Arne Dahl
Author of The Blinded Man
About the Author
Disambiguation Notice:
(nor) Jan Arnald / Arne Dahl - Som Arne Dahl har vi träffat honom tillsammans med rikskriminalens A-grupp, gruppen som under ledning av Jan-Olov Hultin löser komplicerade våldsbrott av internationell art. Ont blod (1998) är den första i serien av hittills åtta titlar, bland dem Europa blues (2001), Dödsmässa (2004) och Efterskalv (hösten 2006). Som Jan Arnald debuterade han med romanen Chiosmassakern (1990) och är i år aktuell med den biografiska romanen Maria och Artur: en nittonhundratalsroman om Artur Lundkvist och Maria Wine.
Jan Arnald har också arbetat som litteraturkritiker och han disputerade 1995 med avhandlingen Genrernas tyranni: den genreöverskridande linjen i Artur Lundkvists författarskap.
Jan Arnald writes under both his own name and the pseudonym Arne Dahl.
Image credit: http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Arnald
Portrait of Jan Arnald (Arne Dahl) by Finn Hensner
Series
Works by Arne Dahl
Doppelspiel: Ein neues skandinavisches Krimi-Highlight von zwei Bestsellerautoren (German Edition) 2 copies
L'ultimo confine 1 copy
Özgürlük 1 copy
Intercrime 02: Bad Blood 1 copy
Kaltes Fieber (Eva Nyman ermittelt 2): Ein neuer Fall für Eva Nyman | Packender Schweden-Krimi voller Twists (2025) 1 copy
Stolleken 1 copy
Associated Works
Murder at the Savoy (1970) — Préface, some editions; Foreword, some editions — 1,214 copies, 29 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Dahl, Arne
- Legal name
- Arnald, Jan
- Birthdate
- 1963-01-11
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- literary critic
novelist - Nationality
- Sweden
- Disambiguation notice
- Jan Arnald writes under both his own name and the pseudonym Arne Dahl.
- Associated Place (for map)
- Sweden
Members
Discussions
The best crime writers from Scandinavia? in Scandinavian detectives and thrillers (September 2012)
Reviews
Um Paul Hjelm, Ermittler bei der Stockholmer Polizei, nach einem aufsehenerregenden Fall aus der Schusslinie der internen Ermittlung zu bringen, initiiert sein Chef die Neugründung einer Sondereinheit, zu der Hjelm umgehend abgeordnet wird. Deren Aufgabe ist die Klärung dreier Morde an schwedischen Wirtschaftsgrößen sowie(vermutlich) weitere Tote zu verhindern. Die ersten Spuren führen zu einer Geheimloge, dann in osteuropäische Mafiakreise. Doch diese versuchen auf einzigartige, show more brutale Weise klar zu machen, dass sie mit diesen Verbrechen nichts zu tun haben.
Dahls Ermittlerteam hebt sich wohltuend ab von den sonst so häufig schwermütigen, depressiven KollegInnen. Es sind normale Menschen, von denen dennoch jede/r auf eine Art besonders ist: der ehemals steroidabhängige Bodybuilder, der jetzt im Chor singt; der frühere Staranwalt den sein Gewissen zur Polizei brachte; Chavez, ein stadtbekannter Jazzmusiker. Charaktere die Interesse wecken, auch über den Fall hinaus.
Der Fall selbst ist verzwickt: Scheinbar sichere Fährten erweisen sich als falsch, führen jedoch so ganz nebenbei zur Aufdeckung von anderen Verbrechen. Ebenso beiläufig werden eine Reihe von gesellschaftlichen Problemen miteinbezogen: der alltägliche Rassismus, Flüchtlingsproblematik, Korruptheit und Verkommenheit der obersten Schicht - fast schon ein bisschen viel was Dahl sich hier vorgenommen hat.
Till Hagen als Vorleser macht seine Sache gut. Ohne sich in den Vordergrund zu drängen, verleiht er den Personen und Geschehnissen den Ton und die Betonung die es braucht, um alles vor sich zu sehen.
Alles in allem ein spannender aber auch unterhaltsamer Krimi, in dem selbst Erotik und Humor nicht fehlen. show less
Dahls Ermittlerteam hebt sich wohltuend ab von den sonst so häufig schwermütigen, depressiven KollegInnen. Es sind normale Menschen, von denen dennoch jede/r auf eine Art besonders ist: der ehemals steroidabhängige Bodybuilder, der jetzt im Chor singt; der frühere Staranwalt den sein Gewissen zur Polizei brachte; Chavez, ein stadtbekannter Jazzmusiker. Charaktere die Interesse wecken, auch über den Fall hinaus.
Der Fall selbst ist verzwickt: Scheinbar sichere Fährten erweisen sich als falsch, führen jedoch so ganz nebenbei zur Aufdeckung von anderen Verbrechen. Ebenso beiläufig werden eine Reihe von gesellschaftlichen Problemen miteinbezogen: der alltägliche Rassismus, Flüchtlingsproblematik, Korruptheit und Verkommenheit der obersten Schicht - fast schon ein bisschen viel was Dahl sich hier vorgenommen hat.
Till Hagen als Vorleser macht seine Sache gut. Ohne sich in den Vordergrund zu drängen, verleiht er den Personen und Geschehnissen den Ton und die Betonung die es braucht, um alles vor sich zu sehen.
Alles in allem ein spannender aber auch unterhaltsamer Krimi, in dem selbst Erotik und Humor nicht fehlen. show less
Watching You – A Stunning New Scandi Series
Without doubt Arne Dahl is the King of Scandi Noir and does not look like giving up that mantle with a new thriller series. Like all his thrillers his writing has a pace that is breath taking from the first sentence to the last, he has you in a vice like grip. He has such a compelling way of creating characters that just attract attention that intrigue and intelligence. Dahl’s books are both complex and compelling at the same time, the plotlines show more are well planned, leaving you to wonder how his characters would actually survive in the social democratic PC world that is Sweden.
Ellen Savinger has been missing for three weeks, and nobody remembers seeing her being taken, even though it was right outside her school, when it happened. Detective Sam Berger is on the case and somehow, he is the only person that manages to find a hidden clue, a tiny metal cog at the abandoned crime scene. He cannot be sure, but he is sure that the perpetrator is talking to him, in a way, but not quite sure. When another teenager girl goes missing he fails to convince his superior that there is a serial killer at work, they simply do not exist in Sweden.
Molly Blum from the Security Service is watching from a distance as Sam Berger investigates the disappearance, and like Sam, she has a feeling about the case. Like Berger’s boss, her boss does not believe in gut feelings, only evidence, and even then, it can be dealt with, in a number of ways if it is in Sweden’s interests.
Molly realises that she and Sam will have to work together, and operates outside of the legal system if they are to crack the case and bring the criminal or criminals to justice. Both do not know who they are able to trust in either the Police and Security Service, but use them they must, is they wish to solve the case.
With highlights sprinkled in of both Sam and Molly’s life when they were at school, and their paths crossed, can we see further in to the mind of them both, and the person or people they are searching for. They know that they are in a race against time, to find Ellen alive, and bring closure to their previous lives as teenagers. Only when Sam has faced down his own long buried personal demons will he be able to see the cryptic clues that are being left for him to discover.
Watching You is a superb introduction to Arne Dahl’s new crime series and you will be gripped from the beginning and wanting the next as soon as you have finished. show less
Without doubt Arne Dahl is the King of Scandi Noir and does not look like giving up that mantle with a new thriller series. Like all his thrillers his writing has a pace that is breath taking from the first sentence to the last, he has you in a vice like grip. He has such a compelling way of creating characters that just attract attention that intrigue and intelligence. Dahl’s books are both complex and compelling at the same time, the plotlines show more are well planned, leaving you to wonder how his characters would actually survive in the social democratic PC world that is Sweden.
Ellen Savinger has been missing for three weeks, and nobody remembers seeing her being taken, even though it was right outside her school, when it happened. Detective Sam Berger is on the case and somehow, he is the only person that manages to find a hidden clue, a tiny metal cog at the abandoned crime scene. He cannot be sure, but he is sure that the perpetrator is talking to him, in a way, but not quite sure. When another teenager girl goes missing he fails to convince his superior that there is a serial killer at work, they simply do not exist in Sweden.
Molly Blum from the Security Service is watching from a distance as Sam Berger investigates the disappearance, and like Sam, she has a feeling about the case. Like Berger’s boss, her boss does not believe in gut feelings, only evidence, and even then, it can be dealt with, in a number of ways if it is in Sweden’s interests.
Molly realises that she and Sam will have to work together, and operates outside of the legal system if they are to crack the case and bring the criminal or criminals to justice. Both do not know who they are able to trust in either the Police and Security Service, but use them they must, is they wish to solve the case.
With highlights sprinkled in of both Sam and Molly’s life when they were at school, and their paths crossed, can we see further in to the mind of them both, and the person or people they are searching for. They know that they are in a race against time, to find Ellen alive, and bring closure to their previous lives as teenagers. Only when Sam has faced down his own long buried personal demons will he be able to see the cryptic clues that are being left for him to discover.
Watching You is a superb introduction to Arne Dahl’s new crime series and you will be gripped from the beginning and wanting the next as soon as you have finished. show less
If you already know about Arne Dahl then you probably met the author’s ensemble detective series courtesy of the BBC4 Swedish TV drama which holds its head high among the very best Nordic noir. The books in the Intercrime series are even better…
Although this is the third novel in the series you can skip the preceding two and cut to the chase: the opening chapters deftly explain the salient points of the back story. The team was disbanded after everything spiralled a little too wildly out show more of control at the end of the last book – but now an explosion in a prison, a killing in a pub, an investigation into hardcore porn and a host of other apparently unconnected threads all lead back to an ominous threat to public safety.
There's more detail about the plot and characters over at
http://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/to-the-top-of-the-mountain-t...
The real pleasure in Arne Dahl’s novels comes not from the intertwined plot threads and his skilful manipulation of time, place and person which draws the reader into an increasingly tense scenario. No, the real reward comes from the characters: half a dozen separate, credible, involving individuals whose interactions are inescapably fascinating.
To The Top Of The Mountain is a complicated and intense novel, punctuated with wry moments of sly wit and graphic savagery. The writing has been skilfully crafted and translated to balance the pace of the investigation with poignant personal moments and gripping action sequences. For some, those more accustomed to American thrillers I suspect, it may take too long to establish the characters and deliver the final punchline. Some readers will be frustrated by the meandering path of the plot which circles ever tighter around the nub of the matter – but for me that’s what makes books like this so interesting.
Recommended for fans of Karin Fossum, Arnaldur Indriðason and Åke Edwardson. Also, if you enjoy TV series like The Protectors or Unit One.
9/10 show less
Although this is the third novel in the series you can skip the preceding two and cut to the chase: the opening chapters deftly explain the salient points of the back story. The team was disbanded after everything spiralled a little too wildly out show more of control at the end of the last book – but now an explosion in a prison, a killing in a pub, an investigation into hardcore porn and a host of other apparently unconnected threads all lead back to an ominous threat to public safety.
There's more detail about the plot and characters over at
http://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/to-the-top-of-the-mountain-t...
The real pleasure in Arne Dahl’s novels comes not from the intertwined plot threads and his skilful manipulation of time, place and person which draws the reader into an increasingly tense scenario. No, the real reward comes from the characters: half a dozen separate, credible, involving individuals whose interactions are inescapably fascinating.
To The Top Of The Mountain is a complicated and intense novel, punctuated with wry moments of sly wit and graphic savagery. The writing has been skilfully crafted and translated to balance the pace of the investigation with poignant personal moments and gripping action sequences. For some, those more accustomed to American thrillers I suspect, it may take too long to establish the characters and deliver the final punchline. Some readers will be frustrated by the meandering path of the plot which circles ever tighter around the nub of the matter – but for me that’s what makes books like this so interesting.
Recommended for fans of Karin Fossum, Arnaldur Indriðason and Åke Edwardson. Also, if you enjoy TV series like The Protectors or Unit One.
9/10 show less
There’s good Nordic noir. And there’s excellent Eurocrime. And there’s outstandingly accomplished crime writing which uses the genre to illustrate greater human truths, to bend perceptions, to shine light on subjects most folk would rather leave unseen in silent shadows. The Intercrime / A-unit series of police procedurals does all of the above.
Europa Blues is eloquent, entertaining and insightful. It’s also witty and gripping, not scared to blindside the reader with ugly truth and show more gruesome details. Sweden’s international crime investigation unit are confronted with a series of strange murders. They must find the links between a Mafioso being eaten by wolverines; a mugger who comes off much worse than his mark, and a Jewish concentration camp survivor who’s killed in an unusually weird way.
Arne Dahl uses his familiar cast of characters to add multiple dimensions which layer through the story, lifting the narrative beyond its immediate morality and into something much broader. He touches on the very nature of time, or how free market capitalism is the thin end of the fascist wedge, and Sweden’s unspoken guilt over the Holocaust. If this book wasn’t categorised as ‘crime’ then you’d find it on the ‘modern literature’ shelves.
Yet Europa Blues is never stuffy, never stifling. The interactions between the members of Intercrime are perfectly pitched; rolling banter which turns serious in a syllable. It’s all beautifully observed, from a personal to a political level, with a sprawling cast of generously developed characters. The author has a fine eye for the detail of an ensemble police procedural where the intertwining plot-lines are all skilfully controlled. He also demonstrates a blistering ability to portray the gruesome alongside the mundane so that it feels as if it might actually happen.
So I can just about forgive Dahl’s inclination to suddenly convert one of his characters into an unlikely version of Jason Bourne for a chapter of death-defying derring-do. The action-packed finale goes a bit boy’s own adventure and felt more than a little out of place.
That small snag aside, Europa Blues is a hugely satisfying novel on every level.
8/10
There’s a longer review over at https://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/europa-blues-swedish-brilli... show less
Europa Blues is eloquent, entertaining and insightful. It’s also witty and gripping, not scared to blindside the reader with ugly truth and show more gruesome details. Sweden’s international crime investigation unit are confronted with a series of strange murders. They must find the links between a Mafioso being eaten by wolverines; a mugger who comes off much worse than his mark, and a Jewish concentration camp survivor who’s killed in an unusually weird way.
Arne Dahl uses his familiar cast of characters to add multiple dimensions which layer through the story, lifting the narrative beyond its immediate morality and into something much broader. He touches on the very nature of time, or how free market capitalism is the thin end of the fascist wedge, and Sweden’s unspoken guilt over the Holocaust. If this book wasn’t categorised as ‘crime’ then you’d find it on the ‘modern literature’ shelves.
Yet Europa Blues is never stuffy, never stifling. The interactions between the members of Intercrime are perfectly pitched; rolling banter which turns serious in a syllable. It’s all beautifully observed, from a personal to a political level, with a sprawling cast of generously developed characters. The author has a fine eye for the detail of an ensemble police procedural where the intertwining plot-lines are all skilfully controlled. He also demonstrates a blistering ability to portray the gruesome alongside the mundane so that it feels as if it might actually happen.
So I can just about forgive Dahl’s inclination to suddenly convert one of his characters into an unlikely version of Jason Bourne for a chapter of death-defying derring-do. The action-packed finale goes a bit boy’s own adventure and felt more than a little out of place.
That small snag aside, Europa Blues is a hugely satisfying novel on every level.
8/10
There’s a longer review over at https://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/europa-blues-swedish-brilli... show less
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 61
- Also by
- 3
- Members
- 3,781
- Popularity
- #6,702
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 152
- ISBNs
- 648
- Languages
- 20
- Favorited
- 14