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Gevangen In Het Web (1993)

by Kjell Ola Dahl(Favorite Author)

3.01 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

A.W. Bruna Uitgevers

series

Oslo Detectives

review 1: I have read a number of authors this year who I had not read before who I subsequently did not think were particularly worth reading, despite, in some cases, good reviews on Goodreads. However, several authors were a very pleasant surprise, one of which was K.O. Dahl and Lethal Investments. It is a standard police procedural with some unique characters. The main protagonist, Inspector Gunnarstranda, realizes that, to the public, he does not readily project the image of police authority. He is about 5'3" tall, is bald with a slight comb-over, his face of 57 years shows all of its age and then some, he is an incessant smoker and he is generally curt and rude with most people around him. Or at least he has been that way since his wife died four years previously. His subordina... morete and partner, Frank Frolich, is pretty much just the opposite, a bear of a man, has a long time girlfriend, is open with people. Yet Frolich admires a number of Gunnarstranda's traits, most notably his tenacity and insight as a detective. They seem to have a very good working relationship. This was a pretty good mystery with just enough red herrings and false clues to keep the reader guessing. Dahl does have a certain psychological element to his writing, something that I generally appreciate in mysteries that I read. I see Dahl as somewhat of an anti-Nesbo, Nesbo having pretty much gone Hollywood and over-the-top in his writing and, unfortunately, not having written much of merit since the Redbreast (there have been a few exceptions). Dahl is more ground in reality and, to me at least based on this one book so far, has more convincing plotting and explores peoples' psyches much more meaningfully. Recommended.
review 2: This is a book I wanted to read but was slow getting down to read it.This a Police procedural with a couple of forgettable detectives, Gunnarstranda and Frølich. Not as engrossing as more modern reads but part of the wider genre so worth a read. However,the Sjöwall-Wahlöö's Martin Beck Police Mystery series is closer to this novel and that is where the comparison ends. This book has a reasonable plot but the author losing it in the telling. The reader is as much in the dark as the investigators and they rely on chance to help solve the mystery when a lack of solid police work initial leaves the case stalled with more victims adding to the body count.The book wasn't evenly paced and a lack of final momentum meant you didn't rush to the end of the story. Some good points and character notes to take forward into other stories in this series so I'll eventually seek these out.A good book but in a competitive genre can't be heard to shout out "read me". less

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