On a cold and rainy Stockholm night, nine bus riders are gunned down by an unknown assassin. The press, anxious for an explanation for the seemingly random crime, quickly dubs the killer a madman. But Superintendent Martin Beck of the Stockholm Homicide Squad suspects otherwise: this apparently motiveless killer has managed to target one of Beck’s best detectives, young Åke Stenström. Reasoning that Stenström would not have been riding that lethal bus without a reason, Beck retraces his steps and chases year-old clues to a crime long thought unsolvable.
With its wonderfully observed lawmen (including the inimitable Martin Beck), its brilliantly rendered felons and their murky Stockholm underworld, and its deftly engineered plot, this is another incredible installment in the acclaimed Martin Beck mystery series.
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"This is part of the series by Stockholm crime reporters Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Recently released they are to 70s Swedish police procedural writing what Dragon Tatoo series is today. Gloomy, leftie - Wahloo committed suicide - but brilliant Hammett style prose. Read them all!" — Robin (5 out of 5 stars)
"This is part of the series by Stockholm crime reporters Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Recently released they are to 70s Swedish police procedural writing what Dragon Tatoo series is today. Gloomy, leftie - Wahloo committed suicide - but brilliant Hammett style prose. Read them all!"
“A tantalizing, intricate tale.”
“Tom Weiner gives a performance that is pitch-perfect for the material. The very different personalities of the squad members are beautifully rendered, as are characters we meet only once or twice…Weiner’s sure narration is always on key with what is happening…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
“A top-notch example of the police procedural school of mystery.”
“Must reading for anyone who claims to be [a student] of the best detective fiction.”
“I’ve read The Laughing Policeman six or eight times. Each time I reach the final twist on the final page, I shiver afresh.”
" A classic in the Scandinavian mystery field. One of the first international mysteries I read and loved it. "
" Recommended by local librarian who knows I like the Swedish mystery genre. A delight to discover. More about the process, often inept, of police work than a horrific mass killing. Witty, intelligent, and honorable. "
" It was a terrific mystery, tighly constructed, well written and keep the tension the entire book. Very entertaining. I would definatly read another in the series. "
" Great great fun. Sjowall and Wahloo write fantastic detective mysteries. "
" This was the best thriller so far that Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo have written. It shows that each man contributes differently. They describe each person individually. It makes much more sense now. "
" Each book in this series, so far, has been better than the last. "
" These Martin Beck mysteries are earning a very special place in my heart, which is reserved for books that I think everyone should read. "
" Could never get into murder mysteries before but literally could not put this one down. A great read. "
" I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police detective novels. The books belongs the best of Ed McBain. "
" Scandinavian crime fiction class here I come! "
" A good police procedural novel. Reocommended. "
" I'm just enjoying making my way through this series! "
" Good basic police who dunnit. "
" I loved this novel. it was fast paced and kept me guessing until within a whisker of a satisfactory ending. martin beck keeps on getting better! "
" A weird mixture of violence, the mundane minutia of a police procedural and the comic. "
" Enjoyable mystery with a decidedly European feel. The names are a bit distracting to an English ear but the characterizations are strong enough to help overcome this; the period details also pique ones historical curiosity. "
" Another excellent crime procedural. Compact yet deep, plenty of characterisation and a detailed, believable plot. Good bedtime reading... Looking forward to the next one, which I shall start tonight! "
" Squarehead crime fiction. I'll have to read some more from this series. (Thanks, Mom!) "
" My favorite of the Martin Beck series. "
" This is a splendid novel, elegant and economical. Martin Beck is the perfect antidote for those of us left cold by The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, etc.. Yes, we do exist. The story isn't the least bit dated. Give it a try. "
Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, wife and husband team, wrote ten Martin Beck mysteries, virtually creating the modern police procedural. In addition to the many short stories and novels he wrote, Mr. Wahlöö, who died in 1975, wrote numerous radio and television plays and was a reporter for several Swedish newspapers and magazines. Maj Sjöwall is also a journalist and poet. She lives in Sweden.
Tom Weiner, a dialogue director and voice artist best known for his roles in video games and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Transformers, is the winner of eight Earphones Awards and Audie Award finalist. He is a former member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
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