The Abominable Man: A Martin Beck Police Mystery (7) (Martin Beck Police Mystery Series) - Softcover

Maj Sjöwall; Per Wahlöö

Softcover

ISBN 10: 030739090X ISBN 13: 9780307390905

Publisher: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2009

Synopsis

The striking seventh novel in the Martin Beck mystery series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, finds Beck facing one of the greatest challenges in his professional career.

The gruesome murder of a police captain in his hospital room reveals the unsavory history of a man who spent forty years practicing a horrible blend of strong-arm police work and shear brutality. Martin Beck and his colleagues feverishly comb Stockholm for the murderer, a demented and deadly rifleman, who has plans for even more chaos. As the tension builds and a feeling of imminent danger grips Beck, his investigation unearths evidence of police corruption. That’s when an even stronger sense of responsibility and something like shame urge him into taking a series of drastic steps, which lead to a shocking disaster.

About this title

About the Author:

Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, her husband and coauthor, wrote ten Martin Beck mysteries. Mr Wahlöö, who died in 1975, was a reporter for several Swedish newspapers and magazines and wrote numerous radio and television plays, film scripts, short stories, and novels. Maj Sjöwall is also a poet.

From AudioFile:

The violent killing of a Swedish police captain while in hospital brings to light the brutality of his 40 years on the Stockholm police force. His history leaves Detective Martin Beck and his colleagues with plenty of suspects. Tom Weiner perfects the gravelly rumble of the hard-boiled but intellectual Beck as he makes his way through the dangerous case. Sjöwall's and Wahlöö's descriptive prose, in tandem with Weiner's narration, enlivens the Scandinavian imagery, as well as the characters' often-sordid surroundings. Scrutiny of modern law enforcement, with a strong indictment of indiscriminate brutality, flows throughout as a social theme. Gripping tension leads to a bleak and horrifying disaster but leaves us awaiting more from this crime series. A.W. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 030739090X
• ISBN 13: 9780307390905
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 240