The Bomber

I certainly know of Liza Marklund - I've been steering patrons towards her books when they ask for 'another' Scandinavian author. I've read reviews of her books and know that they're good reads, but hadn't actually sampled one myself until I sat down with The Bomber. And yes - she's very good!

Annika Bengtzon is the newly promoted head of the crime division at The Evening Post newspaper in Stockholm, Sweden. She's having a hard time juggling family life with two small children and a husband who is also devoted to his career. Adding in staff that seem determined to see her fail ratchets up the stress in her life.

When a call comes in that there had been a bombing at the Olympic village that is under construction for the upcoming summer show more Olympics, Annika answers the initial call herself. But is it a terrorist act or murder? Annika's nose for ferreting out the real story is fantastic for the paper, but maybe not so good for her personally. She's put herself on the killer's radar....

I loved this character! Annika is nowhere near perfect. Marklund has made here into a believable, likable 'real' person. She struggles with everyday pressures, tries to overcome her insecurity and be a good mother, wife and boss. She doesn't always succeed. But where she does succeed is in her dedication to ferreting out a story, seeing clues and connections that others miss. Bengtzon's reporter instincts and actions ring true as Marklund herself worked as a reporter and editor, and it shows in her writing.

I also found the plotting to be excellent. Although there were plenty of suspects, I didn't figure out who is was until almost the last page. I became quite caught up in the story. The everyday details of Annika's life also provided an interesting look at life in Sweden.

This was a character and series I definitely enjoyed and I'll be picking others by this author. (And I can forgive Marklund teaming up with James Patterson for a co written book.) show less

The suspense level in THE BOMBER is enhanced by the fact that the action, the bomb blast at the newly constructed Olympic stadium in Stockholm, takes place just a week before Christmas. This has the effect of a sort of count down, can the police or the journalists solve the mystery before Christmas Day?

Once the identity of the bomb victim has been established, there are many, including journalists, who believe that it is a threat by terrorists against the Olympics being held in Stockholm. Others, police included, believe it is an inside job, directed personally against the head of Sweden's Olympic Committee Bid. The first point of view seems reinforced when a second bombing occurs at another Olympic venue.

For Annika Bengtzon, head of a show more newspaper's crime section, reporting the bombings brings it's own challenges. She has spent a number of years establishing a relationship with a police "deep throat" but much of what he tells her can't be released to the public. Members of her own team begin to challenge Annika's authority when she refuses to use the terrorism line.

Annika is also a young mother whose husband has a stressful job too, and Marklund explores the strains of their relationship particularly when Annika's job puts her family in danger. It is clear that the author is also using the novel to explore what happens when a woman works in a male-dominated profession.

Another issue that surfaces from the author's journalism background is that of the steps print newspapers have to take to survive in a world of technological change. I thought there was maybe a little too much about marketing strategies but the bits about the tough decisions that chief editors have to make to ensure that their papers survive was well done.

The novel comes with its own puzzle too: there are seven chapters with headings: Existence, Love, Humanity etc. The reader is never clearly told until the end whose life story these chapters describe. show less

aking place in Stockholm this is a Nordic thriller about three women. I really empathized with Annika, who has been promoted as a boss in the mostly male world of journalism. Trying to cope with two children, a husband and a group of employees who are bitter that she has been promoted over them, she faces her first real crisis when a bombing with a fatality occurs at the new Olympic venue. The tension was palpable, whether it was in her personal life or in her investigation into The Bomber. Layers are unpeeled as the story unravels, the other two woman coming into play. Enjoyed this book, quite a bit, thought it was a very well done suspense story.

Readers, beware! While this is the first published book in a series of 8 novels, it is not the first story in the chronology of the protaganist's career. The second novel in this series takes place eight years prior to The Bomber, followed by books 3 and 4 which also "occur" before The Bomber. The plot is very interesting and the story moves at a crisp pace. Throughout, I kept wondering how our heroine would solve the case, and what would the climax be like? Would there be a parlor confrontation? a set-up? How would she outwit the police and get there first ? Well, the answer is......not as I expected, and very well done. So I will try abnother book in this series, but maybe not the next one, perhaps rather the 3rd or 4th the author has show more written, if I can figure out which they are. Why? Well, as interesting as the novel is - and it has other pluses, like describing how a Swedish newspaper works, and how a good reporter gets info from an unwilling source, it does have a few week points. There are sections that feel they don't belong, or are at least they're too long and tangential to the story. Sometimes the dialog doesn't sound right, and I can't tell if that's an author issue or a translator issue. I suspect the former, which is not unusual for a first effort. So I want to try a later book and see if grates as much. I hope not, I think I'd like to read this series, but like they say in baseball: "Two strikes and you're out". show less

A very readable thriller featuring Annika Bengtzon, a journalist, in Sweden. The denoument was over the top but overall worth a read.

Another Great Read from Liza Marklund.

somewhat violent, surprise endings and great character/story