The Brass Verdict

by Michael Connelly
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Mickey Haller from The Lincoln Lawyer is getting ready to start working again after not having practiced in a year. He's not going to make the same mistake as the last time he thought himself ready; this time he really will make a slow start of it. But then he is called to the offices of Los Angeles Head Judge Mary Downes Holder and everything changes.

Jerry Vincent has been found murdered in his car, shot at close range. Like Mickey Jerry was running a one-man-firm and they had both put each other down as formal back-up in the case anything would happen to one of them. Now Mickey is suddenly responsible for 31 clients and their cases. They have the right to choose another lawyer if they wish to, but Harry has the first chance to take on their case.

One of the clients is Walter Elliot. Elliot is an executive in a movie studio and accused of having killed his young wife and her lover. The kind of client that would bring fame and fortune to the lawyer assigned his case. To be allowed to keep Elliot as his client Mickey has to promise to not ask for any continuences and the pressure is high getting the defence ready in time.

At the same time he is under pressure from the detective investigating Vincent's murder, Harry Bosch to provide some clues to who might want to kill Vincent and why. Bosch points out that the killer might believe that Haller now is in possession of all the information Vincent had and therefore a target himself. Haller wants to see Vincent's murderer caught and works with Bosch as far as possible without breaking the rules of the bar. He is also willing to put himself in danger if that is what it takes.

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There are some writers you can depend upon. At least it's that way for me; it's like their style is on my wavelength and reading their books is as easy as thinking for me. Michael Connelly is one of those writers for me. If I start reading one of his books I'm hooked until it is finished, and I miss it as soon as I put the book down.

It was the same with The Brass Verdict, I was hooked from the first page. I am always nervous when I know I'm going to get an outsider's perspective on Harry Bosch; he is one of my favourite men and no one but me is allowed to critisize him. As most of Connelly's characters Bosch has flaws, as do Mickey Haller.

And I like Haller a lot too. He has a sharp intellect, but is not suffering from arrogance but makes sure to surround himself with competent people he can trust; his ex-wife Lorna and the investigator Cisco. He keeps reminding himself that everybody lies, the police lie, the lawyers lie, the witnesses lie, even the victims lie. But he is not cynical, he can still feel compassion and is willing to offer a second chance.

Despite the inherent suspicions between defence lawyers and the police an understanding is developing between Bosch and Haller. The faithful Connelly reader will know why this might be the case, and this is also revealed later in the book.

The intrigue in the book is very cleverly constructed. And the tempo varies in a way that makes me feel involved. Connelly has a great sense for when he should share the details of the work Haller is doing preparing for the trial and when he needs to speed up the text to increase the excitement.

I've previously held Scott Turow's book Presumed Innocent as the best legal thriller; a detailed insight into a crime investigation, someone seemingly falsely accused, several other possible suspects but no obvious guilty party, lies, betrayal and tension right up until the last moment. And then the astonishing reveal of the true culprit. But I believe The Brass Verdict has now put itself on that number one position.

Also this is not a book that wallows in violence or graphic descriptions of violence. It is the analysis of information and human behaviour that is the focus of this book. And goodness and compassion win in the end.

I recommend everyone to read this book.

The Uncommon Reader

by Alan Bennet
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The English court and the Prime Minister have a problem. The Queen who used to be so reliable, conscientious, punctual and predictable has a new passion that offers her a new perspective on life. She was one day led by her disobedient dogs to the book bus that regularly visits the castle. To be polite she borrowed a book and when she came to return it she found herself borrowing another.

Now she sneaks a book with her to all kinds of events. She has learned to pretend to be attentive, smile and wave at the same time as she is really reading a book carefully kept out of sight of the spectators. Many attempts are made to cause the Queen's books to be left behind but that only causes her to be more unpredictable and difficult to control. Something has to be done to end the Queen's disturbing addiction to reading.

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I had read a lot of good things about this book and the language was just as I had hoped a perfectly worded British English. And for someone who loves to read it is always lovely with books that centers around the love of books and reading. And this book is filled with references to books and authors and the Queen's opinions on the same.

But my expectations might have been too high. I think it is obvious that Bennet mostly writes drama. The great things about the book is the language, the dialogue, the sharp observations and the love of reading. But the book is short and for me it also seemed thin; no real richness in characters or storyline.

I still recommend this book to all those who love reading. Perhaps as the book equivalent of a refreshing sorbet between two heavier courses.

Fladdermusmannen

(Currently no English translation)
by Jo Nesbø
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Harry Hole is sent on a symbolic assignement in Sydney, Australia. A young blond Norwegian woman with a background hosting a children's TV-show back home has been murdered. Harry is expected to mostly observe the investigation of what seems to be a tragically common case; a rape assault ending in a strangulation.

But Harry is finding it difficult not to get involved. He takes a more and more active interest in the case and at the same time gets exposed to the Sydney never advertised in the travel brochures. His self-appointed guide from the police in Sydney, Andrew Kensington, is of aboriginal origin and he gives Harry an insight to his people's history and folk tales.

As the case becomes more complicated so does Harry's situation. His reasons for wanting to catch the killer has become more personal and soon he is running his own investigation on the side from the police investigation.

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This is an excellent first novel. That it is a first novel can be deducted by the somewhat jerky telling of the story. But the intrigue is nicely tied together and just complicated enough. The language has a good flow and reflects the changes in tempo and moods.

The characters are many and effectively described so that their personalities become clear and unique. Some of them you take to your heart, sometimes rightly so and sometimes not. I liked Harry Hole a lot and even though I had reason to be disappointed in him I still liked him after the book was finished.

This is a pretty horrific book, with betrayal, violence, drunkeness and cruelty but I gladly recommend it to those who can take that what is unfortunately a part of our reality also is a part of the books that are written.

Jo Nesbø has written the following novels:
Flaggermusmannen (1997)
Kakerlakkene (1998)
Rødstrupe (2000) - Redbreast (2006)
Sorgenfri (2000) - Nemesis (2008)
Marekors (2003) - The Devil's Star (2005)
Frelseren (2005) - The Redeemer (2009)
Snømannen (2007)

Nattfåk

(English title: The Darkest Room)
by Johan Theorin
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In the winter of 1846 while the work of erecting the two lighthouses is still ongoing at Eel Point on Öland a storm causes a ship wreck. Nobody from the ship can be rescued but the timber it was carrying drifts ashore and is used to build a grand building for the lighthouse keepers and their families. Now one of the lighthouses is no longer in use and the other is automated and the previously impressive manor house is decaying.

Katrine and Joakim Westin move with their children Livia and Gabriel to Eel Point from Äppelviken in Bromma, outside of Stockholm. Despite the secluded location and the stories they've been told about the history of the house as well as the treacherous winterstorm they are looking forward to restoring the property and lead a quieter life than in Stockholm.

But all is not quiet on Öland. Henrik Jansson is paid a visit by two men who want his expert knowledge of the island to rob the now empty summer houses. They do not however rely only on his advice but also consult "the other side" through the help of a ouija board.

At the same time Marnäs police station is re-opened with Tilda Davidsson as newly appointed attendant. Tilda is not only looking forward to her new job, she sees this as her final chance to learn about her family history. She does so by interviewing her grandfather Ragnar's brother Gerlof Davidsson. Ragnar too is connected to Eel Point and Eel Point is where Tilda goes on her first assignment as the local police representative.

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I liked Johan Theorin's first book, Skumtimmen (Echoes from the Dead) a lot and this book is even better. His rendition of the barren Öland is still there, now even more desolate and in a winter setting. So are the folk tales and the supernatural content. And Gerlof is still there, conveying his knowledge of the place and of human nature, as observant and sharp as ever even though he has moved into a housing for the elderly. Also in this book does Theorin take us back in time, both in longer and shorter perspectives.

What has been added is a broader cast of characters and a combination of several histories that all converge at Eel Point in different ways, having their conclusions or solutions come to place in the middle of the raging winter storm. For me it was impossible to put the book down until I had the explanation to how everything was connected.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants an exciting and stimulating read.

Johan Theorin has written the following novels:
Skumtimmen (2007) - Echoes from the Dead (2008)
Nattfåk (2008) - The Darkest Room (2009)

Bangkok Tattoo

by John Burdett
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Detective Songchai Jitpleecheep was born during the Vietnam conflict, the love child of an american soldier and the Thai prostitute Nong. He has never met his father, who is now back in the US. Beside his police work Songchai runs the brothel The Old Man's Club together with Nong. His boss Colonel Vikorn is the biggest shareholder in the club.

One evening the club's most popular working girl Chanya returns after having gone away with an American. As she walks through the bar she undresses and leaves her skimpy silver dress draped over a bar stool. It is soaked in blood and the blood fresh enough to drip down onto the floor. "I have done in him", Chanya states before disappearing into her room.

The American's hotel room offers an equally bloody sight; he has been castrated and the skin is missing from his whole back. Reluctant to lose one of their major money makers Colonel Vikorn invents a story that explains how Chanya killed the American in self defence.

But the American turns out to have been a CIA agent and in his attempts to make the evidence point to Al Qaeda Songchai ends up discovering the bizarre truth despite intervening in military drug smuggling and visiting a muslim favoured village in Southern Thailand.

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I have never been to Thailand, so I have no personal experiences with which to compare this book. John Burdett was born in Great Britain but lived and worked as a lawyer in Hong Kong for 12 years. Now he lives in France and Thailand and writes full time.

Despite the writer's origin the book is written from a Thai perspective; the text is often directed straight at the reader by the address "Farang" which I assume to be the Thai word for foreigner. One passage explains in detail to me, farang, the translation of the capital of Thailand's name and how it goes phonetically; nowhere can Bangkok be found. Concistently through the book the point is made that we cannot understand Thailand and its customs unless we can see beyond our own values and references.

The Thailand the book describes is a world where prostitution is an easy and honourable source of income that ensures the livelyhood of whole families, even whole villages. Songchai and most of the characters are Buddhists and as such most occupied with praising the Buddha and constantly aiming at balancing their karma, not deciding on each individual action based on concept as good or bad.

Accordingly Chanya calculates how she would amass 3 120 units of negative karma if she were to prostitute herself to put her sister through medical school. It would require the same number of medium-to-high healings by her sister to balance this, which should take no longer than a year or so. After that Chanya could dedicate the rest of her life to earn positive karma.

The whole book is written in a deceptively light-hearted tone, I am astounded and indignant as I read about police corruption, prostitution, child labour and drugs trade but at the same time I have to smile. Nothing seems to eminate from anything akin to evil; it is all about survival, business or love in combination with madness.

It took me a while to read this book, it was hard for me to step out of my own frame of reference and see the world through Songchai's eyes. But once I succeded it was well worth the effort. It is a refreshing read; a completely new environment and set of characters, and an intricate storyline. I was offered quite a few eye-openers and have thought a lot about how carefully you have to tread if you wish to change the world. Even if you have the best of intentions you always have to respect the traditions and values of others.

I recommend this book to anyone who believes themselves to have an open mind and is willing to take a somewhat immoral journey.

John Burdett has written the following novels:

Featuring Songchai Jitpleecheep
Bangkok 8 (2002)
Bangkok Tattoo (2005)
Bangkok Haunts (2007)