After Linda Murder

I just finished Leif G. W. Persson's new mystery Linda, as in the Linda murder (Linda, som i Lindamordet: 2013). It tells a story about Linda, a young police cadet being raped and strangled in her mother's apartment. The cop-killing followed by two subsequent attempted and actual rapes led National Crime Center to believe that it was a true terrorist attack, so two teams were sent to assist the local police in Vaxjo located in Smaland, a particularly religious part of Sweden. 

The first team led by Evert Backstrom relied heavily on modern technologies. It gathered hundreds of un-matching DNA samples until a lucky break came. Quietly on his own, a team member used conventional detective method to conduct indepth interviews to locate a real murderer. On the same day when the first team arrested the murderer the relief team led by Anna Holt arrived. 

The story seems to tell us that there are always more approaches to deal with a problem. Usually the more complicated approach is not the right one. Meanwhile there are traditional and technological methods. More often than not, the traditional method is still effective. Last but not least, there are always conflicts between local and outside forces. But the one who does the real work can be from either camp. Local knowledge is not a guarantee to solve a local crime.

I agree with the view that  “LINDA, AS IN THE LINDA MURDER is witty and the dialogue is at times devastatingly cruel. This is Scandinavian crime fiction at its very best and it is appropriate that the dedication is 'to Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo - who did it better than almost anyone.' This novel reminded me of my first discovery of the Martin Beck series with the not so subtle difference that Backstrom is the anti-Beck, the classic anti-hero." (http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/reviews/Linda_as_in_the_Linda_Murder.html)

Endeavour: Young Morse

This week Paul and I devoted ourselves to Endeavour Series 1. We were enjoying thoroughly every episode (5 in all: Pilot, Girl, Fugue, Rocket and Home). Why is it so enjoyable? We put our heads together and came to the following conclusions.

1. Accompanying music. Like any other Morse films, Endeavour is always accompanied by classic music, especially scenes from various operas, which transports us to a former familiar world. We are suddenly reminded what we have missed in our busy life, and what music is for us.

2. Impeccable storyline. To retro-construct a character is not something new. We have Andre Camilleri's Detective Montalbano and then The Young Montalbano. But there is a consistency in Colin Dexter's young and old Morse. Every character has a reference to the future, unlike Detective Montalbano's first time meeting with Fazio's father, who should be his original colleague/mentor in the Young Montalbano episodes.

3. Oxford's finest. Young Morse manages to take us back to the finest world of Oxford, beer, classic cars, classically trained detectives, college courts, crosswords and operas, whether it is in an analog or digital age. To solve a criminal case, it involves intelligence, literary tradition and logic as well as experience and intuition.

No wonder Colin Dexter can retire neither Morse nor Jaguar.

CLA INSIDER Reporting

So far CLA Insider reported twice about my publication: January 2014 and July 2013. As a member, I do find the publication very relevant and responsive. I enjoy reading it and hope you do too.