[7/10] Viktor Palmgren died at seven-thirty-three on Thursday evening. As recently as half an hour before the official declaration of death, the doctors involved in his case said that his constitution was strong and the much-discussed general condition not so serious.On the whole, the only thing wrong with him was that he had a bullet in his head. Those Swedes! Their reputation as dour, gloomy, manic-depressive only serves to hide a wicked sense of humour, a deadpan delivery that hits you usually just as you turn to the next paragraph. There's even a place for a running gag involving Kristiansson and Kvant, the two hulking, golden haired, blue-eyed and inept patrolmen that make blonde jokes seem tame by comparison. Incidentally, the are responsible for the Swedish title of this sixth Martin Beck book : Polis! Polis! Potatismos! which is another way of saying policemen are dunderheads.The premise of the crime is quite simple : a wealthy businessman is shot in front of dozens of witnesses as he had dinner at the most luxurious restaurant in Malmo, the internationally renowned Savoy. The mysterious perpetrator then jumps through an open window and disappears into the night. As Viktor Palmgren, the victim, is famous (or infamous) at the highest levels of Swedish industry and politics, Martin Beck is dispatched from Stockholm to Malmo, where he gets reunited with Per Mansson, his friend and local chief crime investigator.In the absence of the main suspect, the two detectives start to interview the witnesses, in particular the guests of Palmgren's dinner party, building up the profile of the victim and hoping to identify the motive behind the crime. A parallel investigation is developing in Stockholm as Gunnar Larsson and Martin Kollberg follow up on two of these guests. Other recurring characters are the keen, ambitious rookie Benny Skacke, the young widow turned policewoman Asa Torrell and Zachrisson - another bumbling officer.Best part of the novel consists not with the actual crime investigation, but in spending time with these regular characters and see their interractions, their developments, their easy companionship. There is a holiday spirit to the text, despite the frantic telephones from the chiefs of police in Stockholm asking for immediate results. It's summertime, Beck and Mansson sleep late, eat long dinners, go to the beach, drink up in the evening. Beck himself is unwounding, taking it easy, getting back in the saddle (view spoiler)[ literally with Asa, in one of the most heartwarming scenes in the book (hide spoiler)]
This is the sixth book in the Martin Beck series, and the murder in question is that of a businessman, Viktor Palmgren, who is addressing colleagues at a dinner in the Savoy Hotel, Malmö. The murder has the appearance of a professional hit, so the emphasis at first is on whether the murder is political or commercial. Two detectives are mainly involved, Per Månsson, the local man, and Martin Beck, drafted in from Stockholm. They have worked together before and get on well. Two other detectives are also involved, both of whom will be well known to readers of the series: Lennart Kollberg and Gunvald Larsson.Without giving the game away, the enquiry points up the unscrupulous business methods of the murdered man who, it seems, no one will miss. His wife already has a lover and his business colleagues see it as an opportunity. I have read an excellent review of this book which stated that this is the first of the Martin Beck series in which the authors’ Marxist viewpoint is overtly stated. I think this is probably true, though the authors try to disguise it. The most serious outbreak occurs in the opening pages of Chapter 12. Two brief examples: ‘There was no shortage of work, however, for all varieties of crime flourished better than ever in the fertile topsoil provided by the welfare state.’ ‘The fact that juvenile delinquency and alcoholism (which has always been a problem) continued to increase surprised no one but those with responsible positions in the Civil Service and at Cabinet level.’At the end of this analysis you might be forgiven for thinking that the authors are addressing the reader directly, that it is overt. Then they add these words: ‘Thought Lennart Kollberg’. This is, of course, a blatant ruse. The book is a good read and, for those into this sort of thing, there is even an act of sexual congress involving Martin Beck (unlikely as this may seem) described with the authors’ usual attention to detail.
What do You think about Murder At The Savoy (1977)?
All good murder mysteries are societal critiques, because all murders are signs of societal disfunction- of a system that broke down in either contributing to the circumstances of the murder or failing to stop it. And all good murder mysteries are also books of philosophy- because nothing makes a writer more philosophical than thinking about death. But in "Murder at the Savoy", Sjowall and Wahloo do something unusual: they sidestep almost all of the mystery- and focus almost entirely on the soci
—Jake
Of all the books I've re-read in this series, this one so far offers the strongest social critique. I don't see this as Marxist or socialist (remember, Martin Beck loathes anything having to do with politics), but as a narrative rooted in a strong social-justice sensibility and frustration with the soul-crushing absurdity of modern life. Think "Sister Carrie" and other novels in the naturalist genre--about people ground down and corrupted by the system. The police investigators are caught in the same system, incapable of any response but cynicism and despair. This is the "noir" crime genre at its most existential.
—Linda Owen
Book six. A high profile businessman, Viktor Palmgren, who is shot to death while addressing colleagues at a dinner in the Savoy Hotel in Malmö. It is unclear whether the non-descript killer's motive was political (anti-capitalism), commercial or criminal. Martin Beck is dispatched from Stockholm to run the investigation and works again with Per Mansson, with whom he has worked in previous novels. Ava Torell, former girlfriend of a murdered detective, makes an important contribution to the crime in her new role as a vice cop. The authors' Marxist beliefs are clearly demonstrated in this one.
—Skip
