I'm not quite sure what I think of Liza Marklund's character Annika Bengtzon. She is a study in contrasts and perhaps that is why, though I might occasionally shake my head in exasperation at her, I find her so interesting to read about. I first met her when I read Marklund's Paradise. It's something of a challenge to get your hands on this book as it is out of print and fairly scarce and expensive to buy (I borrowed a library copy via ILL). Add to that challenge is the fact that Marklund has written Annika's story (there are a total of eight books now, though not all translated into English) out of order. While Paradise was the first book she published, it isn't actually the first book about Annika chronologically. Studio 69, which I quite enjoyed (again with a very few reservations) actually begins Annika's adventures as a tabloid journalist.In Paradise I learned that Annika was the victim of domestic abuse and had been involved in the death of someone close to her. She is a sub-editor for the newspaper Kvällspressen in Stockholm, and in Studio 69 the events that are hinted at in Paradise are finally fleshed out. Annika is not close to her family, she and her mother especially butt heads, but she has a close relationship with her grandmother to whom she returns when life is particularly weighing her down. She has a steady boyfriend but he's mostly absent during the story as he still lives in the small town where he and Annika grew up. She has come to Stockholm as a temporary, rookie reporter. She has the summer to make her mark and hopes for a permanent position or will have to return home. Annika wants nothing more than to succeed and is fairly fearless when it comes to going after a story, but being a novice she makes mistakes which also plunge her into a welter of self-doubt.When someone calls in with a tip that the body of a young woman has been found in a local cemetery, Annika and another, more seasoned reporter set off to investigate. The victim often crossed through the area on her way home from work, so she was only steps away from safety. Annika's story begins to take shape as she interviews the dead woman's neighbors, friends and former classmates. Each offers a different reality of the woman's life, a woman who was beautiful and smart and stuck in a job as a stripper at the persuasion of her jealous boyfriend, who Annika implies is the most likely culprit. Initially Annika does well with her first investigative piece, with multiple stories appearing in the newspaper some on the front page. The newspaper's top editor is impressed with Annika, calling her an alert young woman who can turn things around fast and with a completely different approach in her thinking--only she goes too far sometimes. When a new suspect emerges, contrary to Annika's line of enquiry, things blow up in her face. The story takes a more complicated turn as a politician high up in Sweden's government is discovered to have entertained German politicians at the strip club where the victim worked. More damning, he apparently has rooms in the same apartment building as the woman. Liza Marklund was inspired by actual events in Sweden involving illegal spying not only on other governments but on Swedes who were considered security risks. She wraps the story of a young murdered woman up nicely with a political slant (here lies one of my reservations as some of this political detail was a little over my head not being too familiar with this aspect of Swedish history). Not only does she wrestle with the questions of domestic abuse and pornography but she also ties it in with illegal activity on the part of the Swedish government, a theme which carries over into Paradise. As the frenzy of the press and the possible involvement of a government official threatens to boil over, Annika notes that Josefin, the dead girl, is completely forgotten in this mess of political scandal.Liza Marklund included a very helpful and interesting author's note at the beginning of the book (I should have read it first to avoid some of my confusion) that sheds a little light on why she writes about a character who is a tabloid journalist. My perception of tabloids is that they tend towards scandalous (and maybe not usually true) stories. Marklund notes that until the 1980s nongovernmental broadcasting was forbidden by the Swedish government. They had state run TV and radio and broadcast news programs "have always been strict, official, and uncontroversial. Investigative journalism and groundbreaking news have usually been found in the tabloids."If you are a fan of Swedish crime novels and have yet to try Liza Marklund, do look for her books. Her stories are less mysteries (you may discover the truth in reading, but that doesn't mean the real culprit is going to be brought to justice) than suspenseful tales that shed light on social issues or the inner workings of Swedish society. Despite the unevenness of Annika's character (I'm curious to see if and how she changes over the course of other stories), I thought this was a more tightly written story, better plotted and with a more assured voice in the storytelling. Next up is Prime Time, which looks like it will be another book that is difficult to find!
Un giallo differente da quelli che leggo di solito, dove ad investigare non è più il classico poliziotto ma una giornalista. Sì, ho appena finito di leggere Uomini che odiano le donne, non ho letto niente di nuovo, ma senza dubbio Annika è molto diversa da Mikael. Innanzitutto lui era stato proprio assunto per quell'incarico, quello di investigare, mentre Annika è una normale giornalista che scrive per fare carriera in se. Diversa da come me l'aspettavo, chissà poi come me l'aspettavo... Inesperta, che si fa coinvolgere, un po' piagnona, con questo fidanzato molto simile ad fidanzato della vittima. Ho letto diverse opinioni negative, in cui veniva detto che non prende, che a tratti è noioso, che molte persone hanno saltato delle pagine. Non l'ho trovato così, cioè, molte parti riguardano la politica svedese, che effettivamente sono di una noia mortale, ma sono fondamentali per la trama. I colpi di scena secondo me non sono mancati, anche se la fine mi ha un po' delusa. E qui spoiler. Spoiler. Spoiler. Ok. Parto. Lo dico. Perché devi far morire il gatto? Cazzo, no. Gli animali non devono morire, no! Punto. Sven era un testa di cazzo psicolabile anche senza ammazzare gatti, quindi è stato inutile, lei avrebbe dovuto ribellarsi comunque, quindi perché??? Ma mi vuoi male! Poi, bello che sia morto Sven ma quello è stato un modo un po' troppo crudo!!! Ma bastava una coltellata ben messa dai!!! Persone con problemi proprio. Una cosa che mi ha fatto impazzire (nel senso positivo del termine) è stato il diario. Capisci da subito che siano i ricordi della ragazza uccisa, molto Camilla Lackberg style. Che va beh, lei e Annika avessero storie simili è... Evidente!, ma che sia invece il suo di diari non lo avevo proprio considerato!!! Sicché è stata una vera e propria rivelazione! Mi ero fatta ingannare troppo dal Camilla Lackberg style. Bello. Bello bello davvero. Sono incazzata a morte con la redazione di Studio Sex, si meritano fallimento, altro che riconoscimenti! Sicché niente, a me è piaciuto e credo che continuerò la saga di Annika!
What do You think about Studio Sex (2015)?
This particular book which launches the career of the protagonist, Annika Bengtzon, but not the author has been published under other names - "Studio Sex" and "Studio 69". This is the Corgi Press British trade paperback edition.The story goes off in many directions. I can't decide if I admire Annika's intelligence, like her doggedness or despise her self pitying attitude. In this book, she is an intern at a Stockholm tabloid where she hopes to hook on as a permanent employee. Her situation is complicated because she has left her small town and her boyfriend, Sven, to try and make it as a reporter. This does not sit well with either her boyfriend or her mother, who she constantly bumps heads with. The only truly supportive relationships she seems to have are with her grandmother who encourages her to make her own way, her friend Anne, a fellow intern, and her cat Whiskas. The main plot line opens when Annika is assigned, with a veteran reporter, to cover the discovery of a young girl's body, Josefina Liljeberg, in a cemetery. As Annika follows up, she learns that the girl worked at a local late hours nightclub, Studio 6, as a topless dancer and B Girl. She also becomes convinced that the girl was killed by her boss and lover, Studio 6 owner, Joachim. Her initial stories implicating Joachim are well receivedUnfortunately, a government minister emerges as a new suspect when it is shown he entertained some Germans at the club that night and has a secret apartment near the cemetery in which the body was found. Annika is then attacked for supposedly inventing her stories. Even though some at the paper recognize her talent, she is sacked. Refusing to return to her hometown she continues to pursue the truth and uncovers that the Government Minister was covering up a lie so big that he allowed himself to be fired and accused of murder rather than have the truth come out.There are various sub-plots, the major one involves her boyfriend and eventually leads to an explosive climax. Another is her befriending a girl from the club who, towards the end of the book, turns on her as a betrayer. Annika also exposes herself in the narrative in ways that have little to do with the main plot. As you might guess the truth does come out in the end but is a bittersweet victory for Annika since no one will publish it. All the loose ends are tied up by Marklund with a series of news releases concluding the story.I highly recommend reading the Author's notes after finishing the book as it explains where the idea for the story came from and gives insight into Marklund's own career as a reporter. There are some terrific insights into Swedish society especially sexual abuse, the workings of the tabloid press in Sweden and Swedish politics. Most revealing is the realization that Josefina's death gets lost as the political situation becomes the lead story. It took me a while to warm up to the story and there are a few too many coincidences but overall it was a fine book and I look forward to reading more of Marklund.I did react negatively to a blurb that favorably compared Marklund to Henning Mankell. In my judgment - No Way!
—Ed
Não consigo decidir se adorei ou detestei este livro. Talvez, o facto de me suscitar esta dúvida revele que esta seja uma excelente obra. É muito interessante e original a forma como está elaborada a história, revelando segredos de uma forma subtil. Achei o final surpreendente.Como não aprecio literatura que aborde temas como política e jornalismo, certas passagens entediaram-me um pouco. Gostei da referência à leitura do destino pelas cartas de Tarot. Gostei do carinho com que a protagonista se relaciona com os gatos. Whiskas!
—Teresa
When trainee journalist Annika Bengtzon, receives a call on the tip line stating that there’s a naked, dead woman in the Jewish cemetery, her supervisor lets her investigate the story. The brutal murder quickly begins to consume Annika as she tries to figure out if a high ranking government official is responsible, as other media suggest, or if the killer is someone else. Her colleague, Berit Hamrin, is working on a political scandal stretching back to the 60’s. When Berit’s revelations begin to spill over into Annika’s murder story, things become complicated and intense.Exposed is an intriguing thriller by Swedish writer Liza Marklund. At 554 pages, it took a while to become a real page turner, but I’m glad I stuck it out as things really start moving by the halfway point. Marklund’s descriptions of the sweltering July heat in Stockholm were so good I could feel it. Her strained relationship with her mother and fiancé were also very well portrayed, but here’s the thing: I didn’t find Annika all that interesting. She was terribly sensitive at times (she cries a lot in this book, often while on the job) yet other times she seemed the opposite. For me, the plot was stronger than the characters, yet Exposed is still a good read.
—Debra
