THE TERRORISTS (THE SERIES, BOOK 10) PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Maj Sjowall,Per Wahloo,Dennis Lehane | 288 pages | 05 Jan 2012 | HarperCollins Publishers | 9780007439201 | English | London, United Kingdom (Martin Beck Series #10) by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. NOOK Book. Chapter 1 The National Commissioner of Police smiled. Only one of the three men smiled back. Stig Malm had beautiful white teeth and liked smiling to show them off. Over the years he had quite unconsciously acquired a whole register of smiles. The one he was using now could only be described as ingratiating and fawning. The chief of the Security Police suppressed yawn and Martin Beck blew his nose. He often did not appear until late in the morning and even then he was usually inaccessible even to his closest colleagues. He had even had a Thermos of coffee and real china cups brought in, instead of the usual plastic mugs. Stig Malm got up and poured out the coffee. Martin Beck knew that before he sat down again he would first pinch the crease in his trousers and then carefully run his hand across his well-cut wavy hair. Stig Malm was his immediate superior and Martin Beck had no respect for him whatsoever. His self-satisfied coquettishness and insinuating officiousness toward senior potentates were characteristics that Martin Beck had ceased to be annoyed by and nowadays found simply foolish. What did irritate him, on the other hand, and often constituted an obstacle to his work, was the man's rigidity and lack of self- criticism, a lack just as total and destructive as his ignorance of everything to do with practical police work. That he had risen to such a high position was due to ambition, political opportunism and a certain amount of administrative ability. The chief of the Security Police put four lumps of sugar into his coffee, stirred it with a spoon and slurped as he drank. Maim drank his without sugar, careful as he was of his trim figure. Martin Beck was not feeling well and did not want coffee this early in the morning. The National Commissioner took both sugar and cream and crooked his little finger as he raised his cup. He emptied it in one gulp and pushed it away from him, simultaneously pulling toward him a green file that had been lying on the corner of the polished conference table. You're not planning to be ill again, are you? You know we can't afford to be without you. He already was ill. He had been drinking wine with his twenty-two-year-old daughter and her boy friend until half-past three in the morning and knew that he looked awful as a result. But he had no desire to discuss his self-inflicted indisposition with his superior, and moreover he didn't think that the "again" was really fair. He had been away from work with the flu and a high temperature for three days at the beginning of March and it was now the seventh of May. A bit of a cold, that's all. There was not even feigned sympathy in his voice, only reproach. I assume we're not here to discuss my appearance or the state of my health. Judging by the contents—three or four sheets of paper at the most—there was some hope that today's meeting would not drag on for too long. On top lay a typed letter with the mark of a large green rubber stamp beneath the scrawled signature and a letterhead that Martin Beck could not make out from where he was sitting. So did Kosygin's, organizationally as well as security-wise. And the Environmental Conference, to take a maybe slightly different example. What I'm referring to is the visit by this senator from the United States at the end of November. It could turn out to be a hot potato, if I may use that expression. Martin Beck is assigned the case, while at the same time trying to protect a conservative American Senator from being assassinated during his visit to Sweden. The book begins with Det. Larsson in South America, observing preparations for a similar state visit- it goes horribly awry and the head of visiting Prime Minister ends up in his lap, separated from its body by a large explosion. Events move very quickly: Beck solves the murder of the pornographer- it turns out he had seduced his gardener's daughter into a life of drugs and dissolution, and in revenge, the gardener had murdered him. Beck's team fails to catch the terrorists as they enter the country, but he is able to stop their assassination by having the State Television stations display the motorcade on a 15 minute tape delay, which causes their explosion to miss. This, however, does not stop Rebecca Lind, the young naif from the bank robbery, from shooting the Swedish prime minister in the head, in revenge for her ill-treatment by the state. She is arrested, tried, and convicted, but not before giving a short speech that fully encapsulates the authors views on modern society: It's terrible to live in a world where people just tell lies to each other. How can someone who's a scoundrel and traitor be allowed to make decisions for a whole country? Because that's what he was. A rotten traitor. Not that I think that whoever takes his place will be any better- I'm not that stupid. But I'd like to show them, all of them who sit there governing and deciding, that they can't go on cheating people forever. A few months after she is jailed, she commits suicide. The remaining terrorists are captured one is killed. The book ends with a famous scene. Martin Beck, with his beloved new girlfriend, are over at his friend Kollberg's place. Kollberg has resigned from the force in the previous book in disgust at the way the police are forced to protect the owners of property at the expense of the people. Sjowall and Wahloo are fundamentally humanists, not Communists- they distrust all large institutions, including big businesses and state controlled police forces. Their main character, Martin Beck, has never shown any interest in politics, but throughout the series he has shown the deepest sense of compassion for the victims of the crimes he solves, and a deep sense of camaraderie with his fellow officers. He is stolidly middle class in his aspirations and morality, and one gets the sense that the authors believe that if everyone would just act more like him, the world would be a much less horrible place. Dec 12, Sun rated it really liked it. It's quite sad to read the last of the Martin Beck series and to farewell the weary policeman and his idiosyncratic crew. Did Sjowall and Wahloo foresee the role terrorism would play in today's world? Or did they just recognise that terrorism would overshadow other crimes and would become increasingly important as a threat to modern society? The novel begins as Martin Beck is called as a witness for the legal defence of Rebecka Lund, an 18 year old single mother charged with robbing a bank. The p It's quite sad to read the last of the Martin Beck series and to farewell the weary policeman and his idiosyncratic crew. The prosecutor is the gung-ho Bulldozer Olsson featured first in , but even he takes a backseat to the comical defense attorney Theobald Braxen. Meanwhile, Gunvald Larsson is sent overseas to learn about security measures for state visits. That all goes horribly wrong, of course, ruining his new, tailor-made suit in the process. Back in Sweden, a director of pornographic movies is killed in Malmo and Per Mansson investigates. All of these are somehow tied to the preparations for a state visit by an unpopular US senator to Stockholm. Martin Beck is put in charge and must prevent harm to the senator from the unseen terrorists of Heydt and Kaitan and Kamakazi. The anti-capitalist sentiment is not subtle but makes sense given Sjowall and Wahloo's surreal plot and extreme twists. A very enjoyable tale with unforgettable characters and a clever stroke of heightened suspense near the end. Feb 14, Marisa rated it it was amazing. I read all 10 books in this wonderful series, one after the other. What a joy to read. A set in 's Sweden, this has become the basis of modern police fiction. Martin Beck is not your typical 'cop'. He's miserable, has an ulcer, is unhappily married, with kids who don't understand him. The detective mysteries he's engaged in are varied and interesting - and gasp are not always solved with Beck in the lead -a real tribute to teamwork and the well-defined characters who are I read all 10 books in this wonderful series, one after the other. The detective mysteries he's engaged in are varied and interesting - and gasp are not always solved with Beck in the lead -a real tribute to teamwork and the well-defined characters who are his colleagues. The authors also provide some incisive social commentary into Swedish society. Only 10 books in the series, and by the time its all read, one wishes there could have been many more. I do think that Per's illness did. Please note that nothing about the final offering does not shame the series at all, but, alas, it does not crown the achievement either. Any reader of the others will surely, however, want to read this last part. Very good final entry in the Martin Beck series. I wish there were a few more of these to read! View all 3 comments. My last of Martin Beck, for now I haven't read the number 2 from the series yet cause I don't have that book. The anticipation and curiosity of Beck continues here, but honestly I miss Kollberg a lot. Luckily he was here sometimes so yeah! The plot was okay. I was wondering why they had this Rebecka and Petrus cases firstly but then it all makes sense throughout the middle, the connection and the heart- rending truth. I actually like Miss Rebecka so much-- to me she was so pure and sincere, too My last of Martin Beck, for now I haven't read the number 2 from the series yet cause I don't have that book. I actually like Miss Rebecka so much-- to me she was so pure and sincere, too naive and such a real good girl and I was too shocked with the head banging stuff at the prison moment. I think this book focusing much on Beck and Rhea and their stories sometimes sort of 'shadowing' my reading momentum about the cases and the crime problem. Not that I dislike Rhea-- she was such a great companion to Beck and she helped a lot too. Reading about Reinhard Heydt was also fascinating. I have no idea why I love reading his point of view though-- but it feels different. To see both perspectives from police to the villain was quite entertaining and adventurous. I love how they handled both Rebecka and Petrus cases. The terrorist part was a bit draggy to me but still, the writing was enjoyable and interesting. It didn't disappoint me at all, but this will not be in my favorite list of Beck. I gave up on my library getting the audiobook of this last in the Martin Beck series they have all the rest, which I listened to this winter and spring and bought it myself. It's the most political of the series, and interesting to read now when North Americans tend to view Sweden as an egalitarian socialist paradise or I guess a socialist hellscape, depending on your politics. The Terrorists of the title could be the international organization carrying out political assassinations, or perha I gave up on my library getting the audiobook of this last in the Martin Beck series they have all the rest, which I listened to this winter and spring and bought it myself. The Terrorists of the title could be the international organization carrying out political assassinations, or perhaps it's the newly-nationalized Swedish police, who according to one character are terrorizing socialists and people who can't make it in Sweden's class society. It's a reminder of what a violent time the 70s were. Politics are not really the worst and most violent they've ever been today. There are three semi-interlocking plots here: a young single mother robs a bank or does she? This is mostly slow and meandering rather than a thriller, which was fine with me, and all of these plots reflect on power dynamics in interesting ways. A strong end to an increasingly complex and interesting series. This was my second time through I went all out of order this time, as library audiobooks became available and probably won't be my last. I find Tom Weiner's deadpan narration oddly soothing, though the books are pretty dark. My favourite of the series, full of action, tragedy, gloom, and also friendship, tenacity, and victory. According to which Sweden, state and society, should have reached rock bottom ages ago. The terrorists, here to kill a really reactionary American senator ring any bells? They just do it "for the money", it seems, which conveniently puts them in the "capitalist" camp. I was a child in those days, early to mid-seventies, but I don't think that's quite what terrorists stood for. So what do I like about this? The characters are so well drawn, the story is well told. A great read altogether, all 10 volumes. I must have read them 4 times now, and I can imagine rereading them again in some years' time. A wonderful book, the last of ten books by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. My list of things to do today has lain untouched on the kitchen table, as has the washing-up from breakfast AND lunch - I just had to know how the plot unfolded. I found I deeply cared about these Swedish policeman and assorted other characters, and also that I was very affected by the authors' anger about society and capitalism. I know this is often said, but if you haven't read any of the Martin Beck novels, you are in Wow. I know this is often said, but if you haven't read any of the Martin Beck novels, you are in for a treat. I envy you! Though I will be re-reading all of them. I have taken these books to my heart. Mar 03, David rated it it was amazing Shelves: read Quite a fitting close to a simply wonderful series. Witty and dark as ever, and with the critique of failing society even more sharp than before. Beck is a literary creation of great worth. Apr 24, Becky Loader rated it really liked it. Oh, my. What an excellent ending to a really terrific series! I am so glad that the authors didn't feel it was necessary to kill off all the characters just because the series was ending. I especially liked how the characters all were consistent right up through the last complication. First rate. The last in the outstanding Martin Beck series. I have received so much pleasure reading these classic crime tales each one a gem. Aug 13, Jane rated it really liked it Shelves: mysteries. I laughed out loud several times during this, the last of Martin Beck novels. Perhaps it is because I have come to know the personalities and quirks of the men who make up the homicide division, including their pompous managers and higher-ups. One refreshing element in these novels is the depiction of tense confrontational scenes filled with bravery, luck, error and confusion. Often, even talented detectives miss clues and in turn are maddened by bumbling cops who simply aren't up to the task. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Readers also enjoyed. Scandinavian Lite They also wrote novels separately. Other books in the series. Martin Beck Police Mystery 10 books. Related Articles. Pickup not available. Add to list. Add to registry. However, in the midst of the fervor created by the diplomatic visit, a young, peace-loving woman is accused of robbing a bank. Beck is determined to prove her innocence, but gets trapped in the maze of police bureaucracy. To complicate matters a millionaire pornographer has been bludgeoned to death in his own bathtub. About This Item. We aim to show you accurate product information. Manufacturers, suppliers and others provide what you see here, and we have not verified it. See our disclaimer. With a new introduction by Dennis Lehane: "Tension so thick the reader could crack a tooth. Filled with the twists and turns and the pulse pounding excitement that are the hallmarks of the Martin Beck novels, The Terrorists is the stunning conclusion to the incredible series that changed crime fiction forever. Write a review See all reviews Write a review. Frequent mentions. Average Rating: 5. February 16, See more. Reviewed by smik smik. Written by a librarything. July 5, July 11, Reviewed by jimrbrown jimrbrown. November 9, Excellent finish to a wonderful series. Reviewed by JohnH99 JohnH Average Rating: 4. July 31, See all 7 reviews. Ask a question Ask a question If you would like to share feedback with us about pricing, delivery or other customer service issues, please contact customer service directly. Your question required. Additional details. Send me an email when my question is answered. Please enter a valid email address. I agree to the Terms and Conditions. Cancel Submit. Pricing policy About our prices. We're committed to providing low prices every day, on everything. So if you find a current lower price from an online retailer on an identical, in-stock product, tell us and we'll match it. Martin Beck - Wikipedia

A bit of a cold, that's all. There was not even feigned sympathy in his voice, only reproach. I assume we're not here to discuss my appearance or the state of my health. Judging by the contents—three or four sheets of paper at the most—there was some hope that today's meeting would not drag on for too long. On top lay a typed letter with the mark of a large green rubber stamp beneath the scrawled signature and a letterhead that Martin Beck could not make out from where he was sitting. So did Kosygin's, organizationally as well as security-wise. And the Environmental Conference, to take a maybe slightly different example. What I'm referring to is the visit by this senator from the United States at the end of November. It could turn out to be a hot potato, if I may use that expression. We've never been confronted with the problem of VIPs from the States before, but now we are. The date's been set and I've already received certain instructions. Our preparations must be made well ahead of time and be extremely thorough. We have to be prepared for anything. The Commissioner shrugged. You know that as well as I do. I've got my orders to go by and you'll be getting yours. He was still trying to read the letterhead on the letter in the green file. He thought he could discern the word "police" or possibly "policia. Reluctantly he sipped at the bitter coffee. He gave the letter to Stig Malm, to pass around the table before he continued. As the visiting president is not particularly popular in the host country, they will be taking all possible measures to protect him. As in many other Latin American countries, they have had to deal with a number of assassination attempts—of both native and foreign politicians. Consequently, they have considerable experience, and I would think that their police force and security services are the best qualified in that area. I'm convinced that we could learn much by studying their methods and procedures. The president's visit was to take place on the fifth of June, hardly a month away, and the representative of the Swedish police was welcome to arrive two weeks earlier, so that he could study the most important phases of the preparatory work. The signature was elegant and totally illegible, but elucidated in typescript. The name was Spanish, long, and appeared in some way to be noble and distinguished. When the letter had been returned to the green file, the Commissioner said, "The problem is, who shall we send? Martin Beck feared that he himself might be suggested. Five years earlier, before he had broken out of his unhappy marriage, he would have been delighted to undertake an assignment that would take him away from home for a while. But now, the last thing he wanted to do was to go abroad, and he hastened to say, "This is more of a Security Service job, isn't it? In the second place, we're already experts on these matters and it would be more useful if someone went who was unfamiliar with security questions. Whoever goes will pass on what he learns to the rest of us when he gets back, so everyone will benefit anyway. Nor you, Martin. He was aware of the fact that the Commissioner did not master the Castilian language, either. Malm raised his eyebrows. Someone in Criminal Investigation? Gunvald Larsson. He did not usually speak up for Gunvald Larsson, but Malm's tone of voice had annoyed him and he was so used to disagreeing with Malm that he opposed him almost automatically. He speaks English, French and German, too, all fluently. And a little Russian. Look in his file and you'll see. The Commissioner looked thoughtful. It's true he has a tendency to behave somewhat boorishly, and he's much too undisciplined. But he's undeniably one of our best inspectors, even if he does find it difficult to obey orders and stick to regulations. Do you think he'd be suitable? He behaves like a boor and uses language more suited to a longshoreman than a former ship's officer. Martin Beck had recently heard Gunvald Larsson call MaIm "that magnificent asshole" in the man's presence, but fortunately Maim had not realized that the epithet was intended for him. The Commissioner did not seem to take much notice of Malm's objections. He can behave well if he wants to. He has a better background than most. He comes from a wealthy and cultured family, he's had the best possible education and an upbringing that has taught him how to behave correctly in all possible circumstances. That shows, even if he does his best to conceal it. Martin Beck sensed that Stig Malm would very much have liked the assignment and that he was annoyed at not even being asked. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Joan Tate Translator. An year-old woman is accused of a bank robbery she never intended to commit. Later, a producer of pornographic films is found murdered at the home of his mistress. Meanwhile, Martin Beck is placed in charge of Swedish security ahead of the visit of a US senator whom a group of international terrorists is determined to assassinate. Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. Published August 12th first published More Details Original Title. Martin Beck Police Mystery Martin Beck. Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Terrorists , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of The Terrorists Martin Beck, May 21, Lyn rated it liked it. The Terrorists was not complete when Per Wahloo died in and Maj Sjowall finished the last few chapters alone. Quirky and with a personality all its own, this follows a meandering path between loosely connected sub-plots with the main plot following Beck and his team assigned to protect a visiting American senator from a group of international terrorists. Filled with interesting characters and a unique narrative structure this very early entry may have prefigured the class of novels now more commonly known in this genre. Still, the writing is distinctive and has a charm and attraction that makes it stand out. Aug 31, Algernon Darth Anyan rated it it was amazing Shelves: A legitimate question, given the enduring popularity of this series of ten police procedural novels written 50 years ago and still considered among the best in the field. For the authors, it is a rhetorical question, aboundantly answered in the actions of their lead character: " Many popular writers have tried to explain their own interest in Beck, and each of the ten novels is introduced by one of these big guns in the field. I usually avoid introductions, trying to make my own mind about what I am reading before I check out what others critics think, but in this present case, I believe Dennis Lehane is much more articulate than I could ever hope to be, so I will let him present Martin Beck to you: As this novel - the tenth in the series - is Martin Beck's swan song, it's worth noting that in the annals of realistic fictional policemen, Beck stands a full head above most. He carries plenty of psychic scars and admits to a depressive personality, but he's not gloom laden to the point of masochistic self-pity that so often masquerades as a hard-boiled hero's tragic worldview. Beck is a dogged worker bee entering his later middle-aged years with a healthy romantic life and no illusions about his place in the larger scheme of things. However exceptional, he is a civil servant. A great cop, yes, but in Sjowall and Wahloo's vision, a great cop is little more than a great functionary in a hopelessly flawed system. Beck's talents include "his good memory, his obstinacy, which was occasionally mule-like That's the writer's job. The cop's job is to persevere, to examine the evidence, collate the data, push the papers, and work the case to its end. With an apology for the long quote, put here more for my own later reference, I will next remark on the writer's job, what Lehane calls "tilting at windmills". Over the ten book journey, I have remarked on the increasing acerbity of the social polemic promoted by Sjowall and Wahloo. The murder cases under investigation start with an anonymous victim of a deranged serial killer in "", and slowly evolve into a condemnation of society in its entirety, in particular of the incompetent bureaucracy that controls the centralized police force. Martin Beck is apolitical, a functionary doing his job, but even for himself it becomes impossible to ignore the larger significance of the murders cases that land on his desk. For his colleague and best friend Kollberg, the pressure to conform to a rotten system proved too much, so he throws in the towel and quits. Martin is resigned to the loss of his friend, but this way out is not an option for him, too aware that it is the responsiblity of a good person to continue to do his job to the best of his ability: He's a nice man. I like his wife, too. And I think he did the right thing. He saw that the police as an organization devoted itself to terrorizing mainly two categories of people, socialists and people who couldn't make it in our class society. He acted according to his conscience and convinctions. It comes as no surprise to readers who followed the series in publication order, that the last book is dominated by the social issues to an unprecedented level. Given that Wahloo knew he was dying of cancer, it is probably not surprising that he turned the final chapter into a fiery anti-establishment manifesto. With his life partner Maj Sjowall, they close 'The Story of Crime' with the whole government put on trial for murders against 'the people'. I think lots of people know perfectly well they're being cheated and betrayed, but most people are too scared or too comfortable to say anything. It doesn't help to protest or complain, either, because the people in power don't pay any attention. They don't care about anything except their own importance, they don't care about ordinary people. There are several kinds of terrorists in this last novel, and analyzing their methods and their ideology is probably going to spoil the outcome of the investigation, so tread carefully from this point on. Beck, as head of the Crime section of Stockholm's police is involved in the first two, and is later assigned as coordinator for security measures surrounding the visit of a powerful American senator to Sweden. Given the absence of old time friend Kollberg, Beck has to rely to a greater degree on Gunvald Larsson, despite their mutual dislike. The trend of blaming the system and the incompetent of ill-intended oligarchy was started several books back in the series, but it reaches its peak here, as the role are reversed and the criminals are cast in a positive light and their actions are seen as justified rebellion in the face of gross injustice. The victims or targets are cast as guilty as charged of crimes against humanity. From the same Braxen, in case the point was not clear enough: What sort of people are they you get for murder and other horrors? Like the last one - some poor working slob who tried to hit back at the capitalist bastard who had destroyed his life. Such blatant embrace of socialist politics might have been a turn-off, a disconnect, in the hands of less skillfull writers. But Sjowall and Wahloo are working together like a fine tuned piano, tugging at the heart strings with their tale of woe of the simple men and women, carefully escalating the tension of the chase and depicting the slow accumulation of clues with consummate art. Without humour and a touch of love this tale would be grim and depressing, but sometimes the same humour is of such a dark shade that the laughter is coming hand in hand with fury: You mean he thought your abbreviation for 'clod squad' stood for 'commando section. It's even harder to laugh when you know that several years after the book was published, life overtook fiction and view spoiler [ the prime minister of Sweden was assassinated in a bizare incident while his secret service detail was absent from duty hide spoiler ]. Regarding the unequal struggle between the oligarchy and the disenfranchised citizens, I can't help but notice that Sjowall and Wahloo's arguments, situated unapologetically at the extreme left of the political spectrum, are nevertheless echoed today in the indifference of the major players to the demonstrations and grass roots movements of their electorate: protests against globalization, mass surveillance, money in politics, too big to fall banks and widespread corruption come and go under the imperturbable gaze of the elite, while secret pacts are negotiated to give them and their corporations even more control over our lives. Recently - no; for as long as I can remember, large and powerful nations within the capitalist bloc have been ruled by people who according to accepted legal norms are simply criminals, who from lust for power and financial gain have led their people into an abyss of egoism, self-indulgence and a view of life based entirely on materialism and ruthlessness toward their fellow human beings. I think of her, and the only hope I see for the future is in these individual gestures of kindness and integrity that always start from the bottom up. A lot of nostalgia and reminiscing about the past infuses this last novel in the series. I share in the sadness of necessary goodbyes to Beck and his idiosyncratic colleagues from the Stockholm Serious Crime Unit, many of them making cameo appearances in this last investigation: Lennart Kollberg, Fredrik Melander, Benny Skacke, Gunnvald Larsson, Einar Ronn, Asa Torrell, Per Mansson, and all the other memorable people that give a human face to the cold equations of murder. The influence of the work of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo is unquestioned on both sides of the Atlantic, and is often judged as the golden standard against which other police procedurals are today judged. The authors claim that they planned it from the start to tell their story in ten books, but my last quote reflects on the continuity, both of the criminal endeavours and of the efforts of good men and women to fight against them and against the root causes of evil. Yes, I do, and I guess that is a time to remember. But everything that happened afterwards? No, goddammit. And what's worse, I don't think this is where it's going to end. View all 12 comments. And they wrote books together. Apparently, during their collaboration, they always worked by writing alternate chapters -- and then corrected each other's chapters. The Terrorists was the final book of a projected 10 book series. It is one of the better ones of this outstanding series. The books, of course, should be read in sequence, starting with Roseanna. This series was one of the first Scandi police procedurals -- and it is very effective. Moreover, by the end, one has come to know a series of very interesting characters. The books have interesting plots, and the plots are character driven in a way that most crime novels are not. They are not thrillers -- they are analytical. Shelves: about-violence , political , police-procedural , read-in , swedish-lit. It is about the homegrown terrorists we make through our capitalist greed, our ever increasing inequality, our casting aside of those who don't fit into our neat ideas of a "normal" society. It is about the ideological terrorists who fight for a cause that isn't ours with whatever tools are at their disposal, tearing apart flesh and bone with bombs, blasting holes into skulls with bullets projected from sniper rifles, using their bodies as delivery systems for death -- all to make a point they feel can't be made any other way. It is about the terrorists who own us and rule us and manipulate us using the apparatus of government, unjust laws, and armed security forces to keep us in line. It is about the armies that we send out to kill and maim and destroy in our names. It is about how we move through our world surrounded by terrorists, maybe even being these terrorists ourselves, and how we can keep some modicum of what we like to imagine is our "humanity" in the face of it all. Apr 12, Michael rated it really liked it Shelves: mystery , sweden , fiction. I have been collecting them over the years for just the right mood to take the plunge with Stockholm police inspector Martin Beck. A crazy impulse led me to check out the library audiobook version of this last one of the series of ten. The crime he faces here is a potential one. He is tasked with assuring that the treats of a terrorist attack surrounding a state visit from a powerful American senator do not come to pass. He has to work around a lot of political drones and ambitious idiots in the various sectors of the police and state security forces. But he plays the personalities and marshals the talents of competent old friends with the mastery of a symphony conductor with aplomb. The high-stakes gambles he is forced to employ makes for huge stresses, but he rises to the occasion. He is not a true noir hero with a lot of baggage in personal demons and jaded outlook. He retains a more playful mind and warm heart and uses his cynicism about the crass motives of most humans as a source of insight. His adversaries include a meticulous Danish mastermind and two Japanese technocrats known for blowing up their targets around the world with clever placement of their munitions e. Before the advent of cell phone snooping and vast computer databases, counterterrorism efforts are severely handicapped. This was fun and thrilling. I can now be comfortable going back to the beginning of the series to see how Beck develops in his personality and talents. For an articulate and engaging introduction to the series and overview of their impact see Harry Roolart's review of the first, Roseanna. I really needed to finally finish this series. The intended sense of despair and despondency of society going straight to hell that slowly grows from Roseanna through ten books in ten years until this point where people have finally decided to make a stand against the leaders who have brought this upon us was starting to make me feel like not bothering. As Sjowall was dying of cancer during the writing of this entry the plot takes an even more melancholy tone, the idealism of the political protes I really needed to finally finish this series. As Sjowall was dying of cancer during the writing of this entry the plot takes an even more melancholy tone, the idealism of the political protesters that regularly appear as background characters in this series becomes almost as much misguided aggression as that of the constantly condemned police force. Here are some writers wondering whether all of their protests were worth it, at the same time when their protagonists - Beck et al - are wondering whether their personal sacrifices in becoming policemen were worth it. Beck has been tasked with protecting an American senator visiting Sweden after a terrorist threat is raised. It's smartly done on both sides of the law, the writing provides great tension and intrigue as well as the copious amounts of societal criticism that occasionally comes across as a grouchy old sod writing to their local newspaper. At this stage it's very much like spending time with old colleagues that you've grown to respect and care for, comfortable and relaxed. The painstaking procedural style action of the first few books has given way to a more conventional thriller plot except in true Beck style things deliberately end with a whimper and not a bang. It's been a highly enjoyable ride but somehow I expected more. I recently compared the series of books to the TV show The Wire, each book focussing on a different aspect of society to paint a grand picture of what's wrong, and I thought that show ended a little disappointingly too now I think about it. View 2 comments. In this installment, an unpopular American senator has planned a visit to Sweden, and Beck is chosen as head of the security team for the duration. The biggest worry is terrorist activity, and as Gunvald Larsson finds out while observing in a Latin American country, the terrorists do not play nice. While Beck is busy with trying to keep the would-be assassins from killing the Senator, he is also investigating a case dealing with pornography, drugs, and murder. Although the main focus of this novels is the measures put into place to prevent the death of the senator from a group who kill, get out and go on to their next job, the authors also reveal that there are other forms of terrorism that exist beyond the political -- and that they exist in every society. Excellent book, especially the scene when Larsson is in Latin America, but consistently good throughout. I spent a few minutes puzzled, but it dawned on me that the name change was in the translation. I'm rather sad that I've finished all of the books, but the getting there was great. These authors have put together an outstanding set of novels that no readers of crime fiction should miss, even if you do not agree with the authors' political statements. The courts don't work, the schools produce little but rot, and the ruling class skims the cream off the top and turns its back as the poor fight over the coffee grounds. But the best part of these books lie in the authors' ability to create believable plots, to come up with ever-developing characters who often become frustrated to the point where they want to chuck it all but inevitably show up the next day for work if they go home to sleep at all , and then they throw all of that in with their political opinions, and still manage to create a crime fiction series that stays on task, never getting excessive. A crack terrorist unit is hell bent on murder and mayhem in Stockholm. Between them and death and destruction lies Martin Beck and his colleagues. Can team Beck beat the baddies? In a parallel story, a homeless teenage girl is trying to get to the US to reunite with the father of her baby. Society is arraigned against her. Capitalism does not look kindly on the innocent, the uneducated or the unskilled. A fast paced thriller, crisp and compelling. Written in the 70s but very accessible. A bit earn A crack terrorist unit is hell bent on murder and mayhem in Stockholm. A bit earnest and right on, but this grins through in just a few places. My only regret is that this is the last of the series. Well worth a read. Apr 12, Dave Riley rated it it was amazing Shelves: crime-fiction , favorites. Published after Wahloo's death from cancer in -- this novel is sharper than the earlier ones in its critique of Swedish society. It also templates the assassination of the Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. That may be ironic -- but then that future conjuncture fostered Mankell's Wallander into existence. Swedish crime fiction rocks! Gems every one of them. Set in , the primary plot follows the assassinations of high-profile political leaders around the world by an impenetrable organization of highly trained killers. Martin Beck reluctantly accepts the job of managing an inter-agency group to protect a visiting U. There are two other plots, all of which are well orchestrated: a wealthy pornographer has been murdered in his mistresses' apartment and a young homeless, somewhat addled waif of a girl has been charged with bank Set in , the primary plot follows the assassinations of high-profile political leaders around the world by an impenetrable organization of highly trained killers. There are two other plots, all of which are well orchestrated: a wealthy pornographer has been murdered in his mistresses' apartment and a young homeless, somewhat addled waif of a girl has been charged with bank robbery, trying to protect her young baby. All three plots involve the irony of protecting the undeserving against monsters equally horrible, and continue the authors' sociological portrayal of Sweden in this era. Good policework by Beck and his team, especially in trapping the assassination squad, is the hallmark of this finale to a book series. Don't skip the introduction by Dennis Lehane. Feb 14, M. This is the final story in the Martin Beck series and it doesn't disappoint. I'm not an habitual reader of police procedurals, and discovered these stories completely by chance. The series remains good from first to last and doesn't run out of any of its energy. Its interesting cast of disparate characters avoids cliche and develops in a satisfying way, with each book providing a highly enjoyable reading experience. Naturally, I liked some of the stories more than others, but all ten are consist This is the final story in the Martin Beck series and it doesn't disappoint. Naturally, I liked some of the stories more than others, but all ten are consistently good. The whole series gets a resounding five stars from this very satisfied reader. Will read again and probably quite soon! BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Drama, The Martin Beck Killings

Video Audio icon An illustration of an audio speaker. Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. It appears your browser does not have it turned on. Please see your browser settings for this feature. EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! The Martin Beck books are widely acknowledged as some of the most influential detective novels ever written. Long before or Harry Hole, Beck was the original flawed policeman, working with a motley collection of colleagues to uncover the cruelty and injustice lurking beneath the surface of Sweden's seemingly liberal, democratic society. Reviewer: nimrod nomad - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 13, Subject: worth your time Thank you for sharing. Really enjoyed these stories, the music, the narration and the characters. But he had no desire to discuss his self-inflicted indisposition with his superior, and moreover he didn't think that the "again" was really fair. He had been away from work with the flu and a high temperature for three days at the beginning of March and it was now the seventh of May. A bit of a cold, that's all. There was not even feigned sympathy in his voice, only reproach. I assume we're not here to discuss my appearance or the state of my health. Judging by the contents—three or four sheets of paper at the most—there was some hope that today's meeting would not drag on for too long. On top lay a typed letter with the mark of a large green rubber stamp beneath the scrawled signature and a letterhead that Martin Beck could not make out from where he was sitting. So did Kosygin's, organizationally as well as security-wise. And the Environmental Conference, to take a maybe slightly different example. What I'm referring to is the visit by this senator from the United States at the end of November. It could turn out to be a hot potato, if I may use that expression. We've never been confronted with the problem of VIPs from the States before, but now we are. The date's been set and I've already received certain instructions. Our preparations must be made well ahead of time and be extremely thorough. We have to be prepared for anything. The Commissioner shrugged. You know that as well as I do. I've got my orders to go by and you'll be getting yours. He was still trying to read the letterhead on the letter in the green file. He thought he could discern the word "police" or possibly "policia. Reluctantly he sipped at the bitter coffee. He gave the letter to Stig Malm, to pass around the table before he continued. As the visiting president is not particularly popular in the host country, they will be taking all possible measures to protect him. As in many other Latin American countries, they have had to deal with a number of assassination attempts—of both native and foreign politicians. Consequently, they have considerable experience, and I would think that their police force and security services are the best qualified in that area. I'm convinced that we could learn much by studying their methods and procedures. The president's visit was to take place on the fifth of June, hardly a month away, and the representative of the Swedish police was welcome to arrive two weeks earlier, so that he could study the most important phases of the preparatory work. The signature was elegant and totally illegible, but elucidated in typescript. The name was Spanish, long, and appeared in some way to be noble and distinguished. When the letter had been returned to the green file, the Commissioner said, "The problem is, who shall we send? Martin Beck feared that he himself might be suggested. Five years earlier, before he had broken out of his unhappy marriage, he would have been delighted to undertake an assignment that would take him away from home for a while. But now, the last thing he wanted to do was to go abroad, and he hastened to say, "This is more of a Security Service job, isn't it? In the second place, we're already experts on these matters and it would be more useful if someone went who was unfamiliar with security questions. Whoever goes will pass on what he learns to the rest of us when he gets back, so everyone will benefit anyway. Nor you, Martin. He was aware of the fact that the Commissioner did not master the Castilian language, either. Malm raised his eyebrows. Someone in Criminal Investigation? Gunvald Larsson. He did not usually speak up for Gunvald Larsson, but Malm's tone of voice had annoyed him and he was so used to disagreeing with Malm that he opposed him almost automatically. He speaks English, French and German, too, all fluently. And a little Russian. Look in his file and you'll see. The Commissioner looked thoughtful. It's true he has a tendency to behave somewhat boorishly, and he's much too undisciplined. But he's undeniably one of our best inspectors, even if he does find it difficult to obey orders and stick to regulations. Do you think he'd be suitable? He behaves like a boor and uses language more suited to a longshoreman than a former ship's officer. Martin Beck had recently heard Gunvald Larsson call MaIm "that magnificent asshole" in the man's presence, but fortunately Maim had not realized that the epithet was intended for him. The Commissioner did not seem to take much notice of Malm's objections. He can behave well if he wants to. He has a better background than most. He comes from a wealthy and cultured family, he's had the best possible education and an upbringing that has taught him how to behave correctly in all possible circumstances.

The Terrorists - Wikipedia

Sign up Log in. Web icon An illustration of a computer application window Wayback Machine Texts icon An illustration of an open book. Books Video icon An illustration of two cells of a film strip. Video Audio icon An illustration of an audio speaker. Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. It appears your browser does not have it turned on. Please see your browser settings for this feature. EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! The Martin Beck books are widely acknowledged as some of the most influential detective novels ever written. I have been collecting them over the years for just the right mood to take the plunge with Stockholm police inspector Martin Beck. A crazy impulse led me to check out the library audiobook version of this last one of the series of ten. The crime he faces here is a potential one. He is tasked with assuring that the treats of a terrorist attack surrounding a state visit from a powerful American senator do not come to pass. He has to work around a lot of political drones and ambitious idiots in the various sectors of the police and state security forces. But he plays the personalities and marshals the talents of competent old friends with the mastery of a symphony conductor with aplomb. The high-stakes gambles he is forced to employ makes for huge stresses, but he rises to the occasion. He is not a true noir hero with a lot of baggage in personal demons and jaded outlook. He retains a more playful mind and warm heart and uses his cynicism about the crass motives of most humans as a source of insight. His adversaries include a meticulous Danish mastermind and two Japanese technocrats known for blowing up their targets around the world with clever placement of their munitions e. Before the advent of cell phone snooping and vast computer databases, counterterrorism efforts are severely handicapped. This was fun and thrilling. I can now be comfortable going back to the beginning of the series to see how Beck develops in his personality and talents. For an articulate and engaging introduction to the series and overview of their impact see Harry Roolart's review of the first, Roseanna. I really needed to finally finish this series. The intended sense of despair and despondency of society going straight to hell that slowly grows from Roseanna through ten books in ten years until this point where people have finally decided to make a stand against the leaders who have brought this upon us was starting to make me feel like not bothering. As Sjowall was dying of cancer during the writing of this entry the plot takes an even more melancholy tone, the idealism of the political protes I really needed to finally finish this series. As Sjowall was dying of cancer during the writing of this entry the plot takes an even more melancholy tone, the idealism of the political protesters that regularly appear as background characters in this series becomes almost as much misguided aggression as that of the constantly condemned police force. Here are some writers wondering whether all of their protests were worth it, at the same time when their protagonists - Beck et al - are wondering whether their personal sacrifices in becoming policemen were worth it. Beck has been tasked with protecting an American senator visiting Sweden after a terrorist threat is raised. It's smartly done on both sides of the law, the writing provides great tension and intrigue as well as the copious amounts of societal criticism that occasionally comes across as a grouchy old sod writing to their local newspaper. At this stage it's very much like spending time with old colleagues that you've grown to respect and care for, comfortable and relaxed. The painstaking procedural style action of the first few books has given way to a more conventional thriller plot except in true Beck style things deliberately end with a whimper and not a bang. It's been a highly enjoyable ride but somehow I expected more. I recently compared the series of books to the TV show The Wire, each book focussing on a different aspect of society to paint a grand picture of what's wrong, and I thought that show ended a little disappointingly too now I think about it. View 2 comments. In this installment, an unpopular American senator has planned a visit to Sweden, and Beck is chosen as head of the security team for the duration. The biggest worry is terrorist activity, and as Gunvald Larsson finds out while observing in a Latin American country, the terrorists do not play nice. While Beck is busy with trying to keep the would-be assassins from killing the Senator, he is also investigating a case dealing with pornography, drugs, and murder. Although the main focus of this novels is the measures put into place to prevent the death of the senator from a group who kill, get out and go on to their next job, the authors also reveal that there are other forms of terrorism that exist beyond the political -- and that they exist in every society. Excellent book, especially the scene when Larsson is in Latin America, but consistently good throughout. I spent a few minutes puzzled, but it dawned on me that the name change was in the translation. I'm rather sad that I've finished all of the books, but the getting there was great. These authors have put together an outstanding set of novels that no readers of crime fiction should miss, even if you do not agree with the authors' political statements. The courts don't work, the schools produce little but rot, and the ruling class skims the cream off the top and turns its back as the poor fight over the coffee grounds. But the best part of these books lie in the authors' ability to create believable plots, to come up with ever-developing characters who often become frustrated to the point where they want to chuck it all but inevitably show up the next day for work if they go home to sleep at all , and then they throw all of that in with their political opinions, and still manage to create a crime fiction series that stays on task, never getting excessive. A crack terrorist unit is hell bent on murder and mayhem in Stockholm. Between them and death and destruction lies Martin Beck and his colleagues. Can team Beck beat the baddies? In a parallel story, a homeless teenage girl is trying to get to the US to reunite with the father of her baby. Society is arraigned against her. Capitalism does not look kindly on the innocent, the uneducated or the unskilled. A fast paced thriller, crisp and compelling. Written in the 70s but very accessible. A bit earn A crack terrorist unit is hell bent on murder and mayhem in Stockholm. A bit earnest and right on, but this grins through in just a few places. My only regret is that this is the last of the series. Well worth a read. Apr 12, Dave Riley rated it it was amazing Shelves: crime-fiction , favorites. Published after Wahloo's death from cancer in -- this novel is sharper than the earlier ones in its critique of Swedish society. It also templates the assassination of the Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. That may be ironic -- but then that future conjuncture fostered Mankell's Wallander into existence. Swedish crime fiction rocks! Gems every one of them. Set in , the primary plot follows the assassinations of high-profile political leaders around the world by an impenetrable organization of highly trained killers. Martin Beck reluctantly accepts the job of managing an inter-agency group to protect a visiting U. There are two other plots, all of which are well orchestrated: a wealthy pornographer has been murdered in his mistresses' apartment and a young homeless, somewhat addled waif of a girl has been charged with bank Set in , the primary plot follows the assassinations of high-profile political leaders around the world by an impenetrable organization of highly trained killers. There are two other plots, all of which are well orchestrated: a wealthy pornographer has been murdered in his mistresses' apartment and a young homeless, somewhat addled waif of a girl has been charged with bank robbery, trying to protect her young baby. All three plots involve the irony of protecting the undeserving against monsters equally horrible, and continue the authors' sociological portrayal of Sweden in this era. Good policework by Beck and his team, especially in trapping the assassination squad, is the hallmark of this finale to a book series. Don't skip the introduction by Dennis Lehane. Feb 14, M. This is the final story in the Martin Beck series and it doesn't disappoint. I'm not an habitual reader of police procedurals, and discovered these stories completely by chance. The series remains good from first to last and doesn't run out of any of its energy. Its interesting cast of disparate characters avoids cliche and develops in a satisfying way, with each book providing a highly enjoyable reading experience. Naturally, I liked some of the stories more than others, but all ten are consist This is the final story in the Martin Beck series and it doesn't disappoint. Naturally, I liked some of the stories more than others, but all ten are consistently good. The whole series gets a resounding five stars from this very satisfied reader. Will read again and probably quite soon! But he gets at least one more chance for action when he and his usual team are detailed to provide protection for an unpopular American Senator in Sweden on a state visit. Terrorists plant a bomb along the route the Senator will be taking bet you didn't see that coming, given the title of the book! With time in between for side-stories involving a woman accused of a bank robbery she wasn't trying to commit and the murder of a pornographic film producer, Beck, Ronn, and Larsson manage to quickly trace two of the terrorists. But split-second timing will be needed for them to take the last two alive without having an entire apartment building blown up--with them in it. Beck has had to resign himself to the fact that Kollberg, his friend and, in many ways, right-hand man through much of the series, has resigned from the force. He finally admits that he has grown to like working with Larsson. It was interesting to watch Beck learn to rely more heavily on other members of his team--recognizing the strengths that each has. Less appealing to me was the terrorism theme. This book more than any of the others was a slog for me and I was sorry to have the series end on a disappointing to me note. Others have found this to be a very strong finale First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. A fitting end to the excellent Martin Beck series, The Terrorists perfectly blends human-scale story-telling, suspense and action, and social commentary. Gunvald Larsson, for whom readers now have a measure of respect and sympathy, takes centre stage as he travels overseas to learn about security measures to help Sweden prepare for a state visit by a controversial US Senator. The outcome of the trip is both grisly and grimly comic and introduces us to the terrorist group ULAG who will become the A fitting end to the excellent Martin Beck series, The Terrorists perfectly blends human-scale story-telling, suspense and action, and social commentary. The outcome of the trip is both grisly and grimly comic and introduces us to the terrorist group ULAG who will become the novel's main threat. Other threads, too, are woven. And a director of pornographic movies is murdered in Malmo. The action and drama is superbly stoked, and the authors' anti-capitalist sentiments are as explicitly on display as at any other time, but this never overwhelms the narrative and I am a little in awe at how deftly we are drawn to the human emotions and consequences at the heart of these stories: the father who loses a daughter to exploitation and abuse; the mother who has no assurance of a future for her and her daughter. There's a warm melancholy in the novel's final companionable meal between old friends as Lennart Kollberg reflects that Martin Beck has "the wrong job. At the wrong time. In the wrong part of the world. In the wrong system. The word is, of course, "Marx". Aug 01, Bettie rated it really liked it Shelves: series , fradio , summer , radio-4 , mystery-thriller , sweden. The last one Sat Drama This could be the best of them all, and sadly, the end. Just goes to prove that a series needn't deteriorate into dross. Oh Noes!! View 1 comment. Sep 11, Gary rated it it was amazing. Thoroughly enjoyable, satisfying. Tenth and last book in the late s, early s best selling Swedish detective series with Beck and co. The last in the series, alas. They got stranger and funnier as they went along -- clearly Ms. Sjowall is not a fan of bureaucracy especially in law enforcement! This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It is a valedictory and a summing up, as well as being one of the two best procedurals in the series the other is "The Laughing Policeman", book 4. The story takes place firmly in the mids- gone is any vestige of the idealism of the s. Not that much of that 60s spirit reached Martin Beck, who was generally apolitical in his earlier career, and too depressed by his failing marriage to take much part in the f "The Terrorists" is the final book in Sjowall and Wahloo's Martin Beck series. Not that much of that 60s spirit reached Martin Beck, who was generally apolitical in his earlier career, and too depressed by his failing marriage to take much part in the free love. Happily, while s Sweden seems to be collapsing in a series of catastrophes around him, Martin experiences a late-in-life awakening, finding both love and some satisfaction in his work. That leaves the reader with a surprisingly feeling of optimism, despite the events of the book. Those events are uniformly bloody and sad. Two cases intertwine: in the first, a young, naive girl accidentally robs a bank she had thought "The People's Bank" actually gave loans to the people, and when she went in to ask for some cash, they thought she was robbing the place and had her arrested. She is freed, but left on her own, with no money and a young child to take care of. Meanwhile, a pornographer who had tried to exploit her is murdered. Martin Beck is assigned the case, while at the same time trying to protect a conservative American Senator from being assassinated during his visit to Sweden. The book begins with Det. Larsson in South America, observing preparations for a similar state visit- it goes horribly awry and the head of visiting Prime Minister ends up in his lap, separated from its body by a large explosion. Events move very quickly: Beck solves the murder of the pornographer- it turns out he had seduced his gardener's daughter into a life of drugs and dissolution, and in revenge, the gardener had murdered him. Beck's team fails to catch the terrorists as they enter the country, but he is able to stop their assassination by having the State Television stations display the motorcade on a 15 minute tape delay, which causes their explosion to miss. This, however, does not stop Rebecca Lind, the young naif from the bank robbery, from shooting the Swedish prime minister in the head, in revenge for her ill-treatment by the state. She is arrested, tried, and convicted, but not before giving a short speech that fully encapsulates the authors views on modern society: It's terrible to live in a world where people just tell lies to each other. How can someone who's a scoundrel and traitor be allowed to make decisions for a whole country? Because that's what he was. A rotten traitor. Not that I think that whoever takes his place will be any better- I'm not that stupid. But I'd like to show them, all of them who sit there governing and deciding, that they can't go on cheating people forever. A few months after she is jailed, she commits suicide. The remaining terrorists are captured one is killed. The book ends with a famous scene. Martin Beck, with his beloved new girlfriend, are over at his friend Kollberg's place. Kollberg has resigned from the force in the previous book in disgust at the way the police are forced to protect the owners of property at the expense of the people. Sjowall and Wahloo are fundamentally humanists, not Communists- they distrust all large institutions, including big businesses and state controlled police forces. Their main character, Martin Beck, has never shown any interest in politics, but throughout the series he has shown the deepest sense of compassion for the victims of the crimes he solves, and a deep sense of camaraderie with his fellow officers. He is stolidly middle class in his aspirations and morality, and one gets the sense that the authors believe that if everyone would just act more like him, the world would be a much less horrible place. Dec 12, Sun rated it really liked it. It's quite sad to read the last of the Martin Beck series and to farewell the weary policeman and his idiosyncratic crew. Did Sjowall and Wahloo foresee the role terrorism would play in today's world? Or did they just recognise that terrorism would overshadow other crimes and would become increasingly important as a threat to modern society? The novel begins as Martin Beck is called as a witness for the legal defence of Rebecka Lund, an 18 year old single mother charged with robbing a bank. The p It's quite sad to read the last of the Martin Beck series and to farewell the weary policeman and his idiosyncratic crew. The prosecutor is the gung-ho Bulldozer Olsson featured first in The Locked Room , but even he takes a backseat to the comical defense attorney Theobald Braxen. Meanwhile, Gunvald Larsson is sent overseas to learn about security measures for state visits. That all goes horribly wrong, of course, ruining his new, tailor-made suit in the process. Back in Sweden, a director of pornographic movies is killed in Malmo and Per Mansson investigates. All of these are somehow tied to the preparations for a state visit by an unpopular US senator to Stockholm. Martin Beck is put in charge and must prevent harm to the senator from the unseen terrorists of Heydt and Kaitan and Kamakazi. The anti-capitalist sentiment is not subtle but makes sense given Sjowall and Wahloo's surreal plot and extreme twists. A very enjoyable tale with unforgettable characters and a clever stroke of heightened suspense near the end. Feb 14, Marisa rated it it was amazing. I read all 10 books in this wonderful series, one after the other. What a joy to read. A police procedural set in 's Sweden, this has become the basis of modern police fiction. Martin Beck is not your typical 'cop'. He's miserable, has an ulcer, is unhappily married, with kids who don't understand him. The detective mysteries he's engaged in are varied and interesting - and gasp are not always solved with Beck in the lead -a real tribute to teamwork and the well-defined characters who are I read all 10 books in this wonderful series, one after the other. The detective mysteries he's engaged in are varied and interesting - and gasp are not always solved with Beck in the lead -a real tribute to teamwork and the well-defined characters who are his colleagues. The authors also provide some incisive social commentary into Swedish society. Only 10 books in the series, and by the time its all read, one wishes there could have been many more. I do think that Per's illness did. Please note that nothing about the final offering does not shame the series at all, but, alas, it does not crown the achievement either. Any reader of the others will surely, however, want to read this last part. Very good final entry in the Martin Beck series. I wish there were a few more of these to read! View all 3 comments. My last of Martin Beck, for now I haven't read the number 2 from the series yet cause I don't have that book. The anticipation and curiosity of Beck continues here, but honestly I miss Kollberg a lot. Luckily he was here sometimes so yeah! The plot was okay. I was wondering why they had this Rebecka and Petrus cases firstly but then it all makes sense throughout the middle, the connection and the heart-rending truth. I actually like Miss Rebecka so much-- to me she was so pure and sincere, too My last of Martin Beck, for now I haven't read the number 2 from the series yet cause I don't have that book. I actually like Miss Rebecka so much-- to me she was so pure and sincere, too naive and such a real good girl and I was too shocked with the head banging stuff at the prison moment.

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