Bomber [Paperback]

Lisa Marklund (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2005

The sensational and utterly unforgettable thriller that exposes the soul of a culture...the heart of a people...and the mind of a killer...A bomb has not only destroyed Stockholm's new Olympic arena just months before the Summer Games, it has blown someone to pieces. Putting a city on edge with fears of a terrorist on the loose, the Bomber will become journalist Annika Bengtzon's biggest story - or the final nail in her coffin. Set against the breathtaking landscape of the Swedish winter, THE BOMBER draws in readers like the dark and edgy eye of a TV camera at a nighttime crime scene, delivering a climax that's a blasting cap on a short fuse, ready to detonate a reporter's world. Liza Marklund's extraordinary writing, bone-chilling plot and irresistible heroine have created an international phenomenon as explosive as the Bomber's devastating blasts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The problem with a lot of thrillers is that the main characters seem to exist in a world in which thriller novels don't exist, so suspicious actions that send off loud alarm bells in the average reader's mind are invariably rationalized or ignored by the protagonists. So it is in this by-the-numbers tale, in which Annika Bengtzon, crime editor for the Stockholm tabloid Kv„llspressen, investigates the bombing of the Olympic venue at Victoria Stadium, where the body of Christina Furhage, head of the committee organizing the Stockholm Games, has been literally blown to bits. Balancing the demands of her family and those of her job, pumping her police contact for information and trying to decide how much of it to publish while barely holding her own in the petty squabbles that flare up daily in the newsroom, Annika digs into Christina's past to find death threats, a hidden marriage and the underhanded way in which she got her job. And when a second bomb goes off, you can bet that Annika will be targeted by the killer, whom readers will have no problem recognizing. The translation by Kajsa von Hofsten is smooth and precise, and while there's an interesting examination of what women like Christina and Annika go through in a world run by men, it's undercut by backlash if the female characters aren't neglecting their families or snapping at their children, they're insane. And while Marklund draws an accurate picture of the pressures and responsibilities of a reporter's job and life, except for the Stockholm setting and a series of unattributed first-person essays whose provenance is deliberately misleading, there's little that makes this Swedish bestseller special. (May)Forecast: This international hot property is already a bestseller in Denmark, Finland and Norway, and will soon appear in Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan and Spain; international film rights have been optioned by Sweetwater. But despite European raves, the title may get lost in the shuffle on this side of the Atlantic.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A bomb explodes in the recently constructed Olympic village in Stockholm just months before the Summer Games are set to begin. Annika Bengtzon, recently promoted to crime editor for Kvallspressen, isn't convinced that this is a terrorist act. Her sources indicate that the bombing, which caused the death of an unidentified woman, is more likely the work of one individual. Like many intrepid reporters before her, Annika shrugs aside carping from her underlings and complaints from her husband to pursue the story. The author's background as a journalist is evident in Annika's fascinating search, which is artfully interspersed with chapters that delve into the mind of a mysterious other. The Bomber is touted as having been on the best seller list for a year in Sweden. Whether the novel will be a hit with American readers remains to be seen, though it will definitely appeal to fans of Patricia Cornwell and Jan Burke. Recommended for all public libraries. Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (August 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743440846
• ISBN-13: 978-0743440844
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,430,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DON'T MISS THIS ONE...SPECTACULAR, July 30, 2001

By 

Christine "loves to read" (Setauket, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bomber (Hardcover)

Already a best seller in Europe for over one year, THE BOMBER gives a terrific behind-the-scenes view of the Swedish tabloid business as told by author-journalist Liza Marklund. This is the tale of Annika Bengtzon and her courageous attempt to catch a killer while struggling with the stress and demands of a deteriorating family life.

Just a few days before Christmas, a bomb rips through the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm Sweden, killing the head of the Olympic Organizing Committee. In the media frenzy that follows, insistent crime tabloid reporter Annika Bengtzon uses shrewd investigation skills to keep her newspaper a step ahead of the competition. As she deftly unravels the layers of an apparent cover up, Annika finds a source within the police department who tells her that this was not the act of a deranged terrorist group as many have thought; but rather a cold-blooded execution designed by one lone murderer. Annika becomes completely consumed by the story, and in the process neglects her husband and small children. The plot goes into warp drive as she simultaneously juggles the high demands of her family life with the increasing stress of her male-dominated editorial job, and the looming threat of a malicious, cold-blooded assassin bent on making her his next victim.

THE BOMBER is a spectacular debut novel that focuses on investigative reporting and the increasing demands placed on working mothers. While the suspense may not be as calculating as other more well known bestsellers, it certainly works within the framework of the storyline. The only aspect of the novel which presented more of a mystery to me than the identity of the bomber is inclusion of a few "letters" intermittently dispersed throughout the book covering topics such as love, lies, humanity, happiness, etc. (what was THAT all about???????)

4 stars. Although the mystery gets light treatment and the puzzle is not very challenging, the translation by Kajsa Von Hofsen is superbly written.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Madd Bomber, January 23, 2003

By 

M. Taylor (Farmers Branch, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bomber (Hardcover)

This was one of the most spell-binding novels I've read in quite some time. It was excellent. So much so that I have just ordered another of Marklund's thrillers -- Studio Sex: An Annika Bengtzon Thriller. Just knowing that I again will be treated to another story woven around this very savy crime reporter, Annika Bengtzon, leaves me filled with anticipation.

The story of the bomber unfolds around pending Olympic Games to be held in Stockholm and; in particular, the life of the managing director. The author has done an outstanding job of making her characters very realistic. Indeed, one is most certainly able to identify with their day to day struggles. As I do with all books I have enjoyed, I dreaded finishing it; while at the same time I found myself unable to put it down. It was very gripping and intense to say the least.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Crime Story Undermined by Denouement, June 27, 2009

By 

Feanor (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bomber (Paperback)

This is a good piece of work that is undone by a somewhat loose denouement, and the villain's motivations do not appear meaty enough to result in the carnage produced. Of course, we could attribute this disconnect to the murderer's psychopathy, but even that revelation is so late in the book that it appears almost as an afterthought. But I liked the book overall for its acute description of a workplace that is suffused with rivalries, political and professional, and the difficulties faced by working women (especially working women who are good at and passionate about their work) vis-a-vis their families. This book is written from the perspective of a journalist, Annika Bengtzon, who is deep in the investigation of a bomb that has destroyed Stockholm's Olympic arena, killing one person, and who, despite having a police contact, is not entirely certain how the police investigation is going. She herself does not aim to solve the mystery; rather, she chases separate strands of possibilities raised by the information dug up by herself and her team. This is a neat trick on Marklund's part - the real police story is elsewhere but we get glimpses of it at third-hand, as it were, and Bengtzon's investigation reveals various side stories, which eventually all combine at the climax (which is where it all begins to go downhill, as I mentioned above). This is a very good thriller for a long flight, and I guess the Swedes must travel a lot, for the book has done phenomenally in their country.