Anders Roslund

"Three Minutes," by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellström, is the compelling story of Piet Hoffmann, an ex-con who has been to hell and back. He was sentenced to life in a Swedish jail, was nearly killed, and escaped to South America with his wife and two young sons. Now, Piet is the bodyguard and right-hand man of El Mestizo (nicknamed Johnny), the psychopathic head of a Colombian drug cartel. Johnny does not suspect that Piet is also an informant for the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency. show more Hoffmann sends the DEA the locations of cocaine factories and details of pending drug shipments. He hopes that, in return for the valuable intelligence he provides, he will be allowed to return Sweden as a free man. In his corner is Stockholm detective Ewert Grens, a curmudgeon whose one soft spot is the love he feels for his late wife.

This is a lengthy, complex, and violent thriller that derives its power from vivid figurative language, unpredictable twists and turns, and a stinging indictment of cynical and self-serving government officials in three continents. Piet knows that, ultimately, he can rely on no one but himself, since promises are made to be broken. Roslund and Hellström transport us to dense, insect-ridden jungles, and horrify us with accounts of Colombian boys trained to carry out assassinations in exchange for cash from drug lords. Timothy Crouse, the United States Speaker of the House, has a personal reason to despise drugs and those who peddle them for profit. He pays a visit to Colombia to oversee operations that he helped fund, not realizing that he is placing himself and his security force in grave peril.

This novel requires intense concentration, a large investment of time, and a strong stomach for scenes of murder and torture. "Three Minutes" is a powerful tale that conveys how cynicism and greed can motivate people to commit malicious and immoral acts. The characters are well-rounded—even Johnny shows occasional flashes of humanity—and Roslund and Hellström infuse their narrative with intriguing details about satellite imagery; encrypted communications; and even an undetectable way of smuggling cocaine. The book's last page is stunning and unexpected; it left me bewildered and disheartened. I am still pondering the finale. show less

Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström collaborated on six well-received thrillers before Hellström died in 2017. Roslund's latest novel is "Three Hours," ably translated from the Swedish by Elizabeth Clark Wessel. The hero is Detective Superintendent Ewert Grens, a dour, brusque, but still sharp sixty-four-year-old who has been a police officer for forty years. He is not doing well, either physically or emotionally. Grens is out of shape and has been depressed since his beloved wife, Anni, show more died after spending many years in a nursing home. So far, he is unwilling to let go of his long-standing guilt and bottomless grief.

At least, Ewert's job keeps him busy, and he is initially puzzled when five bodies that had never been logged in mysteriously turn up in two local morgues. Adding to the mystery, trained cadaver dogs find a shipping container containing sixty-eight corpses on a loading dock at Vartä Harbor. To his horror, Ewert learns that a band of well-connected and unscrupulous individuals are taking in large sums of money from refugees who are fleeing war and starvation. The desperate migrants are stuffed into overloaded and rickety vessels and promised admission to a welcoming country. Tragically, not everyone makes it to his or her destination.

"Three Hours" is a powerful, darkly poetic (an example: "Few scenes are as forlorn as a big city that's suddenly fallen silent."), and well-constructed tale of good vs. evil, although at times the lines between right and wrong become blurred. At almost four hundred pages, the story drags a bit now and then, but the second half is particularly suspenseful and mesmerizing. The author explores the intricacies of homicide investigations; his dialogue is incisive and often witty; and Roslund skillfully fleshes out his large cast of characters. Underneath Ewert's gruff exterior, he is compassionate and, much to his surprise, discovers that he has a soft spot for children. In addition, he relies a great deal on his dedicated, tireless, and brilliant subordinates, Mariana Hermansson and Sven Sundkvist. Because of the delicate nature of this operation, Ewert reluctantly recruits Piet Hoffman, a former undercover agent who has done time in prison. Hoffman is courageous, reckless, and a genius at handling weaponry and explosive devices. He is the only person that Grens knows who has the necessary skills to neutralize the conspirators. "Three Hours" is a chilling, compelling, and timely work of fiction that will anger anyone who is repelled by callous opportunists who are indifferent to the suffering of others. show less

This is a relentless thriller of a book. Piet Hoffman is a police informer who has worked his way up in the Polish mafia as it seeks to take over the drugs trade in Sweden. Shortly after he watches a man be shot at close range, he is introduced to the top members of the criminal group and is given a job by them that will allow the Swedish police to close down their Swedish activities. He is to go into a high security prison as an inmate and take over the drugs trade for the Polish mafia. show more This will provide the Swedish police the chance to catch the bad guys and to destroy the drug supply to the prison. The problem is that the detective assigned to solve that initial murder is getting close to the truth, which would expose a lot more than the identity of a murderer.

The book then follows Piet, as he navigates increasingly perilous waters and Grens, a troubled but relentless investigator. The success of one means a failure for the other, but I was rooting for both of them. The plot is intricate, but doesn't rely on coincidence or leaps of logic. Lastly, the book itself was bound with unusual care, with decked edges, smooth, high quality paper and beautiful end pages. It was a pleasure to read. show less

Three Seconds is an engrossing read about the Swedish legal system, the influx of Eastern European criminals, and use of informers, delivered by a plot with many twists and turns.

The characters are well developed personalities that made the story current and believable. I was very drawn to Ewert Grens, the quirky Detective Inspector that starts off investigating a drug murder and ends up with a case of deep intrigue and political manoeuvrings. Piet Hoffman, the informer, earned my respect show more and care, his was a life of such extremes, a loving family man on the one hand, a desperate, betrayed informer on the other, living a lie, where one misstep could result in death.

The POV switches between these two and many other characters giving insight into the events as they happen. There is a lot of information and development to take in but the story is broken into many small segments which made for easy reading. The plot is laid out slowly at the beginning but the pace soon quickened and eventually drew me along at breakneck speed.

I found Three Seconds to be an intelligent, absorbing and dark thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. show less