The Laughing Policeman

The beauty of a detective novel, lies in the simplicity of its climax, that the reader could never guess! 

 

Book -  The Laughing Policeman

Author - Sjöwall and Wahlöö

Review - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Crime fiction is probably the most exciting genre. While there are many in its league but a reader like me who wants a good story with a decent dose of suspense would appreciate this book. If you are looking for a hard core suspense with twists and turns that keep you in knots, then this is not the book for you. It has all the ingredients for one, but you need to enjoy it like a cup of English tea. 

This was my first Scandinavian fiction, apparently Swedish crime fiction is very popular amongst book lover. The very popular girl in a dragon tattoo by Steve Larson is a testimonial. Although this book lays the foundation for some of the best crime fiction to come. 

A big police investigation of an outrageous crime which captures the media attention. How the investigation leads the various detectives into the deep recesses of human psychology. Because a crime is born much before it happens and it stays much after it happens. Every event is an outcome of a previous event and a forebinger of a new one. 

The story and the story telling is excellent depicting how an actual police investigation happens. The science and the art and a lot of guess work and connecting the dots. The most interesting part of the book is it's title, named after the popular black and white song of the same name. It can't be more aptly named and all I can say you would be laughing too like the policemen when you know. 

The benefit of reading the crime fiction is the snippets of criminal psychology you learn. How not so surprisingly sex and crazy reins behind every murder and crime. Here here - 

Women sexual activity culminated between 29 and 32 and man's at 18. 

Mass murders seem to be an American speciality. The plausible theories are the glorification of violence, career centered society, the sale of firearms by mail order and the ruthless war in Vietnam.  

You can shadow in two ways, either you follow a person as invisibly as possible, to find out what he's up to. Or else you follow him do something rash and give himself away. 

Before I sign off, here is the link for the famous song this book is named after -

The Laughing Policeman Song