piglet

In this Martin Beck mystery, we learn more about Lennart Kollberg, one of Beck's team, and meet more recurring characters. Characterization is the strongest suit of this book, with atmosphere running a close second. I'm fed up past my eyeteeth with child sex murders (no doubt from too much Law & Order: SVU -- I'd be ever so happy not to read or watch another fictional sex crime in my lifetime). At least this one doesn't sensationalize anything about it. We spend no time at all in the criminal's head, and very little on his motivations or on the commission of the crime itself. The focus is on how the murders affect the community, "decent citizens" and police alike.

Here is Martin Beck addressing a pair of vigilantes who whacked a policeman over the head, mistaking him for the at-large pervert.

"What you have done is indefensible. The very idea of militia comprises a far greater danger to society than any single criminal or gang. It paves the way for lynch mentality and arbitrary administration of justice. It throws the protective mechanism of society out of gear. Do you understand what I mean?"

"You're talking like a book," said the man in the track suit acidly.

"Exactly," Martin Beck replied. "These are elementary facts. Mere catechism. Do you understand what I mean?"

It took about an hour before they understood what he meant.

Easily my favorite of the series to date (with 7 more to go, I expect ranking them may not possible). Once again, Martin Beck is faced with a seemingly impenetrable conundrum. Yanked unceremoniously away from his vacation, with no leads and no plan, he finds himself in Hungary under request from the Foreign Office to find a missing Swedish journalist. In a week. From political maneuverings to drug trafficking to drunken brawling and desperate coverups, this tale has more twists than a crazy straw.

I am a little annoyed by the series numbering. This book is marked #3, but its original copyright date is earlier than book #2 (The Man on the Balcony), and the action takes place a year earlier. Given that this is a character-driven series, throwing the timeline out of order is very confusing for readers who are paying attention (like, Kollberg here has been married for 6 months and talks about future kids in the abstract; in book #2, his wife is quite pregnant)