Borkmann's Point

As readers' taste for crime fiction in translation blossoms, it is no longer enough for foreign novelists to present the novelty of an unfamiliar locale, mores, etc. Now we demand the very best in every department: narrative drive, story construction and (most of all), strong, distinctive characters. That's exactly what Hakan Nesser provides in The Mind's Eye: Inspector Van Veeteren is one of the most memorable of non-English coppers (and there's plenty of competition in that field).

Van Veeteren, good-humoured, cultured and book-loving, is something of a contrast to the dour Scandinavian coppers we're so used to, and his sardonic take on the cases he deals with is echoed by Nesser's own off-kilter take on the crime genre: everything here is refracted though a mordant view of humanity and its foibles -- but one shot through with sympathy.

Van Veeteren has a hospital appointment that he cannot miss, when a corpse is found rolled in a carpet by a child playing. The body is missing its head and limbs. What evidence there is points to a local suspect -- a double murderer who had disappeared some months before after being released on parole. Van Veeteren find himself forced to conduct his investigation from a hospital bed -- and the results of his investigation confound all expectations.

The concept of a detective conducting a 'long distance' investigation by proxy is not a new one, but in the hands of a reliable practitioner is still fecund (think Nero Wolfe and -- currently -- Lincoln Rhyme). Unsurprisingly, Hakan Nesser shows that he's more than up to the task, and meets its challenges with aplomb.

Perhaps not the best entry-point for those new to Inspector Van Veeteren, this is nevertheless a very diverting read, and should be on the list of those who have enjoyed the Scandinavian policeman's wry view of life -- and murder. --Barry Forshaw

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Just Another Grumpy Nordic Detective ? - Rated
My introduction to the taciturn and enigmatic Inspector Van Veeteren and i was very pleasantly impressed. After almost throwing down the last few Henning Mankells because the plots were so ridiculous, the storyline here was much more plausible - um err - about an axe murderer who almost decapitates his victims. Where Mankell swamps you in much more procedural detail, Nesser is less systematic, throwing all kinds of red herrings at you in almost random order and, perhaps the weakest part, his solution to the case requires corroborative detail that the reader never gets and is based to a certain degree on his intuition. However, the characters are great and the dialogue and thoughts of the characters extremely droll. Some gaps in the reasoning and a few questions left unanswered but a satisfying story

OK but somewhat dated - Rated
I essentially agree with the previous reviewer but do feel that the age of the book means that it offers little new, I'm sure it was an excellent read back in 1993. But given the number of other excellent writers of this genre it may be better looking elsewhere. One other minor irritation for an English reader is the translation into American, with Goddamn, Godamnit and gotten being particualr irritants.

Hakan Nesser - Borkmann's Point - Rated
Almost every crime-fiction reviewer the world over is starting to sound like a broken record, but I'm afraid it's time to say, yet again, here is another wonderful European export: this time Swedish author Håkan Nesser. Borkmann's Point is Nesser's third novel, winner of the Swedish Crime Writers' Academy Prize for best novel, and the first to be translated into English. The first of many, one can only hope, on the evidence of this stylish, warm novel of detection.

The novel is part of a series featuring Inspector Van Veeteren, who rather bucks the trend for Scandinavian detectives in that he's warm, funny, and likes good wine and good company. Oh, and he owns an antique book store. Apparently (it's not mentioned in this early book). At the beginning of the book we find Van Veeteren on holiday in a - presumably - Swedish province; just as he's about to return home, a wealthy real-estate businessman is brutally murdered, with an axe, in a nearby town. It is the second such murder in as many months, so when this second killing suggests a serial killer may have begun his hellish work, Van Veeteren's bosses tell him to stay on in the nearby town and lend his services to the investigation which seemingly has produced no clues and two completely unconnected victims. Van Veeteren insists he isn't here to "take over" the investigation, but instead works alongside them, following his own ideas and hunches in the face of an almost complete lack of information, still remaining convinced that something more is going on than a random spree. Even as the victim count goes up.

It's amazing how each new import from foreign climes seems to be even better than the last. Nesser with one book leaps almost to the pinnacle where Mankell, Indridason and Vargas sit. Indeed, Nesser seems, on this showing at least, to have much in common with Vargas's style of crime fiction. He inverts conventions in a similar way, turning what seems on the fact of it to be a serial killer novel into something rather different, and the informal, jocular tone is similar. This latter device makes the novel warm, charming, a complete pleasure to read, the tone a juxtaposed relief from the stark violence of the crimes. The sometimes light-hearted tone is largely thanks to Van Veeteren and Nesser's ability with quick, fun dialogue between his characters. The relationship between Van Veeteren and Bausen - the top-cop of the town he is sent to - provides a fun centre to the book, as at the close of each day the meet to discuss the case, their lives, their wives, play chess and drink fine wines from Bausen's extensive cellar. It's a serious book - of course it is - but it's not oppressive in its seriousness, as Nesser knows just how much levity to balance it with.

On top of that, Nesser plots so well, creates tension so well, moves the story on so well. It's suspenseful, intelligent, and pleasingly different. The final solution is completely unexpected, even if it's somewhat of an old horse, (but we should remember the book was first published in 1994, so in its right time it was actually pretty pioneering). Overall, it's a rewarding payoff, as it must be if the crime novel is to be considered wholly sucessful. And this one is. I will gladly be spending more time with Nesser and Van Veeteren again next year, come the next translation.