Kjell Eriksson (1) (1953–)

The author of this excellent series stopped writing for quite a few years (8, I think) so I was glad to see he has resume his Ann Lindell series.

As the series continues Ann Lindell has left the Uppsala police force for retirement in the country, where she is enjoying retirement (she has taken up making cheese). When a old local former school building is set on fire and three people die, Anne can’t help but get involved (although to her credit, she mostly lets her colleagues investigate). show more While this is being investigated a bomb explodes in Stockholm….

I’ve enjoyed this excellent series over the years. The character of Anne is complex and more realistic that many females in crime novels. She is present in this book but doesn’t dominate (she is retired after all). The crime story intensifies about a third of the way in, is more complex, and I admit I had trouble following some of it. Still, despite my difficulties, I thought this a very good, diverting read. show less

THE HAND THAT TREMBLES is three stories that merge into one statement about society and the ties that hold people to a communal past as well as a personal one.

Sven-Arne Persson is a married man, a county commissioner, an active member of the Socialist party. One day, he leaves a high level meeting and disappears. Twelve years later, he is recognized by another Swede who sees him in the streets of Bangalore, India.

Detective Ann Lindell is given the responsibility of investigating the show more circumstances of a foot, in a sandal, that washed up on the beach.

Ann’s superior, Berglund is recuperating from the successful removal of a brain tumor. He eagerly devotes his recuperation time to review all the evidence and interviews that were conducted when Nils Gottfied Dufva, an elderly man in a wheelchair, was found beaten to death in 1993. Berglund was a patrol constable at the time but he feels a responsibility to the victim in this cold case.

From these points, the story winds back and forth through decades and continents. Arne Persson, Sven-Arne’s uncle, is a mighty force in his nephew’s life and in the life of the community. Sven-Arne is a committed member of the Socialist party; Arne is red to the soul, a Communist who went to Spain to defeat the emerging Fascist government led by Francisco Franco. Arne is an old man but in full control of his intelligence and his memories. As his time on earth is drawing to a close, Arne is haunted by some of those moments.

As Ann Lindell tries to discover the identity of the woman who was dismembered, she finds herself interviewing the residents of a small community, the people who live on the “avenue” in the section of town called Bultudden. This neighborhood remembers too well the suicide of one long time resident of their community, another act that reaches out to cloud the lives of those living in the present.

From the act that drove Sven-Arne from Sweden, to the murder and dismemberment of the woman , to the suicide of one who sees no alternative, to the bludgeoning of an old man, THE HAND THAT TREMBLES hands the strands to Ann Lindell and leave it to her untangle the knots. This is a complicated story that moves from one time period to another without much notice. It is not an easy story to summarize. It requires the reader to accept the notion of generational guilt. Europe is roiled today by the influx of immigrants coupled with the resurgence of the Nazi party. There is nothing “neo” about the groups whose philosophy spurs hate.

As seen through the eyes of the brilliant Nordic writers publishing in the twenty-first century, the culture and the people of Scandinavia are still facing the political reality of the domination of most of western Europe by Nazi politics and culture. The Swedish flirtation with communism during the 1930′s was a reaction to the Spanish Civil War. Germany and Italy supported Franco and the Soviet Union supported the republican faction. The International Brigades were made up of volunteers from across Europe and the United States. Arne’s life spirals out from his experience, including the death of a friend. The face of the enemy is Swedish and the passage of years does not change the desire for revenge.

Eriksson doesn’t forget that most crimes don’t have deep roots. Some are motivated by greed, lust, and envy in the moment. Small communities, like Bultudden, pass secrets through the generations in the same manner as they pass on property. As usual, books by Kjell Eriksson are character driven and the characters who fare best are those who serve in the police. Old crimes never die and, for men like Berglund, the past is present. show less

This claustrophobic character study may not be the best choice for readers who like action and puzzle-solving, but if you take the time to savor it, it’s very good. An elderly man living in a prestigious neighborhood has just received news that he’s going to receive the Nobel Prize for medicine. We soon learn that he may not actually deserve it, and in any case he’s a mean, demanding, self-important tyrant of his own home. The demands he puts on his loyal elderly housekeeper, the third show more woman in her family to work for this wealthy family, is reaching the end of her tether. In some ways this is an inside-out mystery. The series detective, Ann Lindell, appears late in the book, and so does the crime. What’s fascinating is to watch this highly traditional household slowly unravel. Translated by Paul Norlen. show less

This is the first novel I have read in this series. I guess I'm drawn to Nordic mysteries because I enjoy winter.
At first I thought that the support characters were not a flesh out as I felt they should of been. I wanted more information on the other detectives. Then it hit me, this is the eight book of a series, did I really want the author to waste a couple of chapters filling me in on the supporting characters. So many authors spend chapters letting the reader know what they missed in show more previous books, that it distracts from the novel. I feel it is the readers responsiblity to read the prior books in the series.
This novel had many plots and sub-plots and characters. Also some incidents take place in the past, then the present, even in other countries.The reader has to pay attention while reading, and not let their mind wander.I don't mean this is a bad thing. I feel the Eriksson handle this amazingly well. show less