Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Martin Holmén, Echo Publishing, $29.99.
Described as “gritty, stylish Scandinavian noir from one of Sweden’s hottest emerging authors”, Slugger is the third thriller in a set of three. It is realistic.
Ex-boxer Harry Kvist takes on one last case in the final book in The Stockholm Trilogy – after Clinch and Down for the Count.
Slugger is set during an oppressive heatwave in the seedy underbelly of 1930s Stockholm. Tensions between fascists and communists simmer past boiling point. With that backdrop, Harry Kvist wants out.
However, before that happens, his old friend Reverend Gabrielsson is brutally murdered. Kvist decides to take on one last case and catch the killer since the police are more interested in fuelling anti-Semitic rhetoric.
During the investigation Kvist stumbles on a Nazi terrorist plot, uncovers police corruption and is caught up in a brewing turf war between two of Stockholm’s worst gangs.
Set on the background of Europe heading towards World War II, the book has a historical foundation that adds palpable tension and fear to the volatile plot.
Politics is of no interest to the former boxer. He is devastated by the murder of his friend, a kindly priest known to include humour and compassion in his sermons.
Kvist, a multi-faceted character and a shrewd narrator, may not be likeable but he is a convincing character.
While Holmén has written a novel that entertains, it also holds your attention. It is a disquieting read in which the historical accuracy places focus on a number of significant issues.
