book!

Harley's book leads off by providing a history of Norwegian wood carving, he then provides a large number of examples that represent not only his work but also the work of many leading artists in this field of wood carving. Harley then provides a step by step, easy to follow, lesson on carving Oskar with over 80 pictures. The final section of the book is a large number of patterns that can be used to carve some of the characters highlighted in the many high quality pictures included in the book. This book will become one of the most used books in my collection of wood carving books.

I wish I would have ordered this book when I first saw it on Amazon several months ago - I'd have saved hours and hours of Internet searching. YOUR SWEDISH ROOTS is easy to read, loaded with every resource you'll need to trace your family tree, how-to instructions, a dictionary of helpful words, and a chapter suggesting where and how to travel within Sweden to visit the areas of your heritage.

This is the best book I have read on researching your Swedish heritage. It gives good illustrations and gives step by step information on how to work your way through the parish records to find your family. I purchased this before paying for a subscription to Gen Line so I would know what to do and how to go about searching for the records I need. It also tells how to find out which parish to research to locate your family. I discovered that I have more research to do before I spend the money for GenLine. Thanks to this book I'm saving money in knowing what information I need before going through the parish records. This book is worth every penny.

Detailed many things my great-grandparents didn't mention. Have now located the area of my families roots and plan to visit.

Well written and not too complicated to follow. This book lends great insights into how best to utilize the tools available - especailly when researching data bases available in Sweden.

If you have any Swedish heritage (and a surprising number of Americans do), then look no further for an informative and practical reading experience about Sweden. It's all here: history, cultural references, highlights of different regions, and maps and old photographs that let you connect with the country-and your heritage.

Do not miss this book if you are planning a trip to Sweden. This book will definitely help sketch out for you what your trip should be about. Then you can go ahead and buy a travel book for the details of surviving and getting around.

But the main focus of the book is tracing your Swedish ancestry through the different available sources. All the other stuff works to support you in your research. There are examples of how to find and use the church records, locations that now have them available on microfiche, other possible sources of information, and up-to-date web references. And it's all presented in a useful, readable, and quotable style. You may even find yourself talking out loud in Swedish as you read what the different church records may have recorded to keep track of the people. I have gone through this book twice on my own, and even now, I still read parts out loud to impress my friends with my Swedish heritage.

This is a beautiful story with a good moral. The illustrations are captivating. The are reminiscent of those of Jan Brett. This is a heart-warming tale of choosing between pleasing yourself or bringing happiness to someone else.

Even if the story were not so poignant a study in the selflessness of a young girl with her own special wish, the illustrations, worthy of consideration for the Caldecott Medal, would be reason enough to purchase this beautifully done book.

Every child has their own secret wish and Annika's is to have a beautiful black pony. According to Swedish tradition, the person who gets the almond in their Christmas pudding has a better chance of getting their wish. At ten years old, Annika has yet to find that almond. But even when she does find it, the spirit of Christmas supercedes her own desires.

The story is a lovely testimony to the greater joy found when practicing the principle "it's better to give than to receive."

This book will definitely be a lovely gift to give and receive!

Our daughter, Annika, was thrilled to find this book under the tree last year. The story is light, and a bit sentimental, but well told, and the illustrations are so very Swedish...this is a fine tale of giving for Christmas. Of course, now Annika suggests we need to have a traditional Swedish Christmas pudding, with almond, and a wish for a pony...

As a book loving family, we have many books, but few capture the warmth & beauty in the illustrations as here! Each page brings bright sunrays and . . . just BEAUTY!

My husband is Scandenavian, and we enjoy the rice pudding each year, complete with the almond hunt. What a delightful way for my girls to look forward to this tradition!

The moral of the story is so pure and honest, as Annika struggles with her own desire to do right and yet to please herself. A virtue seldom seen in our time! (Sad but true!)

An incredible book!

"Beyond the Market and the State is a work that in a fruitful and exciting way combines theory, empirical research and political visions...can be recommended to anyone who is interested in contemporary changes of the European welfare state...there is no doubt that the visionary character of the book will be obvious to any reader. The vision Pestoff provides is well grounded in both theory and empirical research and is certainly well worth further discussion." - Journal of Social Policy

"...addresses the need to develop social accounting procedures for organisations...considers whether the social enterprise and civil democracy can serve as a model for rejuvenating the welfare state in the new millennium" - Journal of Economic Literature

"Everyone - politicians and theoreticians alike - seems to be searching for `the third way' these days. Victor Pestoff has come as close as anyone to finding it. In this stimulating book, not only does he explore conceptually a wide range of `social enterprises', and their differing impact upon improving the work environment and empowering their citizens/consumers, but he also examines empirically how these voluntary service-providing associations came about and how they have come to complement both state and commercial providers. ... The message is clear, powerful and compelling: beyond (or between) the market and the state lie many of the solutions for reforming social welfare in an era of globalization and enhanced competitiveness." - Philippe C. Schmitter, European University Institute

"This book is must reading for anyone interested in progressive alternatives for the universal welfare state." - John D. Stephens, Professor of Political Science and Sociology, University of North Carolina, USA

Of all the characters of the children's author Astrid Lindgren I know of, Emil is definitely the most naughty. In the Emil collection of books, he always seems to get into an enormous amount of trouble as his pranks in his little Swedish village are almost all-pervasive. He hoists his little sister up a flagpole, accidentally gets his pig and himself drunk on fermented cherries and sends his older sister running after a horse with a rope around her tooth in his attempts at dentistry.

I found the book hilarious when I was a kid. Looking over it now, it's not as funny - other books have better slapstick than here. But Emil often seems to, in his pranks, use his innocence to allow the readers to see some hypocrisy in their life. He is an amazing kid who is very determined, thoughtful and energetic underneath the pranks. A goldmine for any young child when they learn to read (or before!).

Pippi Longstocking may have had her own movie, but Emil will always have my heart! I loved this book as a child, my brother and I were always checking it out of the library along with the other Emil books. The images are so well crafted that I still remember them now and it's been over 20 years since I've read this book.

Little Emil may get into a lot of trouble, but he has a heart of gold and grows up to be the well-respected mayor. It's a good lesson for both kids and parents to read together.

Astrid Lindgren's series about Emil from Lunneberg literally take the reader into Emil's life. He is a rowdy little boy, who can't sit in the same spot for longer than a minute. Because of his incredible overflowing energy he gets in trouble everywhere he can find it. It was one of my favorite books when I was growing up, and I think that children like Emil who will read the book, will find a great peace in knowing that "they are not alone". But most of all, I can't think of a better book for adults who had forgotten what childhood is all about to read.

I haven't read this book since I was a child but it still makes me laugh to think of it. The best images I can recall are when the pig eats fermented cherries and goes on a rampage. I also loved the descriptions of Emil hanging out in the loo, where he is sent when he is badly behaved. This happens all the time! As a child, I found the Emil series funnier than the Pippi Longstocking series and less plot-driven. It's a good book for children who are a bit impatient with overly complex plots as it set in a simple village environment and it offers a lot of laughs along the way. In England the book was called 'Emil and the Clever Pig,' I hope this helps people who are trying to find a copy of it.

thanks to amazon.com for this forum and I don't want to step on any toes, but if you need to read this book I will lend you my copy until they get some in stock

A look into the world of Swedish Homocide Bureau Chief Martin Beck. The book is well plotted and gives the reader a realistic look into the procedures of the police, as well as a glimpse into the steamy side of life (and crime) in Sweden in the late sixties.

The fifth Martin Beck novel. When an apartment building under police surveillance mysteriously explodes in the middle of the night, it's up to Beck to solve the crime. Was it terrorism? Assassination? Or just a gas leak?

One of the better novels in the series, this is the first one to deal seriously with organized crime and the underworld. It also gives more time to the hilarious Gunvald Larsson, introduced in earlier novels but here playing a major supporting role.

An excellent crime thriller.

set in 70's Sweden, one of the "Martin Beck" Mysteries (there are 10 of them I think). Although they were Swedish, they made it into mainstream American Paperback print. Racy covers with contradictorily reasonably serious themes and decent writing.

"And just why is it not longer in print?" one of the bureaucrats might ask.

"Ridiculous" Beck might think under his breath.

These books give me the feeling that the authors really had a lot of experience in the world of police detective work. I don't know if they did or not. I think perhaps they were journalists who covered some criminal investigations.

There isn't a gunfight on every other page, and they don't get the guy who did it quite as easily as all that.

The work is methodical and frustrating, but in the end things get done and in the end the book is a satisfying read with small insights into both the work and the lives of the men.

This particular one has a good bit of Gunvald Larsson (not exactly Beck's favorite colleague, but definitely my favorite character) and the brick walls he very nearly runs into in trying to solve this case.

The comic relief, like the more serious moments, is reserved but very well done. I've reread some of the Larsson scenes many times.

jl