You absolutely must read a post by Norm (aka Uriah) on the problems with the Unified Field Theory of Scandinavian Crime Fiction: It’s all dark. The detectives are gloomy. Crime is extra shocking because Swedes are all blond and never would hurt each other, ever. British crime fiction is summed up by listing a few writers including a newcomer, Ruth Rendell. (New?!?) He adds a great anecdote about an exam question and delivers a fine moral to the story. (He also says nice things about this blog. Color me blushing.)
Publisher’s Weekly interviews Jo Nesbo just as the US finally gets caught up with The Devil’s Star.
Bookmooch now speaks Swedish. If it learns Norwegian will it speak Bokmål or Nynorsk?
Glenn reviews another Wallander episode, The Joker and recommends it highly.
I review James Thompson’s Snow Angels at Reviewing the Evidence. Loved the setting, didn’t think the race angle was handled as well as it might have been, but a promising first in series.
The BBC magazine has another article on Steig Larsson, the messy state of his estate, and the possible contributions his partner made to his stories and a great finish provided by his English translator, Reg aka Steve. “They are addictively paced in spite of the many digressions, which most readers think just add to the appeal somehow. And I believe the pervasive moral view adds something that is missing in most thrillers.”
The trailer for the upcoming UK release of the film of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (with annoying American voice-over) is now on YouTube:
Compare to the Swedish trailer:
Scandinavian Crime Fiction 