CRIME FICTION ALPHABET: H IS FOR HAKAN
I must admit I was tempted to cheat with my contribution to this week's Crime Fiction Alphabet Meme at Kerrie's Mysteries in Paradise.
The letter H could have been used for one of my favourite detectives. But it has to be the title of the book or the first or second name of the author, so my choice is:
H for Hakan, Hakan Nesser.
I knew I wanted to read Hakan Nesser's books some time ago, but I was delaying until the first book in his Inspector Van Veeteren series Mind's Eye was published this year. I had been confused in the past with Nordic crime being translated out of order by pixilated publishers.
Hakan Nesser is one of the nominees for the Best Swedish Crime Fiction novel of the year with The Worms in Carmine Street.
His novels with their subtle humour, interesting characters and well constructed plots have won him many awards including a Nordic Glass Key, Best Debut novel in 1993 and Best Swedish novel in 1994,1996, and 2007, as well as nominations in 1995,1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.
At Crime Fest in Bristol this year he proved to be just as amusing in person as he was on the written page, and I am looking forward to many more of his twenty novels being translated into English. Unfortunately only four of his Van Veeteren books have been translated so far and none of his new series featuring the intriguingly named Gunnar Barbarotti.
posted by Uriah Robinson at 6:20 AM
10 Comments:
A very worthy H!
I still prefer his excellent Van Veeteren series, but with time I may come to like Barbarotti just as much. (I don´t like it when any of my favourites are pensioned off)
NB: still trying to crack your quizz but that amended female keeps tripping me up.
We English speaking mono linguals have six more Van Veeteren's to enjoy, but I am worrying about the advancing years and want the publishing schedule to speed up from one book a year.
I hope all that puzzling about the amended/ amendment quiz is not stressing your constitution, Dorte. Well it is not your constitution but .........
Excellent post Norman. I still haven't got my head around this author. - have only read BIRTHMARK. Must read more. Thanks for your Crime Fiction Alphabet contribution. Maybe for the next "round" of the alphabet we should do characters = that would be harder wouldn't it (then you could use HH)- or maybe countries of setting.
I share your enthusiasm for Hakan Nesser. Very accomplished, and a really good (and very amiable) speaker.
Kerrie, I am trying to plan out the rest of the alphabet but may have to do some more reading in order to be able to post. e.g for Z and Y.
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Thanks for reminding me of this author! I read "Kim Novak badade aldrig i Genesarets sjö" years ago (in German translation), and loved it. Will order more now ...
Sounds like one author worth reading!
Here is my Crime Fiction Alphabet: H post!
Thanks Gautami, I will look it up.
Do you think you could work a ð into your alphabet in honor of our Icelandic crime-writing friends?
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