Detective Inspector Huss, by Helene Tursten
By Peter on Nov 6, 2009 in Crime Books, Excellent book, Helene Tursten, Swedish writer, book review
Inspector Irene Huss, stationed in Goteborg, is called through the rain-drenched wintry streets to the scene of an apparent suicide. The dead man landed on the sidewalk in front of his luxurious duplex apartment. He was a wealthy financier connected, through an old-boys’ network,
So begins this exciting crime novel, Detective Inspector Huss, written by yet another talented Swedish crime writer, Helene Tursten. Helene Tursten has been compared to PD James in her native Sweden. Her two subsequent Irene Huss mysteries have been highly praised. She was born in Goteborg, where she now lives, in 1954. So far three of her books have been translated into English.
Detective Inspector Huss is an intriguing police procedural from Swedish author Tursten, the first in a new series. Its heroine, Huss, is a sympathetic 40-something detective attempting to juggle a demanding job and her family life.
Rather quickly Huss and her competent team trace von Knecht’s life into the criminal underground of drug dealing and motorcycle gangs. Then the case turns deadly again when a bomb blows up Von Knecht’s business office, killing two people. Huss and her squad struggle with finding the motive. Fuss, however, has a feeling that von Knecht’s underworld and business connections have crossed at a fatal junction. This makes her worry that more killings will follow if she is unable to stop the unknown perpetrator.
Remarkably, there’s little about the mystery, the characters’ personalities and motivations or the police approach to solving the crimes that couldn’t easily be transposed to a contemporary American setting. Huss herself is an entirely plausible creation – smart, competent, but fallible – and the exchanges between the various police officers with whom she works help define them as three-dimensional as well. Through solid, patient police work, the good guys catch the murderer, whose identity, while not a total surprise, provides a nice narrative twist.
The characters, from the police to suspects and witnesses, all are exceedingly well-drawn and believable. Detective Inspector Huss is especially likable, as a 40-ish woman in a male dominated profession filled with casual sexism. Her coworkers are all intriguing, from enigmatic Hannu, to wheezing supervisor Andersson, bright young Brigitta, arrogant Medical Examiner Stridner, and the many technicians who assist the investigation. Huss’s personal life adds great depth and sympathy to her character, especially the subplot involving one of her daughter’s flirtation with neo-Nazism. Ethnicity comes into play as well, with several characters having Finnish backgrounds that render them quite alien to the Swedes.
The pacing of Detective Inspector Huss is quite good considering the book’s length and complexity. Also, the translation is exceedingly smooth and readable. We strongly recommend this book!
, The Torso
, and The Glass Devil
Order books by Helene Tursten from amazon UK here: Detective Inspector Huss
Order books by Helene Tursten in German from amazon DE: Feuertanz
You may also want to take a look at our reviews of books by Ake Edwardson, Arnaldur Indridason or Karin Fossum!
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