In this crime drama, set in Bergen, Norway, detective Varg Veum's adventures take him into a dark world of privileged citizens who have been drawn into cross-dressing, drugs, and prostitution. When the local judge is discovered dead and clad only in women's lingerie in a luxury hotel, Varg is called in to explain the judge's death. Soon, when a teenage girl suddenly goes missing and her parents ask that he find her, Varg learns that all of the clues lead him deeper into Bergen't criminal underworld.
The Writing on the Wall
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About the Author
Gunnar Staalesen is a leading author of crime stories. His books have been translated into more than 12 languages and have twice won Norway's top crime-writing prize, the Golden Pistol. Hal Sutcliffe is a prize-winning translator affiliated with the European Union.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Trafficking in Norway,
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This review is from: The Writing on the Wall (Paperback)
The story starts out with a bang. A seventy-year-old judge is found dead of a heart attack in a hotel room, wearing women's underwear. After that, the focus switches, and things move more slowly into a lot of frustrating investigation and interviewing.
Private investigator Varg Veum has been hired to look for a sixteen-year-old girl gone missing. Torild Skagestøl is from a good family, but as Veum looks into her habits and associates, he gradually uncovers her connection with a procurement service for clients who like very young teenage girls. At first I felt I didn't know Varg Veum well enough to get caught up in his concerns. But his background does become clear after a while. He worked for many years in Child Welfare, and he has a particular aversion to seeing adults neglect and mistreat children. A fifty-year-old sociologist type, Veum has a nice way of relating to his age-appropriate girlfriend. On the other hand, he's no pushover. He fights dirty when he has to. Although Gunnar Staalesen's books are immensely popular internationally, they're just trickling through to the U.S as far as I can tell. I do feel that if I'd read the earlier books, I would be more tuned into the main character. That said, the plot does pick up momentum if you stick with it, and Staalesen delivers a strong ending. So all in all, I'd recommend the book. It offers an interesting look at contemporary Norway, too.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Writing on the Wall,
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This review is from: The Writing on the Wall (Paperback)
This is a remarkable crime fiction novel. Very dense descriptions of locale, culture in Norway, personalities, problems of culture at large. This work is aimed at the way society takes advantage of women, and especially young women. This is a artful condemnation of the "old boy" culture and the ridiculous things men are allowed to do at the expense of 50 percent of our citizens. I loved this book. The start was strange and it took me a while to get fully involved but after 80 pages I was not going to leave these people and this story till I had the whole picture. I agree with the premise of the book and thank the author for sending it out to all of us.
Brian Oldham
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Really dull.,
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This review is from: The Writing on the Wall (Kindle Edition)
Sorry, but I don't agree with the reviews posted here. This is just a dull, old-fashioned genre piece. The lead character is forgettable, the pace relentlessly slow, and, worst of all, I really didn't care to find out who done it. (BTW, am a big fan of a lot of new Scandinavian crime fiction).
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First Sentence:
When one Friday afternoon in February Judge HC Brandt, age seventy, was found dead in one of the better hotels in town, wearing nothing but flimsy women's underwear, rumours soon began to spread. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
safe list Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Birger Bjelland, Astrid Nikolaisen, Torild Skagestel, Holger Skagestel, Helge Hagavik, Laila Mongstad, Kenneth Persen, Vidar Waagenes, Randi Furebe, Sidsel Skagestel, Trond Furebe, Trond Furebo, Evy Berge, Dankert Muus, Holger Skagestol, Kathrine Haugane, Varg Veum, Torild Skagestol, Gerd Nikolaisen, Pastel Hotel, Bjorn Brevik, Harry Hopsland, Helene Sandal, Sigrun Sevik, Atle Helleve New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When one Friday afternoon in February Judge HC Brandt, age seventy, was found dead in one of the better hotels in town, wearing nothing but flimsy women's underwear, rumours soon began to spread. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
safe list Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Birger Bjelland, Astrid Nikolaisen, Torild Skagestel, Holger Skagestel, Helge Hagavik, Laila Mongstad, Kenneth Persen, Vidar Waagenes, Randi Furebe, Sidsel Skagestel, Trond Furebe, Trond Furebo, Evy Berge, Dankert Muus, Holger Skagestol, Kathrine Haugane, Varg Veum, Torild Skagestol, Gerd Nikolaisen, Pastel Hotel, Bjorn Brevik, Harry Hopsland, Helene Sandal, Sigrun Sevik, Atle Helleve New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
3
books
cite this book:
- Because of the Cats: A Case for Van der Valk (Eurocrime) by Nicolas Freeling in Back Matter
- Final Curtain (Eurocrime series) by Kjersti Scheen in Front Matter
- The Janeites (Euro Crime) by Nicolas Freeling in Back Matter
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