BLAZE ME A SUN

4 stars out of 5

This book marks, or so I read, the U.S. debut of this book, which hit No. 1 status in Sweden. I can see why; it's well-written, though to me it was more "dark" and, well, sad, than exciting. The complexity and detail, though, were impressive to say the least, although that meant I couldn't breeze through it as I usually do.

The decades-long story begins in a small Swedish town in 1986 with an ominous phone call to local police from someone who says he's attacked a woman and plans to do it again. On that same night, the unthinkable happens: the prime minister of Sweden is assassinated - making it a night few will forget. That's especially true for policeman Sven Jorgensson, who rushes to the scene of the caller's crime; there, he finds the victim still alive, but barely. What he does there (or does not do) changes him forever; if nothing else, solving the case becomes an obsession. And then, more of the unthinkable as two more victims turn up - and Sven's obsession consumes his entire being even beyond his retirement as his son, Vidar, joins the police and, to a certain extent, takes up what appears to be a lost cause.

Years pass with no resolution until a writer - the book's narrator - returns home and begins to collect information on all that happened for a book. By then, much water has gone over the bridge, and just a handful of the players back then are still around and much has been forgotten. Although learning the perpetrator's identity is a thread to be followed throughout, the story seemed to be much more about the ripple effects of one person's thoughts and behaviors on others around him. It wasn't a really easy book for me to read, but it was well worth the effort - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review it. Recommended!

Blaze Me a Sun by Christoffer Carlsson (Hogarth, January 2023); 434 pp.

THE WRECKING CREW

4 stars out of 5

A while back, I discovered Kindle versions of the 1960s Matt Helm books (there are 27 in all) and decided to work my way through at least a few of them. As I learned from reading the first, Death of a Citizen, they're both well written and very dated - and therein lies the appeal for me, a survivor of teenage years in the 1950s. It's quite a hoot to get the author's take, through the eyes of his government operative Helm; put another way, we've come a long way, baby. Consider this, for instance:

Describing a female companion, Helm notes, "Well, at least she'd had the decency to wear nylons. If there's anything that turns my stomach, it's a grown woman in bobby sox."

Or this: "For kicks, you might as well pat Joan of Arc in full armor, as a modern woman in her best girdle."

Ah yes. As one who remembers trying to wriggle into one of those rubber Playtex girdles (and worse, trying to extricate myself after sweating in what quickly became an up-close-and-personal sauna), that's just plain funny.

The story lines are a little dated as well, but only when it comes to more insignificant things like weapons and modes of transportation of choice (Helm is a more-than-decent photographer who uses real film cartridges and typically develops his own pictures, for example). But the action works in any decade, and there's plenty of that to go around. For the record, the books also are on the short side, so a dedicated reader should be able to polish one off in a day. 

This begins as Helm, whose code name is Eric, has been reactivated into the government organization in which he basically was an assassin after 15 years of living a comfortable life with a wife and family (his wife left him when she discovered what he really did for the government and decided she just couldn't live with a killer even if what he did was for a good cause). Here, Helm is sent to Sweden for the purpose of putting the "touch" on a man (or woman) named Caselius, an enemy agent. A man whose writing threatened to "out" the agent has been murdered, and his wife, who somehow survived the attack, is trying to carry on her late husband's work. As she collects information, Helm, under the guise of a professional photographer, tags along as she pursues her journalistic efforts. 

As in most spy stories, though, no one can be trusted - including the widow, Swedish police officers and tough guys who supposedly represent other government agencies. No one knows that better than Helm, and he's keenly aware that he must remain alert to threats from any direction, especially as bodies pile up and he gets closer to his target.

Given that many books follow this one, it's no spoiler to say that Helm manages to come through the experience still breathing (something that can't be said about several other characters). All in all, it's another fun book in a series I highly recommend.

The Wrecking Crew by Donald Hamilton (Titan Books, Reissue edition, February 2013); 272 pp.