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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining, but a bit stereotypical,
By
This review is from: The Fourth Man (Hardcover)
One of the latest trends in mystery writing is the Scandinavian mystery series. We all remember (or some of us, who are old enough, do) the series by Maj Sjovall and Per Wahloo from back in the seventies, but since there have only been a couple of writers. Lately, though, it seems every second book in the mystery section comes from the frozen North. This current book, by Norwegian mystery writer K.O. Dahl, is apparently rather typical.
Dahl is a competent writer, though his plot is a bit far-fetched. His main character, Frank Frolich, becomes involved with a witness to a violent arrest in Oslo, and soon is having a torrid affair with her. But she acts very strangely, and after a while this becomes a problem. It soon develops that she's related to a gang of criminals who are robbing Norwegian businesses, and that she used to date one of the gang. Then she vanishes, and Frolich, now under some suspicion from his colleagues, must discover what happened and what her connection to the criminal gang is. This is a reasonably good book. Foreign detective novels like this almost always, to me, have a dated feel to them, with the main character resembling Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade with a strange accent. In spite of that (or perhaps because of it) I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Obsession in Oslo,
By F. J. Harvey "Cricket ,country music and a go... (Birmingham England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Fourth Man (Hardcover)
A prefatory note to the UK paperback edition of this book informs the reader that Mr Dahl's first novel was published in 1993 but that it was not until this 2007 effort that his work was translated into English.It is set in Oslo ,the capital of Norway and its protagonist is a police officer Detective Frank Frolich ,who becomes obsessed with a woman he meets while operating a police surveillance .She is Elisabeth Faremo and they soon become bedfellows .What she neglects to tell him is that her brother ,Johnny Faremo is a career criminal with a prison record .When an armed robbery at a warehouse goes wrong and a part time security guard killed by one of the robbers an anonymous tipoff implicates Johnny Faremo and some of his known associates.Elisabeth alibis him however and questions are raised withinn the Police department about Frolich's wisdom in maintaining the relationship with the sister of a known felon.Soon she disappears and her brother is murdered .It also emerges that she is in another relationship -a gay affair with a university lecturerer ,reidun Vestli.
The -literally -key to the whole mystery is a safe deposit box key which holds the secret of a stolen Bellini painting and financial fraud involving a prominent businessman ,Narvesen .Before the case is brought to its bitter sweet conclusion Frolich must contend with two attempts on his life , a suicide and further deaths . Frolich is a rather dull figure and altogether more interesting is his boss,the taciturn and wry Gunnarstranda The atmosphere of a windy ,wet and freezing Oslo is evocatively done and the seamy side of the city-its lap dancing clubs and seedier bars-is thoroughly trawled .Its an engrossing tale but a bit overplotted and the ending ,in which the plot stands are unwound comes across as old fashioned and plodding..However as a study in obsession and greed this is pretty well done even if somwhat cold and unemotional. It is a good change of pace for those wanting a break from Anglophone crime writing
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Norwegian writer to follow,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Fourth Man (Paperback)
A well written and imaginative story. Sometimes confusing for an old lady like me but never gave up. More sex and emotional factors than any other Scandinavian police procedural, not really so necessary but didn't detract from the overall story. Perhaps to attract American readers. Back cover 'blurb' compares Dahl to Henning Mankell - no one can write like Mankell.
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