Synopsis
The second book in the classic Martin Beck detective series from the 1960s - the novels that shaped the future of Scandinavian crime writing. Hugely acclaimed, the Martin Beck series were the original Scandinavian crime novels and have inspired the writings of Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo. Written in the 1960s, 10 books completed in 10 years, they are the work of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo - a husband and wife team from Sweden. They follow the fortunes of the detective Martin Beck, whose enigmatic, taciturn character has inspired countless other policemen in crime fiction; without his creation Ian Rankin's John Rebus or Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander may never have been conceived. The novels can be read separately, but are best read in chronological order, so the reader can follow the characters' development and get drawn into the series as a whole. 'The Man Who Went Up in Smoke' starts as Martin Beck has just begun his holiday: an August spent with his family on a small island off the coast of Sweden. But when a neighbour gets a phone call, Beck finds himself packed off to Budapest, where a boorish journalist has vanished without a trace. Instead of passing leisurely sun-filled days with his children, Beck must troll about in the Eastern Europe underworld for a man nobody knows, with the aid of the coolly efficient local police, who do business while soaking at the public baths - and at the risk of vanishing along with his quarry.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
‘They changed the genre. Whoever is writing crime fiction after these novels is inspired by them in one way or another.’ Henning Mankell
‘If you haven’t read Sjöwall/Wahlöö, start now.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Pick up one book...and you become unhinged. You want to block out a week of your life, lie to your boss, and stay in bed, gorging on one after another.’ Observer
‘The writing is elegant and surprisingly humorous – if you haven’t come across Beck before, you’re in for a treat.’ Guardian
Book Description
Steven Mackintosh stars as dogged, dyspeptic detective Martin Beck, with Neil Pearson as his friend and colleague Lennart Kollberg, in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of The Man Who Went Up in Smoke.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Man Who Went Up in Smoke
Seller Image
The Man Who Went up in Smoke
Published by
Victor Gollancz Ltd, London, 1970
ISBN 10: 0575004576
ISBN 13: 9780575004573
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Raymond Tait, Beccles, SUFFO, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Original Cloth. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First UK edition. This translation by Joan Tate was originally published in the US by Pantheon in 1969. Light bumping to the corners of the boards. Page edges are worn, browned with spotting. Endpapers have brown spotting and tape marks. Small stain affecting the pages at the front of the book. Pages are lightly browned with brown spots in several places through the book. Jacket has a small pen mark at the top left corner of the rear panel, light edge wear and a small brown marks at the edges of the flaps. First printing. Seller Inventory # 026945
Buy Used
£ 25
£ 21.60 shipping
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
The Man Who Went Up in Smoke
Seller: Hadwebutknown, Birnam, PERTH, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
First Edition. Th ethird Martin Beck mystery. small address label to front pastedown. VG in unclipped VG dustjacket. A nice copy. Seller Inventory # 15917