Karin Fossum - He Who Fears the Wolf (2005)
Reviewed by Fiona Walker
Fossum comes from an impressive backlist of Scandinavian writers, all of whom have won the Glass Key Award for Best Scandinavian crime novel. She’s in the company of Peter Hoeg, Henning Mankell and Arnaldur Indridason, to give just three. If you were asked to name any one place in the world that’s, crime-fiction wise, in the ascendant, Scandinavia should probably spring to mind first.
He Who Fears the Wolf is the second novel in translation. I’ve no idea where in the series it comes, as so little information about that has filtered into English. One suspects it might not matter – both books I’ve so far read have been complete within themselves. Possibly, we are missing development of Inspector Konrad Sejer, but I’m not sure that matters: he’s pretty much an archetype, which could be considered either a good thing or a bad. On the one hand, we’ve met his like before (there are definite touches of Rendell’s Wexford about him, as well as P.D. James’s Dalgleish, and other of the more genteel elder detectives) and so we know pretty much what we’re in for, but, on the other hand, we’ve met his like before, and so he’s nothing hugely original. That doesn’t really matter, though – after all, we’ve met the likes of Rebus and Bosch many times before as well, and yet all-too-willingly lap up more. What matters is how he’s put in the story, and the story itself.
One morning, an old woman is murdered outside her cottage in the woods. A young boy finds her and rushes to the police station, where he also reports seeing the neighborhood loon lurking among the trees. That same morning, a young man robs a bank. Panicked when escaping, he snatches a hostage, who so happens to have just escaped from a mental institution.
Somewhat implausible, possibly, but the way Fossum handles it, and the way the one investigation begins to pale when faced with the great urgency of the other, is very well done indeed. Too, Fossum shows a marked ability at getting beneath the skin of her characters, the result being that each scenario is charged with the unpredictability of the bizarre psychology of the pivotal players. This ability for psychological insight and playfulness is another factor which gives these books hints of Ruth Rendell. As gentle elders, Sejer and Wexford share a lot, and fans of Rendell’s series will find a lot to admire here.
Fossum’s writing has a soft clarity to it, and occasional streaks of poetry. Felicity’s David’s translation is absolutely flawless: if you didn’t know otherwise, you’d not have any clue it was a translation. I’ve seen these books criticised for being too pedestrian as mysteries, but I really can’t see it. True, despite its psychological depth and surprising turns, the tone’s as soft and gentle as cotton, which is why it’s so powerful. Because sharp peaks of vicious brutality lance out of it, as sharp a contrast as blood on fresh snow. Horrifying touches crash out of the blue and drop your jaw (for those in the know: consider the story of Errki’s mother). The overall effect is of not only a successful (and atmospheric, may I add!) crime novel, but a great thriller as well. Karin Fossum is another import from Europe that I’ve been all too happy to add to my “must read” pile.
Posted by Fiona Walker in Book Reviews | Permalink
Comments
I thought you made a number of astute comments about "He Who Fears the Wolf", about the psychological depth and the soft tone, in particular.
This was the first of Fossum's novels that I've read, though I have heard that Sejer is more prominent in some of the others. I didn't so much regard him as an archetype here as I thought of the book as an ensemble novel, with the criminals as something more like protagonists than is the detective.
In any case, I'm feeling evangelistic about this wonderful book, and I want to discuss it. I've posted some comments about it on my blog at http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/search/label/Karin%20Fossum ; come visit!
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Peter | Apr 18, 2007 4:02:42 AM
