Scandinavian Crime Fiction is a short, dense book that examines decades of regional crime fiction from the 1960s forward, through its relationship to the social, cultural and political landscape of the time. The author discusses a finite number of books/series in depth, and mentions many others, but is not exhaustive. He focuses on Showall & Wahloo’s Martin Beck series, Mankell’s Wallander series, Gunnar Staalesen’s Varg Veum series, Steig Larsson’s [Girl with the Dragon Tattoo], Peter Hoeg’s [Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow] Kerstin Ekman’s [Blackwater] and the television series "The Killing" and "The Bridge." He notes that "Nordic Noir" has only been understood as a distinct regional genre as a result of its international success, and while the countries of the region have social, political and cultural differences, they do share some things, one being the structures of their social welfare systems. Scandinavian crime writers—at least those discussed—have used the genre to explore the symptoms of the “ ‘shattered dream’ which in these small nations in the northern periphery of Europe meant the self-assured utopian certainty of living in the most progressive, egalitarian, and, not least, peaceful welfare societies.” The author notes that as the twenty first century approached and "unfolded" the states have had to contend with all manner of crises and conflicts.

I enjoy discussions of popular fiction as much as I do that of classic literature (and remember, some classic literature was popular literature), and this book did not disappoint. The perspective the author provides gives the the literature discussed a new depth as one considers the roots of various crimes, and the broader anxieties of those involved. One doesn’t have to have read all of the series and books discussed, although I felt I got more out of the discussions of those I had read. There are some fascinating tidbits, seemly small things I’d not considered before: the ending of [Miss Smilla’s Feeling of Snow] evokes that of Frankenstein, tthe detective in [Girl with the Dragon Tattoo] is named after Astrid Lindgren’s boy detective (and thus suggests Lisbeth is playing the role of Pippi), that Wallander is more the Swedish “everyman” than I realized, and that Varg Veum’s name derives from the Old Norse 'varg i veum' meaning "the wolf in the sanctuary."

While the publisher calls the book "essential for readers, viewers and fans of contemporary crime writing," I would add the caveat that one must enjoy detailed analysis to get the most out of this work. I dog-eared pages, penciled in asterisks and underlines, and took copious notes in tiny writing on small pieces of paper (nearly impossible to read now), which is all to say, for the right reader, this book is fascinating and insightful, and a worthy read. ( )