Getting there ...

Only about another 60 pages to finish in Sjowall and Wahloo's Roseanna. It seems to have been a long read, and I think it's because it's a very detailed police procedural, where every aspect of the pursuit of a killer is laid out in an undramatic fashion. In fact, 'undramatic' is the perfect word to describe the events of the book. The murder happens off-stage and Martin Beck, the policeman in charge of the investigation, is not exactly an action figure.

But funnily enough, you don't get the tension you had when reading - for example - Forsyth's Day of the Jackal, which was equally detailed but somehow more exciting. I think Sjowall and Wahloo's Swedish cool keeps the temperature down, whereas Forsyth's over-excitable personal temperament kept you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happened next. A style review will follow soon!