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The roots of every contemporary Nordic crime writer are firmly planted in the ten Martin Beck novels jointly written by a husband and wife team of left-wing Swedish journalists. Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö are among the finest exponents of the police procedural novel, and the trail they blazed in the late Sixties and Seventies is still a path to glory followed today. Inspector Martin Beck is world-weary but committed, a man whose job will cost him peace of mind and family life. He is at the heart of all ten books, but there is an ensemble cast who take more or less prominent roles. But these are not earnest social democratic novels, they are tense and complicated explorations of human passions coupled with clever plots. And always, they are enlivened by the antics of Kristensen and Kvant, the Keystone Cops of Sweden.
One to read: The Laughing Policeman (1968)
Information on Maj Sjowall, Per Wahloo and other Swedish authors
How the new breed of location based mobile services can find your nearest cashpoint, restaurant or wi-fi hotspot
Enjoy screenings of all the classic films you love, plus take advantage of two-for-one tickets
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Prepare for some shock and awe, petrol lovers. Despite the greens trying to wipe it out, the car is about to offer us the most exciting year ever
We've trawled the brochures and websites to find this summer’s best holidays for every taste and budget

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