The Terrorists

Set in Stockholm, Sweden, this is the tenth and final installment in the fabulous Martin Beck series of detective novels by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Martin has finally left his wife and taken up with a charming new woman. Sweden is usually perceived as an eternally cold country, but in these thrillers, Sweden is hot, hot, hot! Martin and his colleagues would love to take their long annual vacations but have to stay in town to prepare for the visit of an American senator. The policemen thwart the foreign terrorists, who’ve set up shop in Stockholm and are intent on assassination. Sadly, Martin Beck and his associates are unable to stop a disaffected domestic assassin. Although the authors took turns writing alternate chapters, transitions between them are seamless.--Barb P.

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Echoes from the Dead

This thriller by Johan Theorin is set on the remote island of Őland, Sweden. Julia Davisson’s little boy Jens disappeared into the fog years ago and was never found. Julia is slowly recovering from the loss of her son with the help of her father Gerlof and a policeman named Lennart Henriksson. She isn’t going through nearly as many bottles of red wine as she had been while she was living in Stockholm. This thriller jumps about in time from shortly before World War ii to the present. All signs point to Nils Kant, the local villain, having kidnapped and killed little Jens—the only problem is, he died ten years before Jens’ disappearance. So what happened to Jens and will Julia finally find closure?--Barb P.

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Studio Sex

By Swedish author, Liza Marklund, this mystery introduces another reporter/crime solver, Annika Bengtzon. It’s a hot summer in Stockholm, and contract cub reporter Annika is hoping to snag a permanent position at the Kvällpressen newspaper. She doesn’t want to have to move back home to the sticks of Flen. She is tired of her boyfriend Sven and her mother’s poor lifestyle choices. The only bright side of life in the hinterlands is spending time looking for mushrooms in the woods with her grandmother. When Annika finds out about a dead body in the cemetery near her pad in Stockholm, she seizes the opportunity for a scoop for the Kvällpressen.--Barb P.

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Detective Inspector Huss

Helene Tursten has created “Sweden’s ‘Prime Suspect’” according to the book jacket. Actually, Detective Inspector Irene Huss is a much less flawed, fraught character than Jane Tennison. Irene has a long-suffering husband, who works as a chef; twin teenaged daughters, who have the usual adolescent issues; an affection-starved dog named Sammie, who spends his days at doggie day care; and a crew of coworkers, who guzzle coffee 24/7 and have beer delivered to the station along with their pizza. In the course of this mystery, Irene tangles with a group of Hell’s Angels and eventually solves the murder of a wealthy local businessman.--Barb P.

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