We welcome translator Marlaine Delargy to TheCrimeHouse and this interview!  Marlaine has among other things translated Johan Theorin and Åsa Larsson´s books from Swedish to English.

Can you tell us shortly about your background? What kind of education do you have? How did you become a translator? And why do you know Swedish?

I did a degree in Swedish and German at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, then worked in Sweden for a year. Laurie Thompson, who has translated many Swedish novels including several by Henning Mankell, Håkan Nesser, Åke Edwardson and Mikael Niemi, was my tutor in Aberystwyth, and when he started the journal Swedish Book Review in 1983, he asked me if I would like to do some translation.

I taught German in secondary schools in England from 1986 – 2004, and didn’t do a great deal of translating during that period, because it’s difficult to meet deadlines when you have a demanding full-time job. However, when I gave up teaching in 2004, I was lucky enough to be able to pick up the translation again, and have gradually built up a sound reputation.

.

How did you get the job translating Åsa Larsson and Johan Theorin?

Laurie again – he recommended me to Bonnier Group Agency, and I translated extracts from several novels for them. One of the first things I did was Åsa Larsson’s Solstorm, and when the book was sold to Random House New York, they asked me to translate not only that novel, but also the next two. The same thing happened with Johan Theorin – I translated an extract from Skumtimmen, and was lucky enough to be asked to translate that novel and Nattfåk. I’ve just sent the translation of his third novel, Blodläge, off to the publisher – it will be out in April next year.

.

What do you tink are the biggest differences between the English and the Swedish language?

That’s a difficult question! English tends to use more words, for one thing – an English translation is usually about one third longer than the Swedish original. And often there are many alternatives in English to one Swedish word, and it’s a question of picking the right one for the context.

.

Since you have just finished translating Johan Theorins Blodläge, can you give us an example of a word or sentences that were tricky to translate? I am also curios on how you and Johan collaborate? Do you speak continuously while you are translating?

Johan is very good to work with. I send him questions if I am unsure what he means by a particular expression, and he always replies within a day. He is also very amenable to changes that might need to be made for a non-Swedish audience; for example in this latest novel we have removed a couple of songs which would have sounded terrible in English, and have simply referred to them in the text instead.  I can’t think of anything that has been particularly tricky in this novel, but as a general rule, swearing is very difficult to get right. It’s always hard to judge the impact a word or phrase might have on a reader; for example, the Swedish series of Wallander is currently being shown on TV in the UK, and there has been some criticism over the frequent use of ‘fuck’ and similar expressions in the subtitles; every time the Swedish dialogue uses ‘fan’ or ‘jävlar’, the translator has used some variation on ‘fuck’, which offends many viewers.

.
Are there any translator you look up to and think is amazing?

I would have to say that Laurie Thompson is the translator I respect more than any other. He has been both encouraging and supportive from the start, and frequently stressed the importance of delivering the best possible work and of meeting deadlines. He has a very impressive feeling for language, coupled with a very wide knowledge of Sweden and its history and traditions which he is always willing to share. He is an honest critic, and is always completely down-to-earth. I’m very proud to call him a friend.

.

Do you read a lot of Swedish literature? And if so, do you think there is something special that characterizes Swedish literature?

Most of the Swedish books I read are related to work these days; the British press tend to focus on the ‘gloomy’ aspects of Swedish crime novels in particular, and while I think that’s true to a certain extent, I also think the characterisation is often very strong, as is the sense of place.

.

How long did it take you to translate Echoes of the dead?

It usually takes me three to four months to translate a novel, depending on the length of course; my goal is roughly 40 pages per week, with plenty of time left at the end for revisions and proofreading.

.

What does it look like when you work? Do you work from home? In an office, is it messy or neat and tidy? How many hours a day do you work? Do you need tons of coffee? etc…

I live in small house in a small town in Shropshire, and work in my study at home. I’m a very tidy person, so my desk is always clear at the end of the day, and any work in progress is back in its tray on the filing cabinet. I tend to work 2-3 hours a day, but not in one stretch; it depends what else is going on. I teach IT to adult learners as well, which takes up one day a week at the moment, and like to meet up with friends once or twice a week. If a translation is going well, I don’t need distractions and am quite good at concentrating; if it isn’t going well, I suddenly realise the windows need cleaning… or I ought to check my e-mails… or perhaps there’s something interesting on daytime TV…!

.

What do you read on your spare time?  and what do you read right now?

I read crime novels in English all the time, and am a great fan of P D James, Ruth Rendell, Peter Robinson, Val McDermid,  Peter Lovesey, Reginald Hill, and of course Colin Dexter. I also enjoy writers like Katie Ford, Rosie Thomas, Marcia Willett, Erica James, Elizabeth Noble, Jane Moore, Jane Green and Alexander McCall Smith. I’ve just finished Katie Forde’s A Perfect Proposal, which was great fun, and am about to start Alexander McCall Smith’s The Double Comfort Safari Club. I think Precious Ramotswe is a fantastic character!

.

What was the first you did when you found out that Johan had won the CWA international Dagger Award with your translation?

I rang my two closest friends and e-mailed a couple more!

.

Are there any books you wish you could or could have translate?

There’s always ‘the one that got away’ – I nearly had a contract for Mari Jungstedt’s first two novels, but lost out to Steven T. Murray. And I’m sorry to say that I’m not translating Åsa Larsson’s fourth novel, Till dess din vrede upphör; Laurie Thompson is currently working on that for MacLehose Press, who of course publish the Stieg Larsson novels in English.  I really hope Åsa gets the success and recognition she deserves in the UK.

.

What do you consider the most important thing to think of while translating books?

Without a shadow of doubt, the book must read well in English. Obviously an accurate translation is important, and the translator must be able to capture the tone of the original, but when the reader sits down with a novel, he or she does not want to be constantly aware that this is a translation. When I finish the first draft of a book, I leave it for a couple of weeks, then come back and read it as if it were a novel written in English, making any necessary changes. Sometimes when you are working closely on a translation you don’t realise that you are mirroring the Swedish phraseology, and it just doesn’t sound right.

.

Do you have any tips and advice for those who wants to work with translating novels?

I think you have to be a reader first of all, and you have to be able to write well in English. Sarah Death, the editor of Swedish Book Review, is always ready to encourage promising new translators, and there is a lot of support and advice available through SELTA – The Swedish-English Literary Translators’ Association. The website address for SBR is www.swedishbookreview.com , and for SELTA it’s www.selta.org.ukThe other option is to contact Swedish publishers such as Bonniers or Norstedts, who frequently need someone to translate extracts from both fiction and non-fiction. Contacting British or American publishers directly is a waste of time unless you have a body of work to show them.

.

What is your next assignment after Blodläge?

I am currently translating a short story by Liza Marklund for the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine in the USA, and in September I start work on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Lilla Stjärna for Text Publishing in Melbourne. My translation of Människohamn will be published under the title Harbour later this year; Camilla Ceder’s Frozen Moment was published in August, and Lars Kepler’s The Hypnotistshould be out next April. Bonniers have just sent me Kepler’s new novel Paganinikontraktet, and I’m very much looking forward to reading that and finding out more about Joona Linna!

.

Thank you Marlaine!

Persson has worked as a consultant for the police and state for many years. He is  a big TV-personality and has among other things been an expert on the TV-show Efterlyst (Crime Watch) for many years. He is loved by many but not all and some critics thinks he is to macho and arrogant. Undoubtedly he is tough and raw and he writes about a male world but I can´t help but like him and his books.

Persson did not write a crime novel until 20 years later when he once again wrote about Lars Johansson in another trilogy. The first book from 2002 Between summer´s longing and winter´s end takes place in the 1980s and involves the Cold War as well as the murder of the Swedish Prime minister (The Swedish Prime Minister was murdered in 1986 and we still don´t know who murdered him). The book will be available on Amazon.com from September.

In Sweden we celebrate Midsummer today to celebrate the time of year where the Summer Solstice. Where I live the sun goes down around 22.00 and up 03.40 but in the north of Sweden the sun doesn´t go down at during the summer months!

This is also a time when a lot of people start their vacation. I recommend that you try reading something new. Why not close your eyes and point your finger on a world map. Find a crime novel from the country your finger points. Who knows? maybe you´ll discover a whole new country by reading a book. I love reading about Sicily in Andrea Camilleri’s books, about Botswana in Alexander McCall Smiths books and China in Qui  books. For those of you who haven´t read anything from Sweden yet, I recommend Johan Theorin.

We at TheCrimeHouse wish you a happy summer with lots of time to read crime novels!

We at TheCrimeHouse are very happy to welcome crime author Sara Paretsky to this interview!

On the photograph to the left you see Paretsky with the Cartier Diamond Dagger she recieved in 2002. The award is given by the Crime Writers´ Association of Great Britain to authors who have made an outstanding lifetime’s contribution to the crime fiction genre.

You’ve described your work process on your homepage and on your blog but where do you write? Is it in an office? In a sofa? Do you write directly on the computer, is it messy or do you keep everything very organized while writing and so on…
I live in an old house, and we turned the attic into my office. It’s a lovely light space, which unfortunately is also very disorganized. I like the comfort of many books around me. Indeed, I like to sleep with them in bed with me.

The character V.I was a totally new type of character in the 80s and as you’ve said in many interviews – women in noir/hard-boiled fiction were always portrayed as either a vamp or a victim before you changed this. Can you name some contemporary authors that you think also have strong and believable female character and write with the same type of agenda as yourself?
I wouldn’t second guess another person’s agenda in writing, but some of the other strong women that I like in contemporary fiction include Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon; the two characters created by Liza Cody, Anna Lee and Eve Wylie; of course, Grafton and Muller’s Milhone and McCone, respectively; Barbaraneely’s Blanche; and Valerie Wilson Wesley’s Tamara Hayle.

Can you tell our readers shortly what Sisters in crime is? Is it available for writers outside of USA?
We started Sisters in Crime in 1986 to try to change discrimination against women writers in the way our books were reviewed and distributed. Sisters continues to advocate for women crime writers, and there are chapters all over the world. For more information, and to see if there is a Swedish chapter, visit the website: Link…

Can you recommend 3 novels you think our readers should read (apart from your own books)
Liza Cody’s Bucket Nut – this book is almost a primer on how to turn an unsympathetic character into someone for whom the reader cares passionately.

I’m having a hard time with this question because in crime fiction there are series of books that I think are well-worth reading – Ian Rankin, Nevada Barr, Margery Allingham, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Jonathan Coe, Karin Alvtegen – just to name a few, but not individual titles. In general fiction, three books that just jump to the top of the list in my head are:

Wolf Hall by Mantel

Gilead by Robinson

A Blessing on the Moon by Skibbell

V.I is aging. Will she retire? and if so when? And will there then be a new character?
I’m taking the coward’s way out now on V I’s age. She’s going to hover around fifty for awhile. If she retires, she’ll probably end up blowing up the nursing home that she’s incarcerated in. I can imagine creating a new character, but I can’t imagine leaving V I behind.

You told me that you liked Stieg Larssons Lisbeth Salander in general but had a hard time with the graphic description of the sexual abuse. It seems you draw some line there. Do you think books in general today are more graphic when it comes to violence and sex? And if so, do you have any idea why? Is it influences from TV and movies we see or perhaps symptoms of something else?
These are tough questions to answer in a short way. I think sadistic and graphic violence have always been a sub-part of the genre, but were considered pornagraphic and were not widely distributed or read until the last 15 or 20 years. The level and degree of graphic violence seems to get more extreme all the time. I think this is partly due to some writers wanting to create a dramatic presence for themselves in a crowded marketplace. I also think some readers are desensitized to the graphic descriptions of the violence so that the decibals have to be increased to get their attention. I also think that some of the increase in fictional graphic violence against women is a reaction to the women’s movement – some readers and writers perhaps feel so threatened by the greater presence of women in positions of authority that they act out revenge fantasies through these kinds of violent crime novels.

What was the first crime novel you ever read?
Rex Stout’s The Black Mountain

Chicago plays a big role in your books but our readers come from all over the world and have perhaps never been to Chicago. Can you give us a couple of tips of things to do in Chicago as a tourist and crime fiction lover?
Alzina Stone Dale’s Mystery Reader’s Walking Guide: Chicago is a great place for mystery lovers to start, but I would urge any new comer to the city to go to the Chicago Architecture Foundation: Link…

They’re at 224 South Michigan Avenue, right across the street from the Art Institute, and they offer wonderful tours of the city. People should also check out the Chicago Cultural Center’s website: Link…

because they offer bus tours of a number of neighborhoods, and if you email far enough in advance, you can get a tour guide who speaks your language.

Writing is obviously the main thing a writer does, but a big part is also marketing, touring etc. It seems authors ”have” to be more and more available to her/his readers and I can’t help but feel sorry for the sometimes hectic schedule some authors have. On the other hand it helps selling books and some authors likes coming close to their readers. What are your thoughts on this?
I enjoy touring except for the exhaustion of the travel itself. The trouble with touring is you spend one day in a place and move on so that you miss the pleasure of exploring a new country or a new city.

Can you place these ingredients of a novel in the order you think is most important in a novel (feel free to add or remove any word): Characters, story, milieu, message to the audience, thrills, dialogue
Story and characters are intertwined for me. I can’t tell a story until I have characters that I care about, who come to life for me. Dialogue is a way of creating believable characters. As a reader, milieu is always less important to me than good writing. I guess good writing is number one.

What do you think/hope that the readers will think and feel after reading one of your books?
I hope readers will be engaged enough by the story that the story and the characters will stay in their minds.

Do you have a favorite crime movie and do you watch any criminal series on TV or and if, so what?
There are several crime movies that I love:  Myrna Loy and William Powell in the first of the Thin Man movies; Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter. Although the ending is a little treacly, the middle part, where he’s hunting the children, is bone chilling; I love Some Like It Hot – the all around great gangster-on-the-lam movie. I love the current series, NCIS, even though in many ways it’s quite predictable. I thought The Wire was brilliant but almost too close to the bone to make for comfortable viewing. I also love the brief-lived series with Paul Gross called Due South.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just come on Collin Cotterill’s Laotian crime novels. They’re gentle, but unflinching, and I love the characters. I’m also reading the Ian Rutledge series written by the mother-son team who write as Charles Todd. The best book I’ve read for some time is Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall.

Thank You Sara Paretsksy!

I found this list by Catherine Sampson where she lists 10 crime novels she recomend. I ordered Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong and that will be my first asian crime novel. What will be your first asian novel? Or do you have any tips?

• The Last Child by John Hart (Minotaur Books)

Best First Novel By An American Author

• In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff (Minotaur Books)

Best Paperback Original

• Body Blows by Marc Strange (Dundurn Press – Castle Street Mysteries)

Best Critical/Biographical

• The Lineup: The World’s Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives edited by Otto Penzler (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)

Best Fact Crime

• Columbine by Dave Cullen (Hachette Book Group – Twelve)

Best Short Story

• Amapola – Phoenix Noir by Luis Alberto Urrea (Akashic Books)

Best Young Adult

• Reality Check by Peter Abrahams (HarperCollins Children’s Books – HarperTeen)

Best Juvenile

• Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Books)

Best Television Episode Teleplay

• Place of Execution, Teleplay by Patrick Harbinson (PBS/WGBH Boston)

The nominees for best novel are:

• The Missing by Tim Gautreaux (Random House – Alfred A. Knopf)
• The Odds by Kathleen George (Minotaur Books)
• The Last Child by John Hart (Minotaur Books)
• Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston (Random House – Ballantine Books)
• Nemesis by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett (HarperCollins)
• A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Simon & Schuster – Atria Books)

I have to admit that I have not read any of these novels…yet that is…

When and how did you become a crime fiction reviewer?

I made a promise to myself to do more writing, and writing about something I had a real interest in when I changed jobs at the Sun-Sentinel. I had always read mysteries – since I was about 9 or 10 – so I asked Books Editor Chauncey Mabe if I could try reviewing mysteries. He gave me about 6 paperbacks. I did a roundup; five weeks later he asked me to do another roundup; 4 weeks later, another roundup; then I did a hardcover review; two weeks later, another hardcover review – you can see where this is going. Before we both knew it, I was doing a weekly mystery column – reviewing anywhere from one to 6 novels a week.

Can you shortly tell us your working progress when writing a review.

I read very deeply and concentrate very hard on the book I am reviewing. I take copious notes as I read, making notes of pages, quotes, writing bits of the review as I go along. I am constantly reading books months or weeks before publication date. I read both the advanced readers copies and as a pdf on a Sony reader, which lets me take 50 books on a trip without luggage-weight fees! The Sony reader is new and still an experiment.

I always ask authors (and now you) how it looks like in their workplace – is it messy, do you sit in sofa? in an office?

Messy would not begin to describe it. My office is filled with books and papers and, I am afraid, the books have spilled over into our living room. I can’t seem to work in a neat environment. I clean my desk and then 10 minutes later it is covered with junk. But, I also am organized in that clutter. I use the office to organize and write. I read all over the place – on our patio, on the sofa, at lunch, standing in line, on a plane, and, yes, in bed. I used to read only when I was in bed, staying up until 1 a.m….well, I still do that. But now I also have options. Since my job is now as a freelancer, I read more and try to take at least one day a week to just read.

Since you must be reading a lot of books. How long does it take for you to  read a book (average length and quality)

On average, I read three novels a week – from 300 to 500 pages. I am not a speed reader, but I am a fast reader. Sometimes I have just read one book a week, which is just too slow. I have – and often do – read two books in one day. And yes, I read the entire book. Every word. I like to read both hard-cover and paperback originals. But it doesn’t take me longer to do a hardcover as opposed to a paperback original. The reading time is about the same.

What kind of crime fiction do you prefer?

I like all crime fiction – a term I prefer to mysteries. Hardboiled, soft, light, amateur, p.i., international, etc. The writing and the story and the characters are more important than the “type” of crime fiction. That said, I prefer a harder approach to crime fiction, and those are really my favorite style. I appreciate the lighter and amateur sleuths and have found some excellent work in that milieu.

What was your most memorable review and what book/review did you receive most comments about?

Most memorable wouldn’t be about one book, but what the review brought. I do an annual top 20 mysteries of the year and this is picked up by more places than I can count. About 400 papers and sites supposedly ran my Best of 2009.

I got an e-mail from “a reader in San Antonio” who had seen the list and, because my name is so unusual, thought she might have known my parents. She did – she was originally from the same small hometown. She knew my Mom before she got married and had some wonderful stories I had never heard.  We met and had a lovely lunch and talk. I teared up many times hearing stories about my parents before they were married. Since then, I’ve gotten letters from other people from my past. But nothing has been as poignant or as emotional as the one from “a reader in San Antonio.”

List the 5 best crime novels you’ve ever read and want to recommend

Only five? It’s hard for me to recommend only 10 a year, which is why I do the top 20 each year. So many books But here goes:

A Place of Execution by Val McDermid. I can recommend this novel to those who like hard boiled as well as those who eschew violence. Author Val McDermid expertly melds the old-fashioned English village mystery with the British police procedural for a thoughtful look at crime, punishment and retribution. But A Place of Execution is much more than a novel about one crime — the disappearance of a teenager. It is equally about the tragedy of a family, the violation of a village and the loss of innocence of an entire country.

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly. Connelly is probably the most consistently top American mystery writer. He’s written many a fine novel, many of which have been at the top of my year’s picks. Still, I would start with this, the first in his Harry Bosch series, and then work my way through each of his novels.

What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman. An emotional story that elegantly traces the dissolution of a family whose hidden fragility breaks under the weight of the destructive event of two girls who go missing from a shopping mall in Baltimore.

Hell to Pay. George Pelecanos. Pelecanos is a true social historian. Pulling together a cohesive, taut story that echoes Richard Price’s Clockers, Hell to Pay is a look at an inner-city society driven by characters who are under siege from the drugs and violence that have infiltrated their world.

Aftermath by Peter Robinson. A look at the never-ending circle of cause and effect after a domestic call leads to a serial killer and his grisly legacy in Robinson’s 12th novel. Victims become predators, predators become victims and each person, even on the periphery of the action, is deeply affected.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I have become a little obsessed with this Swedish author’s trilogy and had to put it in

Can you name a country (besides the US and UK) and crime writers from that country that you think we should try out?

I believe that the world has gotten smaller in the past two decades. It is so much easier now for us to know what goes on outside of our little world. Mysteries have added to that. And in the past decade or so, the international mystery has become so much more important to give us that window to other worlds.

Right now, I think African and Scandinavian crime fiction are forces to be reckoned with in the genre. I think more people read international mysteries now than ever before and we can thank two authors – Alexander McCall Smith and Stieg Larsson. Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency gave us a view of Botswana through the eyes of Precious Ramotswe that few of us could have imagined.

Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo started a mini revolution as it finally brought Scandinavian mysteries to the world. He died in 2004 and it took awhile for his books to get to America but they have just captured even those who don’t read crime fiction. Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander is quite possibly one of the best characters in crime fiction. Larsson made people pay attention but he wasn’t the first. Henning Mankell has been writing Swedish mysteries for decades, but Larsson’s brought in a completely new set of readers.
I think Camilla Läckberg (Sweden) will become quite popular in America when her first book The Ice Princess comes out in the U.S. this summer. James Thompson also tackled Finland with Snow Angels. Jo Nesbo gives a view of Norway that was off the beaten path, showing the country and Oslo in particular and is finally getting the attention in the U.S. that he deserves. The Icelandic authors Amaldur Indridason and Yrsa Sigurdardottir show two different views of their country.

I gave four Donna Leon novels to a friend who was going to Venice. There also have been some intriguing novels set in Bangkok, too, such as those by John Burdett, Timothy Hallinan and Christopher G. Moore.

I also am seeing a rise in Irish mysteries such as authors John Connolly, although he writes about America, Declan Hughes, Ken Bruen, Declan Burke. I think you’ll be hearing a lot about Irishman Stuart Neville whose debut The Ghosts of Belfast is just wonderful (It was published as The Twelve in Europe).

The publisher Soho Crime does an excellent job of bringing international writers to readers.

Does it happen that you get tired of reading books and what do you do about it?

Never…. Reading is still relaxing to me. I’ve always sworn that if this work became a chore then that would be the time to stop. Whether I actually do a review or not, everything I read is with the mind of a critic. Yet reading is still relaxing and enjoyable. Keep in mind, I do other things! I write author profiles, a TV column and blog for Mystery Scene magazine; I review for Publishers Weekly; and I am the managing editor for Horizons, a magazine for Nova Southeastern University (a freelance job). My husband and I also have two dogs, many friends, love to travel and attend live theater and opera just about every week.

Does it happen sometimes that authors respond to your reviews, perhaps even contact you and are upset if you have given them a bad review? And how to you act then?

Often an author will e-mail me thanking me for a positive review; they often do it tentatively and usually add that they don’t know if they should thank me but they are going to. I think it is fine. It doesn’t influence me one way or the other. I have also gotten some nasty comments from authors upset with my reviews; one called the editor asking me to be fired and then called his publisher demanding I never be sent any novel again. I don’t think that person has written a second novel.
 
While I may write back to the ones thanking me, I usually just say best of luck and thank you for writing a good book. The nasty ones, I don’t respond to. The thing about a positive review is fleeting; the next book may get a negative review; or visa versa.

I know that some reviewers want no contact with any author for fear they would be influenced. I think that is old-fashioned and not realistic. We live in a vastly different world than what it was even a decade ago. This is the age of social media, instant messages, twitter. To avoid contact with an author seems so archaic and pretends that the critic is on a loftier plane. If I was covering city council, I would have to meet the people and still remain objective.

How do you look at your role as an influential person that business (Publishing companies for example) and authors are dependent on.

This question intrigues me as it is one I often ask. I honestly don’t know but I like to think that a favorable review can help an author gain readers, get noticed and hopefully have a long career. When I am on panels with publishers, agents and editors, they tell me that positive reviews can help and negative ones can hurt. That an author who received several positive reviews but whose sales were not what they had hoped might still be renewed. Of course, that doesn’t always work.

I know that locally, bookstore owners tell me people will show up at a signing or just at the store with my latest review in hand and that my end of the year list is constantly brought to stores and libraries as readers try to find those books.

But before critics get an inflated opinion of what they do, we also have to realize that some authors are review proof. It doesn’t matter what we say about some authors such as James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell; they will still land on the best-sellers list.

What ingredients do you think a really good crime novel should have?

When I start a book, I actually am hoping I will be giving a good review. Each time I pick up a mystery, I want to fall in love again – with the plot, the characters and the setting. Surprise and twists I don’t see coming are important. But sometimes when I know where the story is going, the author can still wow me with the storytelling. Interesting characters; I don’t have to like them but I have to want to know what’s going on with them. Plot is actually second to character to me. Crime novels have a crime, that’s a given, but the crime is a way of reaching out to illustrate the identity crisis of the characters, or even the scenery. Who did it isn’t as important as why. The crime novel is the social novel of today – pointing out all the trials and tribulations; showing us who we are, where we are going; and our identity as a people. To look at a country’s crime fiction is to see that country as it truly is.

What are your favorite crime series on TV and can you give us 3 crime  movies we should see?

TV:
The Wire, still one of the best,
Burn Notice, a nifty spin on the spy thriller/private detective genre plus great view of South Florida.
Law & Order – any of them but Criminal Intent is my favorite. 

Movies:
Double Indemnity and Body Heat: I lump these together as they are virtually the same movie. Double Indemnity has the added bonus of being directed by Billy Wilder, based on a James M. Cain novella and Raymond Chandler was one of the adapters.
Sunset Boulevard: A crime story, a story about faded glory and the superficiality of Hollywood.
Laura: Has there ever been a more perfect film noir about obsession? The scenes in which detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) falls in love with the portrait of the murdered Laura (Gene Tierney) are so well conceived. And Clifton Webb as Waldo Lydecker is priceless.
But I also have to add The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which I just saw. This may be the most faithful filmed version of a wonderful novel; leaving out the novel’s extra flab. The movie gets right to the heart of the story.

What do you read right now?

Right now, I am reading books that are coming out in July and August. Let me answer with some of the best books I have read this year. Now whether they will make it to my end of the year is another matter; and my favorites could change with the next book. But right now, The City of Dragons by Kelli Stanley; Infamous by Ace Atkins; The Poacher’s Son by Paul Doiron are ranking pretty high. Also, Harlan Coben’s Caught and  Lindwood Barclay’s Never Look Away.

Thank you Oline for this interview!

We are delighted to welcome Ola Kumlin from Emmaboda Library in Sweden to TheCrimeHouse.

1. What criminal novels are the most popular?

The most popular criminal novel during 2009 was probably The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler. And of course the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

.

2. Which criminal novel(s) would you recommend?

I actually don’t read that many criminal novels, but when I do, it’s mostly the kind where the focus is on environmental and societal descriptions instead of “who did it.” A Swedish author in that genre is Kristian Lundberg, who is working on a series that take place in Malmö, Sweden. He has written four novels so far, which I really recommend.

.

3. Are there any trends in which novels people borrow? (Are people e.g. borrowing more criminal novels during the summer?)

Criminal novels are popular year-round. But we can definitely tell when authors have been mentioned in the news or via word of mouth. I have also noticed that novels that are said to be based on a true story are popular right now.

.

4. How do you decide which books/novels to purchase for the library?

We make a lot of our purchase decisions based on demand, and our visitors often make purchase suggestions. We go through the Swedish bookstore’s catalog a couple of times a year and make purchases. Good reviews can also result in purchases. Then we have book meetings every other week where we decide what books to purchase in a variety of subjects. We try to keep a broad offering, where both popular and narrower fields are available. Everyone should be able to find something.

.

5. What is your opinion about audio books and e-book readers? Do you think they will replace “regular” books?

I don’t think they will replace printed books, but rather be another way to absorb stories. It’s good that there are different media for different situations. Thanks to audio books many people who normally don’t read have found a way to appreciate literature. Truck drivers suddenly became a growing group of borrowers at the libraries when the audio books came. In my opinion the media isn’t what’s important, but rather the content and that is the same regardless whether it’s in printed or digital format. But to be honest, I don’t think I will buy an e-book reader.

.

6. Do you think libraries will change because of the digital book development? And if so, how?

Libraries have already changed a lot since the digital development started. We have had digital services for a long time; you can search for books online, you can download e-books (even though it’s not until now that good devices for reading them have started to appear), you can download music and search for scholarships using our digital services. This will most likely increase in the future with less focus on book handling. That’s what I think. But I am convinced that there won’t be a lack of tasks, since the librarian’s guiding function will remain.

.

7. In addition to lending books, what other activities and services does the library offer?

We have many digital services, as mentioned above. We help students of all ages search for information and order textbooks. We also have something called The Book Arrives, i.e. if you have difficulties coming to us, we will bring books to your house. We also have media and computers that are accommodated for people with disabilities. We have a lot of activities for children, e.g. story times and meetings where parents can bring their babies and get tips on how to stimulate children’s language development. There is plenty of genealogy material, which is much appreciated and often requested. You can also use a computer, read the newspaper, make copies, and send faxes, etc. at the library. We have a book club once a month. We want the library to a living place with plenty of activities, so we plan something for every Wednesday. Last night we had a lecture about Stig Dagerman’s authorship and next week there will be a knitting café, where you can learn how to knit socks with a heel! We offer plenty of things.

.

8. How did you decide to become a librarian?

I have studied literature and wanted to work with literature in one way or another, but I didn’t want to teach. So I chose to become a librarian, even though the job involves much more than promoting and discussing literature.

.

9. What is the most fun with your job?

I run a book club once a month. That’s the most fun; to discuss literature with other people. It’s also rewarding to help people find something they are looking for.

.

10. What books do you prefer do read?

I am picky but can usually read most genres, as long as it is well written. The best reading experience I have had in recent years is The Road by Cormac McCarthy, which was made into a movie recently. That novel blew me away, it was amazing.

.

11. Who do you suggest we interview next at TheCrimeHouse? And what question would you ask that person?

I’m not quite sure, but maybe a publisher?

.

12. Anything else you would like to share with TheCrimeHouse readers?

No, I don’t think so. But I appreciate the opportunity to participate.

A big thank you to Ola Kumlin.

Note: This interview has been translated from Swedish.

I really enjoy reading authors’ first novels, and my reviews here at TheCrimeHouse have largely reflected that. I think about my interest for first novels and draw a few conclusions.

Ever since childhood I have aspired to become an author. (I respectfully decline comments stating “you cannot write, so forget about it.”) Therefore I think it is natural to want to see what others’ first novels are like. Those who have already succeeded. Think about all the hours of agony that they have gone through. All the times they doubted themselves and their ability, but who sat down and finished the project regardless. That impresses me. A lot.

Another reason is that you do not have any preconceived opinions about the author or the writing style. If it turns out that I do not like the first novel the chance is relatively small that I will read the sequel, and if the first novel is excellent I get a little nervous because I wonder if the sequel will live up to the hype. But more often than not it does, and I become a loyal reader for a long time to come.

Then there is this thing about changing jobs too. To do something completely different is a dream many people have, and many authors had an entirely different career before they made it. Camilla Läckberg worked as an economist and James Rollins had a veterinary clinic. But then it happened, their first novels were published, one book became many and they could make a living as an author. What a dream.

Unfortunately publishers in Sweden have drastically reduced the number of new authors this spring. According to a Swedish newspaper the number of first novels released and presented in Svensk Bokhandels (Swedish Bookstores) spring catalog has decreased from 43 in 2009 to 16 in 2010. I hope that this trend will turn around, because I love to discover new talents that can make my day a little brighter.