The eighth book in the classic Martin Beck detective series from the 1960s and 70s, the novels that shaped the future of Scandinavian crime writing. Hugely acclaimed, the Martin Beck series were the original Scandinavian crime novels and have inspired the writings of Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo. Written in the 1960s, 10 books completed in 10 years, they are the work of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, a husband and wife team from Sweden. They follow the fortunes of the detective Martin Beck, whose enigmatic, taciturn character has inspired countless other policemen in crime fiction. In one part of town, a woman robs a bank. In another, a corpse is found shot through the heart in a room locked from within, with no firearm in sight. Although the two incidents appear unrelated, Detective Inspector Martin Beck believes otherwise, and solving the mystery acquires the utmost importance.
'I have never read a finer police story.' Los Angeles Times 'If you haven't read Sjowall/Wahloo, start now.' Sunday Telegraph 'Their mysteries don't just read well; they reread even better. Witness, wife, petty cop or crook -- they're all real characters even if they get just a few sentences. The plots hold, because they're ingenious but never inhuman.' New York Times 'They changed the genre. Whoever is writing crime fiction after these novels is inspired by them in one way or another.' Henning Mankell 'Pick up one book!and you become unhinged. You want to block out a week of your life, lie to your boss, and stay in bed, gorging on one after another.' Observer 'The godparents of Scandinavian crime fiction' Jo Nesbo 'Some of the most gripping crime fiction ever written' Michael Connelly 'If you haven't come across Beck before, you're in for a treat.' Guardian
Title: The locked room
Subtitle:
Contributors:
By (author)
Maj Sjowall
;
By (author)
Per Wahloo
;
Introduction by
Michael Connelly
ISBN 13: 9780007439188
ISBN 10: 0007439180
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd
Publication Date: 23/03/2012
Place of Publication:
London,
United Kingdom
Edition:
BIC Subjects:
Crime & mystery
NBS Classification: Crime & Thriller
Dewey Classification:
839.7374
(DC23)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Height: 197mm
Width: 130mm
Weight: 245g