TheCrimeHouse.com

About Twelve Days of Christmas

Se7en

To symbolize the gift on the seventh day of Christmas (seven swans a-swimming) we decided to focus on the number not the gift, and we selected the movie Se7en.

David Fincher’s first movie as a feature length director was Alien 3, which was a borderline disaster, but his breakout performance was his next movie Se7en. Every scene jumps off the screen. And the suspense builds throughout the movie as Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) and Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) discover each new crime scene, rake over the clues, and get closer the finding the killer. As they discover each new body, the unnamed city they are in is constantly rainy, dark, and depressing (this style is blatantly copied in the American version of The Killing).

As usual, Fincher gets the most out of his cast, which included Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The actor who played the killer, one of Hollywood’s best, was not billed in the movie posters, and did no promotion for the movie so that it would be a surprise to the audience, at least to those who saw it opening weekend. I will continue this tradition and encourage those of you who have not seen it, not to look it up, but instead to watch the movie to find out.

Guest

2 Comments

On the 6th Day of Christmas…

Posted on 30 December 2011

…my true love gave to me: six geese a-laying,

About Twelve Days of Christmas

The Golden Goose

To symbolize the gift on the sixth day of Christmas (six geese a-laying) we selected the crime novel The Golden Goose by Stieg Trenter. Original title in Swedish: Guldgåsen

Before Larsson there was Trenter. Stieg Larsson is not the only Swedish crime writer named Stieg. Stieg Trenter was one of the most popular crime writers in Sweden in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Stieg Trenter’s first crime novel was published in 1943, and he wrote over 20 books about the investigator Friberg. The Golden Goose is one of them.

I have no idea how I have missed the books by Trenter, but I will definitely put at least one of them on my reading list for next year.

Comments Off

On the 5th Day of Christmas…

Posted on 29 December 2011

…my true love gave to me: five golden rings,

…four calling birds,

…three french hens,

About Twelve Days of Christmas

GoldenEye

To symbolize the gift on the fifth day of Christmas (five golden rings) we selected the James Bond movie GoldenEye.

GoldenEye is the first Bond movie with Pierce Brosnan as the British agent 007. In this movie he teams up with Natalya Simonova, a Russian researcher, to stop the hijacking of a nuclear space weapon. It is one of my favorite Bond movies, and I like that Polish-Swedish Izabella Scorupco is the leading lady.

Comments Off

The day is Dark by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Posted on 28 December 2011

I’ve recently mentioned my weakness for the mysterious country of Iceland, in a book review I recently did in Swedish. But I really have special feelings for the place even though I’ve never been there.

My first encounter with a modern Icelandic writer was Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and her debut- Last rituals, which really made me fall head over heels for her style of writing. Even though there is a gloomy atmosphere over Iceland (and that it sometimes rubs off on the characters) there are some tiny sparks of humour in there and I just love the contrast. Unfortunately, Yrsa’s recent books hasn’t been published in Swedish but they are available in English which is great for all you who doesn’t speak Icelandic (which of course includes me).

The storyline

The Day is Dark is the fourth book about the attorney Thóra and the storyline doesn’t actually take place in Iceland, but in Greenland. A mining company in the remote shores of Greenland runs into some troubles when members of the staff suddenly disappear. The natives aren’t willing to help since they are convinced the area is cursed since the original inhabitants all died there almost a hundred years ago.

Thóra arrives at the site with Matthew, her German partner (as in boyfriend, not work companion) and also a representative of the bank that is now about to make a deal with the mining company. Together with a couple of former staff member from the mining company, a doctor and the secretary Bella from Thóra’s law firm, they find themselves right in the middle of a mystery. The group starts to unravel a mystery in the isolated, snowy landscape and they have to deal with the natives’ superstitions and the very stressful and eerie environment.

My final thoughts

One of the things I like the most about Yrsa’s books is that she often interweaves supernatural elements. The reader senses ghosts and whatnots but they actually never make an appearance. It just plays in the mind of the reader even though it is never meant to be taken seriously. Being a fan of both horror movies and books, this tickles my imagination and I really enjoy it even though I really love a good, dry, English detective story any day. By the way, the scenery in The Day is Dark would have been really appreciated by Agatha Christie, I’m sure of that!

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s books are not as dark and gloomy as the ones by Arnaldur Indriðason so they might be a good introduction to Icelandic crime stories even though I can recommend them both.

Veronica

Comments Off

On the 4th Day of Christmas…

Posted on 28 December 2011

…my true love gave to me: four calling birds,

…three french hens,

About Twelve Days of Christmas

Yellow Bird

To symbolize the gift on the fourth day of Christmas (four calling birds) we chose the Swedish company Yellow Bird.

Yellow Bird specializes in adopting Scandinavian crime literature for movies and television. One of their most famous projects was the adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. Other examples include the Wallander series (films about Henning Mankell’s inspector Wallander), and the Irene Huss series (films based on books by Helen Tursten). Upcoming projects include a movie based on Jo Nesbø’s novel Headhunters, and a series of films based on Liza Marklund’s novels about Annika Bengtzon.

Comments Off

On the 3rd Day of Christmas…

Posted on 27 December 2011

…my true love gave to me: three french hens,

About Twelve Days of Christmas

The Nicholas Le Floch Affair

To symbolize the gift on the third day of Christmas (three french hens) we found a french historical crime novel, The Nicholas Le Floch Affair by Jean-François Parot.

The Nicholas Le Floch Affair is the fourth novel in the series about Nicolas Le Floch, a police commissioner in Paris in the 1770s. Le Floch’s mistress is murdered and all the clues point to Le Floch. His friends and colleagues believe he is innocent and together they reveal the real killer. At the same time, the king (Louis XV) sends him on a diplomatic mission to England.

The author is a diplomat and historian, and the novel is a mixture of authentic and made-up characters that make the story very believable. He describes the streets, houses and environment in a way that makes you feel like you are there. The language is beautiful and the translator has done a really great job.

This is a novel for anyone who likes history just as much as you like crime novels. If you also enjoy juicy descriptions of food you have hit the jack pot!

Sara

Comments Off

Liza Marklund’s Latest Novel

Posted on 26 December 2011

Du gamla, du fria (original title in Swedish)

This is the ninth novel about the journalist Annika Bengtzon. In the first chapter Annika’s husband Thomas and six other Europeans are kidnapped by a terrorist group in Nairobi. In the second chapter a woman is found murdered in Stockholm’s suburbs. More women are found murdered after that. The previous Annika Bengtzon novel was awesome, but this one does not quite measure up.

(A Parenthesis)

The novel completely focuses on the kidnapping and the murders are simply a parenthesis. Speaking of parentheses, I thought the author used way too many. Other than that I like Marklund’s use of language.

Important Topics

It could have been a really exciting story, but despite the fact that the kidnappers are extremely brutal and do not hesitate to kill their hostages I do not find the novel that exciting. The novel brings up topics like the world’s injustices, the global society, and the questionable methods used by journalists. They are all important topics, but a little more excitement would be nice.

Comments Off

On the 2nd Day of Christmas…

Posted on 26 December 2011

…my true love gave to me: two turtle doves,

About Twelve Days of Christmas

Diamond Dove

To symbolize the gift on the second day of Christmas (two turtle doves) we chose “Diamond Dove” by Adrian Hyland.

Diamond Dove is Adrian Hyland’s first crime novel, and it is set in the Australian outback. The main character Emily Tempest, part white part aborigine, is returning to the community where she grew up just as an old friend is found murdered.

The setting alone makes me want to read it right away. Plus I do not think that I have ever read a crime novel set down under. Maybe I should make my New Year’s resolution for next year to read novels from all parts of the world. What would your recommendation be?

Comments Off

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Posted on 25 December 2011

The much anticipated movie release of the year finally came and we stood in line to the theatre with other die-hard fans of the Millennium trilogy. Most of the people we talked to had read all the books and seen all the Swedish movies. Just like us.

Swedish or American Version?

The American movie is awesome, but somehow I feel like I had seen it all before. However, if you do not know Swedish and do not like subtitles, then this is the movie for you. Being from Sweden I loved that this movie was filmed there as well. I realize that this version will reach a much wider audience, and give Sweden a lot of publicity. You cannot argue with that.

Battle of Lisbeth Salander

Would Rooney Mara measure up to Noomi Rapace? That was the big question, and in my opinion the answer is YES. Rooney did an awesome job! However, I do not think she was better than Noomi, just different. I love them both!

Sequel?

I do not know if there will be American movie versions of the other two books, but I really hope so. I loved the first Swedish movie, but I think Hollywood can make something more, something better, with the second and third book.

Comments Off

On the 1st Day of Christmas…

Posted on 25 December 2011

…my true love gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree.

About Twelve Days of Christmas

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” in an English Christmas carol that lists a series of presents given each day of the twelve days of Christmas. Inspired by this song, we have decided to associate each day of the song with a crime novel/movie/writer, thriller, or murder mystery.

To symbolize the gift on the first day of Christmas (a partridge in a pear tree) we found the following book.

The Maul and the Pear Tree: The Ratcliffe Highway Murders, 1811

“The Maul and the Pear Tree: The Ratcliffe Highway Murders, 1811″. It is a true crime book by mystery writer P. D. James and British historian T. A. Critchley. The Ratcliff Highway murders were serial killings that occurred over twelve days in London in 1811.

I am a big fan of true crime books and I like P. D. James crime novels, so I believe this book would be something for me. Has anyone read it? If so, what did you think?