Borkmann's Point: An Inspector van Veeteren Mystery Book

As readers' taste for crime fiction in translation blossoms, it is no longer enough for foreign novelists to present the novelty of an unfamiliar locale, mores, etc. Now we demand the very best in every department: narrative drive, story construction and (most of all), strong, distinctive characters. That’s exactly what Hakan Nesser provides in The Mind's Eye: Inspector Van Veeteren is one of the most memorable of non-English coppers (and there's plenty of competition in that field). Van Veeteren, good-humoured, cultured and book-loving, is something of a contrast to the dour Scandinavian coppers we’re so used to, and his sardonic take on the cases he deals with is echoed by Nesser’s own off-kilter take on the crime genre: everything here is refracted though a mordant view of humanity and its foibles -- but one shot through with sympathy. Van Veeteren has a hospital appointment that he cannot miss, when a corpse is found rolled in a carpet by a child playing. The body is missing its head and limbs. What evidence there is points to a local suspect -- a double murderer who had disappeared some months before after being released on parole. Van Veeteren find himself forced to conduct his investigation from a hospital bed -- and the results of his investigation confound all expectations. The concept of a detective conducting a 'long distance' investigation by proxy is not a new one, but in the hands of a reliable practitioner is still fecund (think Nero Wolfe and -- currently -- Lincoln Rhyme). Unsurprisingly, Hakan Nesser shows that he’s more than up to the task, and meets its challenges with aplomb. Perhaps not the best entry-point for those new to Inspector Van Veeteren, this is nevertheless a very diverting read, and should be on the list of those who have enjoyed the Scandinavian policeman’s wry view of life -- and murder. --Barry ForshawRead More