an enjoyable read. a lot less dark and psychologically laden then many of the north country mysteries.Backstrom is fairly repulsive, but somehow, everything seems to work out as it should ( )

Detective Superintendent Evert Backstrom is an obstreperous, corrupt, obese, racist misogynist who pisses off everybody who works with him. And those are his good points.

The second Backstrom novel is similar to the first, with Persson building a procedural around his Falstaffian cop, frequently leaving the readers shaking their heads at the outrageous internal dialogue that he attributes to him, and eliciting belly laughs that are immediately followed with a twinge of guilt at finding such outrageousness funny. It's quite a feat; he manages to keep the character just the right side of offensiveness, while milking his obnoxiousness for all it is worth.

The plot commences with the death of an old man in his apartment, surrounded by empty bottles. Backstrom instantly decides it's just one piss-artist killing another piss-artist, nothing to see here, let's all go have lunch. The body is found by a Somali paperboy, whom Backstrom dismisses with a few crude epithets.

There is something that niggles at him though and he seems to be well ahead of his colleagues, leading them a bit of a dance before the team starts to home in on what is really going on. Despite all his unlikeable characteristics, Backstrom is sharp when it counts.

This novel is a guilty pleasure, but probably not for people who consider themselves "woke"; they may just find the character too offensive. ( )

Romanen är den andra av Persson där den fiktive kriminalkommissarien Evert Bäckström är huvudfigur. Evert Bäckström har figurerat som bifigur i flera av Perssons senare romaner och spelar även huvudrollen i "Linda - som i Lindamordet : roman om ett brott".

Romanen inleds med ett enkelt "fyllskallemord" i Solna där en slips, en hammare och ett grytlock i järn använts som mordvapen. Men den självgode kommissarie Bäckström anser att mordet är alltför komplicerat för vanliga poliser att lösa. Komplicerade mordfall kräver Evert Bäckström, resonerar Bäckström. Oavsett vilka konsekvenser det får.

Dos cosas traen de cabeza a Evert Bäckström desde que ha recuperado el cargo de comisario tras una temporada de exilio forzoso en el almacén de objetos perdidos de la policía. En primer lugar, las órdenes tajantes del médico para que ponga fin a años de excesos alimentarios, alcohol y cero ejercicio. En segundo lugar, un asesinato de tantos, un caso típico y rutinario... en el que algo no encaja, aunque únicamente lo perciba él.
Pero el instinto vuelve a darle la razón. A los pocos días Bäckström y su equipo tienen otro homicidio relacionado con el primero e indicios de su vinculación con un atraco a un furgón blindado que se cobró la vida de otras dos personas.
Cuatro muertes sin resolver en una semana. El país entero necesita un héroe y Anna Holt, la nueva jefa de policía, necesita a alguien que mate por ella al dragón que ha clavado las garras en su distrito. ¿Logrará por fin el comisario sus quince minutos de gloria?

Lättläst med mycket svart humor, samtidigt en väldigt bra berättad polishistoria. Kan inte annat än gilla GW:s speciella spårk. Inget mästerverk men utomordentligt underhållande. ( )