Variation on a Swedish crime theme, plus a Bouchercon hosanna
There may be something to this Scandinavian crime fiction hoopla. I've just read Anders Roslund & Börge Hellström and Agnete Friis & Lene Kaaberbøl in preparation for a panel I'll moderate at Bouchercon 2011 next month, and readers of this blog will know that I've been impressed.
Most recently I noticed that even as they build the tension in Three Seconds, Roslund and Hellström shoot the novel through with social concerns and tell their story from multiple points of view. Each of these is characteristic of Nordic crime writing, though their sympathy for individuals crushed by a system prepared to dispose of them when they are longer useful makes R&H distant cousins of Jean-Patrick Manchette's as well. So, even though Three Seconds does not read like much of the other Swedish crime fiction that comes immediately to mind, it shares with it certain thematic interests.
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I'll take time between books to send Bouchercon bouquets to Ruth Jordan and Judy Bobalik, in charge of programming for this year's convention. They should be thanked on principle for their hard work on this and other cons over the years, but they've done two especially nice things this time: They got panel notifications out early, and they scheduled multiple panels on similar themes. This will increase chances that convention goers get to attend at least one session on their topics of special interest.Thanks, ladies, and may every one of Bouchercon's 1,600 attendees buy you at least one drink.
© Peter Rozovsky 2011
Labels: Anders Roslund, Börge Hellström, Bouchercon, Bouchercon 2011, Judy Bobalik, Ruth Jordan, Sweden, Sweden crime fiction
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 2:46 AM
8 Comments:
More Nordic crime stuff:
The Rap Sheet reports that Leif G.W. Persson’s Evert Backstrom series is to become a tv series.
http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/2011/08/of-prequels-spinoffs-and-comebacks.html
Thanks. Thar's a bit more reading to do, perhaps after Bouchercon.
That's just great. Bouchercon sounds informative, exciting and there will definitely be tons of humor.
If only the organizers could do some high-tech things like web conference for people who can't attend but are salivating over what will occur.
Or produce dvd's of the panels and get them out, even sell them, whatever.
There is such a wealth of information and fun, seems like it needs to get a wider audience, which would definitely appreciate it. And even pay for the privilege.
This is global crime fiction! Fans are avid.
Kathy, another commenter said she had seen somewhere that CDs of panels would be available. I could not find the source of this, but I'll keep looking.
Another nod to Anders Roslund & Börge Hellström's Three Seconds.
http://mysteryheel.blogspot.com/2011/08/three-seconds-by-anders-roslund-borge.html
Thanks. Now that I've finished reading the book, I can safely read reviews and discussions of it.
Many of the authors about whom you've written recently are new to me, so when I see their name later, I thank you for having brought them to my attention.
Well, thanks. That is always nice to know. I am always skeptical of booms and waves of enthusiasm, for Scandinavian crime writing in this case, but both R&H amd K&F are good.
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