Roseanna by Martin Beck
Long renowned as the novels that shaped the future of Scandinavian crime writing, Roseanna is the first book in the hugely acclaimed 10 book Martin Beck detective series from the 1960s that has inspired the writings of Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo.
‘Roseanna’ begins on a July afternoon, the body of a young woman is dredged from Sweden’s beautiful Lake Vattern. Three months later, all that Police Inspector Martin Beck knows is that her name is Roseanna, that she came from Lincoln, Nebraska, and that she could have been strangled by any one of eighty-five people.
With its authentically rendered settings and vividly realized characters, and its command over the intricately woven details of police detection, ‘Roseanna’ is a masterpiece of suspense and sadness.
Written by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, Introduction by Henning Mankell
‘They changed the genre. Whoever is writing crime fiction after these novels is inspired by them in one way or another.’ Henning Mankell
‘Pick up one book…and you become unhinged. You want to block out a week of your life, lie to your boss, and stay in bed, gorging on one after another.’ Observer
‘The writing is elegant and surprisingly humorous – if you haven’t come across Beck before, you’re in for a treat.’ Guardian
‘If you haven’t read Sjöwall/Wahlöö, start now.’ Sunday Telegraph