Readers who fancied Steig Larsson's books and need another jolt of Nordic noir can find their fix in the three books covered here. THREE SECONDS (Silver Oak 978-1-4027-8592-4)by Roslund & Hellstrom; LUCIFER'S TEARS (Putnam 978-0-399-15799-4) by James Thompson; THE ICE PRINCESS (Simon and Schuster 987-1-4516-2174-7). THREE SECONDS is a dark and intense tale of a Swedish ex-con, Piet Hoffman, a police informant who is trying to get his life in order and live normally, but he is trapped into working for the government to break up a drug ring that operates internationally and plans to take over the drug trade in
Swedish prisons.Police corruption and police indifference allows Hoffman to be trapped in prison where he is a target for death by both the government and the crime syndicate. The writing is this is taut and spell binding, The whole book is permeated with evil and an attitude of fatigue. The authors have created a memorable atmosphere and people who seem full of despair and ennui. A fascinating look at the psyches of the participants.
James Thompson, author of LUCIFER'S TEARS was born and raised in Kentucky, but has lived in
Finland for the past 12 years and seems able to look into the minds and hearts of the people and particular;y into the mind of his protagonist, Inspector Kari Vaari. This is the second Vaari book and action from the first has left our hero with scars, physical and mental. Now an insomniac he is back in Helsinki and is working two seemingly unrelated cases. He is called to investigate a famed national hero who is suspected of having committed war crimes during their occupation and also is on the investigation of a torture murder case involving a wife of a Russian businessman. Vaari 's' wife is also pregnant and her brother and sister are visiting from the United States. They create other problems. The brother is an alcoholic failed academic who manages to cause trouble with the law and the sister has become involved with a joyless and punitive religion and causes dissent, All this plus Vaari can not sleep and finally seeks out his doctor brother. It does not help when it appears that the cases are going to become interconnected and some of the people at the cop shop will be tangentially involved. Some of his own family members will also be tied in.The book is reflective of a society that appears to rely heavily on popping pills and drinking copiously. The people seem driven and secretive. The book is dark, intense and yet seductive in its cold beauty. For a transplanted Kentuckian, Thompson certainly writes with perception about the gloom and winter atmosphere. I await the third Vaari adventure. I want to know how the diagnosis made by his doctor brother about Vaari's headaches plays out. How's that for for a cliff, (or should that be fjord?) hanger?
Lackberg's ICE PRINCESS is set in a small seaside town in remote Sweden. Erica Falck has returned home to take care of affairs after the death of her parents. She finds the dead body of her childhood friend,Alex,frozen in ice in a bathtub in her unheated house and her wrists are slit. The first declaration of suicide has to be changed to murder and then the investigation gets ugly. Erica joins another childhood friend, Patrick Hedstrom, now with the local police in looking into events that led up to the crime, and what she finds is not pretty. Old secrets are uncovered. New secrets are found. Lies. Coverups. Deceits. Erica's own sister adds to the problems because of her domineering and abusive husband and his desire for the money from the estate of the dead parents. Since Erica is a well now author, she is asked by Alex's family to write a commemorative piece about her and her art. She is able to use this cover to talk to many people about the case. She uncovers too much, however and she is also in danger. The past catches up with the future and not all of it has a happy ending. Some families will kill to keep secrets from coming out. Psychological suspense and intricate plotting at its best is featured in this tale.
So for all of readers who like your noir Nordic, enjoy. For those who like fine writing, excellent plotting, and complicated characters, have a good read.
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