The Hand That Trembles

So this is a Swedish detective novel. Slow start but it picked up and ended well. Great use of the stark Swedish gestalt of land, sea, and outlook. Didn't expect at least part of the ending. I am back and forth about the use of India but it was a good contrast to sweden. Will definitely read another KE book and will put Uppsala on the list.

Standard Scandinavian detective stuff but much better than average. Lots in it and well put together. The translation was pretty clunky and needed much better proofreading but a good satisfying read.

When Sven-Arne Persson—a leader in Uppsala, Sweden’s city politics—walked out of a council meeting and disappeared twelve years ago, people generally believed he had committed suicide even though no body was ever found. But twelve years later Jan Svensk, on a business trip to India from Uppsala, has no doubt whatsoever that the man he passed in the street and saw later at a restaurant is, indeed, the “the county commissioner who went up in smoke.” And, when Sven-Arne recognizes his former Uppsala neighbor, he knows that his simple, peaceful life as an illegal alien in India has ended. Meanwhile, back in Uppsala, Detective Ann Lindell announces to a hospitalized Detective Berglund, “A foot has washed ashore outside show more Öregrund.” Just a foot in a boot—no body.

As the fourth title in the Ann Lindell series, Kjell Eriksson’s The Hand That Trembles does not begin as a mystery. Rather, Eriksson begins his complex plot in 1956 by describing how as a boy Sven-Arne came to identify with his Uncle Ante, a man changed forever by his experience fighting the fascists in Spain. The narrative then jumps briefly to 1993, then 2005 with Sven-Arne living a laborer’s life in Bangalore, India. When Detective Lindell enters the narrative, however, the past and present begin to coalesce into the familiar rhythms of the police procedural. Lindell, a single mother, reluctantly agrees to investigate the severed foot found in Öregrund, even though the location is painfully close to where her former lover still resides. The investigation leads her to the small, isolated community on Bultudden Point where three bachelors, each living alone, appear the most likely suspects. At the same time, Lindell is drawn into the investigation of another murder in Uppsala, a cold case from 1993 that still haunts Berglund, Lindell's colleague and mentor. These multiple stories, skillfully woven together, keep the narrative moving and the reader engaged.

The Hand That Trembles is one of those mysteries that allow the reader to vicariously experience another country and culture from the inside and to view history from a different mindset than our own. Kjell Eriksson’s Ann Lindell will definitely find a home with those who love Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallender or Arnaldur Indriđason’s Erlendur Sveinsson. It’s a lonely job but somebody’s got to do it.

The previous three books in this series, in order, are The Princess of Barundi, The Cruel Stars of Night, and The Demon from Dakar. show less

The Hand that Trembles is the fourth in Eriksson’s Ann Lindell series, but I felt pretty comfortable reading it without having read the previous installments. There are multiple story lines in this crime novel - mainly the reappearance of a Swedish county commissioner in Bangalore, India, who was presumed dead and a mysterious severed foot found near the remote community of Bultudden. Ann Lindell is responsible for solving the case of the severed foot. Eriksson develops interesting characters and well-constructed plot lines. As simple as the stories may seem, they involve numerous players that leave you wondering where the truth lies.

The Scandinavians are really flooding the American market in the wake of Stieg Larsson’s success. I show more see the appeal. The Hand that Trembles, like all the others I’ve read, have a distinct psychological element to the narrative that enhances the crime story. Also like most Scandinavian crime novels I’ve read in the last year or two, the pace is slow, but the payoff seems worth it in the end. Even though I tend to struggle a bit with the pacing of the first 100-200 pages and tell myself no more Scandinavian crime novels, the final push and resolution always leaves me ready to jump back into the Scandinavian milieu. If you’ve become a fan of the Scandinavian crime novel or Ann Lindell specifically, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by The Hand that Trembles.

http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-hand-that-trembles.html show less

I've read a few Nordic mysteries lately, and was looking forward to reading this one. While I found the story interesting, I think the fact that I had not read the other books in the Lindell series was a handicap. I kept feeling like I was missing something; the characters didn't seem as developed to me which is probably because the development was ongoing throughout the series. I also found the mystery of the foot much more interesting than that of Sven-Arne Persson.

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 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 show more 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 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 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 show more 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