The Laughing Policeman

The Laughing Policeman
Average customer rating:

Solving a Cold Case

Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds.

Not a Barrel of Laughs

Do mass murderers have an inherited criminal streak?

Hot & Cold Cases Combined

The Laughing Policeman
Maj Sjowall , and Per Wahloo
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

German | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0679742239
Release Date: 1992-12-01

Amazon.com

In this classic police procedural, the ever-dyspeptic Martin Beck has nothing to be amused about, even though it's Christmastime. Åke Stenstrom, a young detective in Beck's squad, has just been killed in an unprecedented mass murder aboard a Stockholm city bus. Was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or did he push a murderer too far in his efforts to make a name for himself on the force? Realizing that Stenstrom's presence on the bus was no mere coincidence, his compatriots retrace his steps and chase years-old clues to a crime long thought unsolvable. Along with Roseanna, this is one of the best of Sjöwall and Wahlöö's ten Martin Beck mysteries.

Book Description

With its wonderfully observed lawmen (including the inimitable Martin Beck), its brilliantly rendered felons and their murky Stockholm underworld, and its deftly engineered plot, The Laughing Policeman is a classic of the police procedural and "must reading for anyone who claims to be [a student] of the best detective fiction" (Saturday Review).

Customer Reviews:

Solving a Cold Case.......2007-03-09

In November 1968 there was a big demonstration by the American Embassy in Stockholm in spite of the pouring rain. Two policemen find a bus that went off the road. Eight bodies, one a detective, and a lot of shells. Detective Martin Beck is called from home for this mass murder. Chapter 8 has the press conference; little was known. Could a madman have planned this so carefully? When they question the girlfriend of the slain detective they learn he had been working hard on a secret investigation (Chapter 13). Martin Beck and the other detectives began questioning the people who knew the victims. The last victim mentioned a name before dying (Chapter 14). They identified the murder weapon: a Finnish Suomi Lahti from WW II (Chapter 18). Their psychologists wrote a profile on a mass murderer. Usually quite normal and polite until they suddenly erupt. (Is this profile right?)

Chapter 19 recapitulated what they know about the nine victims from the bus. They know detective Stenström was skilled at shadowing. How could he have been surprised? Following the leads results in the name of the unknown victim (Chapter 22). Another lead results in the arrest of narcotic dealers (Chapter 23). Martin Beck figures out the 16-year old unsolved murder that Stenström was investigating, the most hopeless case (Chapter 24). The police activity affected the underworld, they helped in the hunt. The investigation continued. Then there was a break on the identification of a car seen where a body was dumped 16 years ago (Chapter 28). Newly recovered facts point to a person on the list of suspects (Chapter 29). The solution to the crime occurs in Chapter 30. At the end Martin Beck received a telephone call from the detective who searched Stenström's apartment and found a name. Beck began to laugh.

This story seems implausible in having people killed in public when only one is a danger to a murderer. The authors have used a mass murder to create an unusual plot. Could over 60 shots be fired with no one hearing them?

Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds........2007-01-11

George Santayana

On a rainy Stockholm night a gunman opens fire on Stockholm bus, killing eight passengers and critically wounding a ninth. The crime scene is bloody and chaotic. Critical clues may have been destroyed when the first police officers arrive on the scene and trample through the bus. Police Superintendent Martin Beck is placed in charge of the investigation. There appear to be no clues and no apparent motive. His task is the monumental one of taking this chaotic scene and imposing enough order on it so that clues may be found, leads followed, and the criminal or criminals brought to justice. The physical and mental burdens of the job are compounded by emotional burdens once Beck discovers that one of the victims happens to be a detective who worked in Martin Beck's unit. That is the plot that unfolds in the opening pages of Per Wahloo and Maj Sowall's remarkably well-crafted "The Laughing Policeman".

The Laughing Policeman, published in Sweden in 1968 and in the U.S. in 1971 (winner of that year's Edgar Award for Best Novel), was the fourth in a series of ten Martin Beck mysteries written by the Swedish, husband and wife team of Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall. The plot and structure of the four Beck mysteries I've read to date do not deviate from the standard format found in any well-written police procedural. However, what sets the Beck mysteries apart is their location and character development. Naturally enough, each book is a small window into Swedish life and culture in the 1960s and 1970s when the books were written. Further, as the series develops the character of Beck and his colleagues evolve and the reader slowly obtains a real feel for Beck and his fellow police officers. By the fourth book, the personalities of Martin Beck and his police colleagues have developed to the point where the reader almost has an instinct for how each will react to a given situation. At the same time the characters, especially Beck, remain far from predictable. However, they are already fully formed in the authors' minds and for that reason I suggest reading these books in order.

I do not think it appropriate to divulge any details about a police procedural such as this so I will leave it to the reader to see how Martin Beck and his crew slowly put together the pieces of the puzzle behind the killings. The authors are quite good at keeping the pot boiling. They don't reveal too much too early and they do not rely on Sherlock Holmes-like deductions to take the place of crafting a story. Additionally, the writing is filled with funny moments and asides. In its own way the Beck mysteries provide a very interesting glimpse into Swedish life and culture in the 1960s and 1970s. In the hands of Wahloo and Sjowall, Beck's conversations are filled with both blunt exchanges and very sly, sardonic comments that kept me chucking throughout. I was also impressed with how the authors have slowly continued to build up their protagonists back stories. By this volume in the series the reader has a pretty good idea as to the home lives and personal idiosyncrasies of all the major characters. They are free from stereotype and make reading the book a more enjoyable experience.

The Laughing Policeman was a good read, one of those books that you feel you must finish just one more chapter before heading off to bed or back to work. Highly recommended. L. Fleisig

Not a Barrel of Laughs.......2006-11-21

The Laughing Policeman is the best known book of the multi-volume Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Despite the title there is little laughing in this grim and gloomy yet classic police procedural. The book is marked by the sparse dialogue and buttoned-down personalities of the Swedish characters. (The book was later made into a movie of the same name starring Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern, but set in San Francisco!)

The entire detective force of Sweden is assigned to solve the murder of 9 people on a Stockholm bus in 1968 (an anti-war - Vietnam that is - demonstration is the backdrop for the book's opening). One of the murdered is Ake Stenstrom, a Stockholm detective. His presence on the bus begins to unravel the mystery of this seemingly random and insane mass murder. Insane it may be, but never random.

Each detective obsessively follows their own path and the paths lead into Stockholm's underworld. Could an old unsolved murder somehow be related to this insane bloodshed many years later? Mass murder so un-Swedish after all - the police don't even have any psychological profiles they can use. Can the always miserable Beck or his top-notch partner Lennart Kollberg crack the case?

Highly recommended for fans of detective stories with an international bent.

Do mass murderers have an inherited criminal streak?.......2006-04-22

Martin Beck and Lennart Kohlberg are playing chess. They are police officers assigned to the homicide squad. It is November 1967 in Solna, a suburb of Stockholm. The officers discover a double decker bus filled with dead people including a dead policeman. On that date there had been a demonstration at the American embassy protesting the War in Vietnam. The dead policeman was one of the officers assigned to the homicide unit, Ake Senstrom. His service-revolver is pulled out. Senstrom always kept his watch on the precise time and thus it is possible to measure the time of the assault accurately since the watch has stopped. The officers assume the attack on the bus was made by one man. The weapon is probably a submachine gun. The officers interview the family members and friends of the deceased persons. A clue emerges. The gun used may have been Finnish. The police have no Swedish precedents for mass murder. They have to use American cases as their models! The dead policeman, it seems, was good at shadowing. The dead policeman's girl friend tells the officers she believes that Ake was using her as a sort of guinea pig. It is determined that Senstrom was shadowing a blackmailer. The victim of the blackmail, the perpetrator of an unsolved murder, killed Senstrom and everyone else on the bus to maintain his cover. The solution to the crime is worked out winningly. The portraits of the officers and their families are interesting and charming.

Hot & Cold Cases Combined.......2006-03-23

This book was favorably mentioned in the Mystery Lovers Book of Quotations so I thought I'd try it out--my 1st by the author duo. While it contains some social commentary, this is not central to either the story or the characterizations. The characters are the heart of the book IMHO. The detectives are a team and quite a few provide important details leading to the solution of the case. The "hot" case of group murder leads to an old Cold Case (alas, no Lilly though). The authors carefully provide personal details of the team members as they go about a very methodical approach to the solution. There isn't any star (e.g. Holmes or Poirot) here. The plusses & minuses of various policemen are well depicted in a realistic manner. Some of the clues can help the reader to figure out some of the solution. The Stockholm described (though 40 years or so ago) is very different than the one the tourist sees--and I was there in 1968. The book is cleverly written & entertaining for the most part; the story is consistent & logical. Overall its a pretty good police story.

Average customer rating:

The Laughing Policeman
Maj, and Wahlöö, Per Sjöwall
Manufacturer: Pantheon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Man Who Went Up in Smoke

ASIN: B000K06ELO

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Don't Miss This Series!

The Laughing Policeman
Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
Manufacturer: Bantam Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K0IUXO

Customer Reviews:

Don't Miss This Series!.......2007-02-11

I have only recently discovered the Swedish mystery writers and their police procedurals, and now I am addicted! Like author Helene Tursten and her Inspector Huss mysteries, Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo are simply the best at this genre. I began with "The Laughing Policeman" and couldn't put it down. The story keeps one riveted, plus it ends masterfully. As soon as I write this review, I plan to buy every Sjowall/Wahloo title in Amazon's inventory.

Average customer rating:

The Laughing Policeman
Maj and Wahloo, Per Sjowall
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0553057499

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The Laughing Policeman
Maj; Wahloo, Per Sjowall
Manufacturer: Vintage
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I84F1E

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The Laughing Policeman
Maj Sjowall Per Wahloo
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The Laughing Policeman
Maj; Wahloo, Per Sjowall
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The Laughing Policeman
Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
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The Laughing Policeman (Crime Masterworks #9)

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The Laughing Policeman (Crime Masterworks #9)
Maj; Wahloo, Per Sjowall
Manufacturer: Orion Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0752850938

Book Description

The fourth in the Martin Beck series. One blustery November evening someone guns down eight occupants of a Stockholm bus - one of whom was a colleague of Martin Beck's. Eight people together purely by coincidence - perhaps. But, above all, why was that policeman - a solitary and ambitious man - on that bus?

The Laughing Policeman (The Best Mysteries of All Time)

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The Laughing Policeman (The Best Mysteries of All Time)
Maj Sjowall , and Per Wahloo
Manufacturer: ImPress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PYVSIY

Customer Reviews:

****.......2004-11-02

This was an appaling read, and I reccomend that you buy this. I could put it down whenever I wanted, but the fast paced action just made me keep hold of it. I have never read a better book in my life and I think that you should buy twelve copies, for a laugh.

Set of 4 Novels By Terry Brooks. Shannara Trilogy + 1 Bonus Novel: The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara + First King of Shannara

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Set of 4 Novels By Terry Brooks. Shannara Trilogy + 1 Bonus Novel: The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara + First King of Shannara
Terry Brooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000VGC6EG

Product Description

Four Novels By Terry Brooks. Shannara Trilogy + 1 Bonus Novel: The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara + First King of Shannara

The Shannara Trilogy (The Sword fo Shannara Trilogy)

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The Shannara Trilogy (The Sword fo Shannara Trilogy)
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Product Description

Fantasy trilogy includes 3 books: The Sword of Shannara 736pgs ISBN 0345314255, The Elfstones of Shannara 564pgs ISBN 0345285549, The Wishsong of Shannara 504pgs ISBN 0345356365.

Shannara Trilogy: The Sword of Shannara + The Elfstones of Shannara + The Wishsong of Shannara

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Shannara Trilogy: The Sword of Shannara + The Elfstones of Shannara + The Wishsong of Shannara
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: Del Rey - Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

What to Expect When You're Expecting, Third Edition
Average customer rating:

If it's free, fine, but probably not worth more than four bucks

MAKES PREMOM COMFORTABLE

Don't get it!

What To Expext When You're Expecting

Great

What to Expect When You're Expecting, Third Edition
Heidi Murkoff , Arlene Eisenberg , and Sandee Hathaway
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Product Features:

Everything a parent needs to know about the whole parenting lifestyle

Black and white illustrations

Information on working while pregnant

Attention is paid to pre-conception, alternative families, second pregnancies

Also teaches about HMOs, role of the father and overall lifestyle

ASIN: 0761121323

Product Description

The third edition of Americas bestseller, What to Expect When You're Expecting, is updated and is revised with better features for expecting families. The authors are very experienced including Heidi Murkoff, an established writer, and Sandee Hathaway, holder of B.S. in Nursing from Boston University and they have quite a bit to say about this book. Arlene Eisenberg also puts her two cents in. The What to Expect When You're Expecting books has more in-depth coverage of complementary and alternative birthing. Greater detail is also give to the way families handle everything from second pregnancies to HMOs. Workman Publishing Company publishes books that are insightful and informative.

Amazon.com

Eighteen years after it first hit the shelves and having sold more than 10 million copies, What to Expect When You're Expecting is still on nearly every mother-to-be's reading list. This completely revised and updated edition is packed with answers to hundreds of questions and worries expectant parents may have. The information is presented in a month-by-month format starting with planning a pregnancy and choosing a practitioner, and follows through to six weeks after delivery. Each chapter begins with an explanation of what to expect at a particular month's prenatal visit and a brief description of how mom and baby are growing and changing before getting to the heart of the matter: What You May Be Concerned About. Topics are presented as questions ranging from "Should I be taking vitamins?" to "What if I forget everything I learn in childbirth education class?" to "Will I be able to breastfeed?" The answers are generally reassuring and provide enough information to soothe a worried mom between prenatal visits. Despite the reassuring answers, however, the sheer volume of worries discussed may alarm an otherwise calm mom-to-be.

The book also features a complete nutrition plan (though many women may find it difficult to follow), a special chapter just for expectant dads, and extensive information about dealing with minor illnesses, chronic conditions, and pregnancy complications. What to Expect has guided countless women through their pregnancies and makes an informative addition to the mainstream pregnancy and childbirth bookshelf. --Jennifer Lindsay

Customer Reviews:

If it's free, fine, but probably not worth more than four bucks.......2007-10-06

When I was not pregnant I thought of this as THE book for pregnant women. Once I got pregnant I realized that it left a lot of holes in the story, had a weird flow to it, and really only made two or three points over and over and over and over.
If you're looking for a gift for your baby-crazy friend who won't be having kids anytime really soon but still wants to dream, get this. If you want something for your pregnant friend, don't waste your money.
There are a million other books with actual information, organized in a logical manner, and displayed in a slightly less "friend-y" way. Please, go for them first and if you still feel like you need this one after reading a real reference (perhaps written by medical professionals) go ahead and buy this. But don't pay full price, I beg you.

MAKES PREMOM COMFORTABLE.......2007-10-04

good...understandable because it's based on writer's and other's experiences. you can read about pre mom's condition by month.

Don't get it!.......2007-10-04

This book almost drove me out of my mind. When it is not preaching at you about all the things you should do (like eat more vegetables than you can fathom while vomiting non-stop and wanting to eat nothing but fried chicken and rice), it is offending your intelligence with little nuggets of "wisdom," like telling you that if you drank one margarita before you knew you were pregnant, it probably doesn't matter, but you should stop drinking now. It states the obvious over and over, and I found it just was not all that helpful. Still, I read it from cover to cover, and I vowed to set it on fire the minute I got home from the hospital. My mother beat me to it, tossing it before the baby came. She said it was making me crazy, and the nurses at the hospital said that it makes EVERYONE crazy. I think the best thing to do is to listen to your health-care provider. This book made me feel very bad. Plus, that whole "earth mother" lady on the cover just annoyed me every time I saw her.

What To Expext When You're Expecting.......2007-10-02

I bought this for my daughter and she was thrilled! I heard on Dr. Phil's show that this is the new 'Bible' for pregnant women so I had to buy it. She is reading it as her pregnancy progresses. She says it goes into more detail on all subjects that other books she bought just mention lightly and go on to something else. She loves the depth of coverage on different aspects of pregnancy, what to expect, what is normal/abnormal. It's a GREAT book for the first time expecting mother.

Great.......2007-10-01

I really like this journal. There so many different things going on, it is so nice to have somewhere organized to write everything down. I also hope to keep this as a memory book later on.

What to Expect Gift Set: When You're Expecting & What to Expect the First Year, Third Edition

Average customer rating:

worth while reference
What ever expecting mother should know
A must-have for expectant and new parents
Love This Book Series
Good combination of reference books for the pregnant mother!

What to Expect Gift Set: When You're Expecting & What to Expect the First Year, Third Edition
Heidi Eisenberg Murkoff , Arlene Eisenberg , Sandee E. Hathaway , Heidi E. Murkoff , and Sandee E. Hathway
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

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ASIN: 0761134603

Book Description

Say congratulations with the two bestselling parenting books presented together in one handsome gift set. Packaging What to Expect When You're Expecting with What to Expect the First Year--together with an astonishing 13.5 million copies in print--creates an instant 1,200-page reference library on pregnancy, childbirth, and baby's first year. Each book is trusted, reliable, and reassuring, thorough in approach, and always up-to-date. Together they'll guide every mother- and father-to-be through the 21 most important months in their lives as parents.

Customer Reviews:

worth while reference.......2007-08-25

We use the whole set for references at work. It is terrific and I remind women that they can borrow it from the library. Worthwhile having on your own shelf!

What ever expecting mother should know.......2007-06-30

I used this book with both of my children. I never called the doctor once during the children's first year. When the doctor asked me why I was the only parent that had not had called her with a million questions, I explained that the answers I had sought were in this book. I purchased this copy for a friends daughter. A must read.

A must-have for expectant and new parents.......2007-04-11

This set includes two of the most informative books out there. The chapters are clear and easy to follow and are absolutely full of great information. I can't think of a better book for expectant parents and the first year book is a helpful resource to have on hand, too, to accompany The Baby Book by Dr. Sears, both of which should be in every parent's bookcase.

Love This Book Series.......2006-12-20

I read When You're Expecting during both my pregnancies. I am the proud mother of 2 girls, ages 13 and 2. These books are filled with valuable information and facts. I loved the week by week details on growth and development of both baby and mother during pregnancy in When You're Expecting. My younger sister is now pregnant with her first and I'm buying her this set as her first baby gift! It's a must read!

Good combination of reference books for the pregnant mother!.......2006-07-18

Bought for a friend's first pregnancy! She loved them!

5 Books: 1- What to Expect When You're Expecting, 3rd Edition / 2- What to Expect the First Year / 3- Your Baby's First Year / 4- Caring for Your Baby & Young Child / 4-Baby Bargains / 5- Pregnancy Day By Day: Expectant Mother Diary, Record (Unboxed Set of Pregnancy & Prepation for Parenting Books by Different Authors)

Average customer rating:

5 Books: 1- What to Expect When You're Expecting, 3rd Edition / 2- What to Expect the First Year / 3- Your Baby's First Year / 4- Caring for Your Baby & Young Child / 4-Baby Bargains / 5- Pregnancy Day By Day: Expectant Mother Diary, Record (Unboxed Set of Pregnancy & Prepation for Parenting Books by Different Authors)
Heidi Murkoff , Arlene Eisenberg , Sandee Hathaway , Denise Fields , Alan Fields , American Academy Of Pediatrics , Sheila Kitzinger , and Vicky Bailey
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W8SI7W

Product Description

5 Books: 1- What to Expect When You're Expecting, Third Edition / 2- What to Expect the First Year / 3- Your Baby's First Year / 4- Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age / 4-Baby Bargains / 5- Pregnancy Day By Day: Expectant Mother Diary, Record (Unboxed Set of Pregnancy & Prepation for Parenting Books), in either Hard or Softcover, (See Seller Condition Comments), Shipped in one package to save on shipping costs.

Book Description

Will a potato chip lover find bliss with a nachos fan? What does it mean if she likes martinis and he likes Manhattans? In What's Your Food Sign? medical researcher and psychiatrist Alan Hirsch, M.D., shows how a couple's individual food preferences are among the most reliable indicators of whether their relationship will be ice cold, luke warm, or sizzling hot.

Hirsch has spent years on serious medical research into the senses of taste and smell, and he has found a significant correlation between the foods people like and their personalities. No surprise, then, that he's been able to use food choices to predict compatibility. This entertaining and insightful book explains the scientific basis of his findings but also includes fun-to-take quizzes, enlightening questionnaires, and compatibility charts based on food preferences from ice cream and snacks to spices and drinks. Destined to be this season's most talked-about mating guide, What's Your Food Sign? will make finding love as simple as pairing peanut butter with jelly.

Average customer rating:

What's Your Food Sign?
Alan R Hirsch
Manufacturer: ABRAMS HARRY N (THAM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K295WW

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