Roseanna is the first in a series of ten books by the husband and wife team. The couple were dedicated Marxists and their goal was to advocate for that philosophy in their books. The earlier books in the series are more straightforward mysteries, and gradually the stories blend crime solving with criticism of the political status quo.
The ten books were planned as an assault on Swedish society, and by implication on all Western society. The authors, according to an essay Per Wahloo wrote when the series had just begun, aimed to start with one or two seemingly innocuous stories, and then, having established a sympathetic hero, Inspector Martin Beck, and a group of colleagues around him, bit by bit to introduce more and more direct criticism of the Swedish state and the Swedish way of life.The book is very slow to start, very unlike today's books where the author is usually working to grab the reader immediately. The body of a dead girl is found, the autopsy reveals that she has been brutalized, but the body was in water for a while and they can only guess at the exact sequence of the acts involved in her death. There is a long and painstaking investigation to find out who she is and then how and where the death occurred.
I liked the slow revelation of the entire investigation so I will not go into more detail of the story, although I found many elements of it surprising and charming. The investigation does build to a thrilling climax, which surprised me at the end, because of the slow, detailed buildup. A very satisfying read overall.
One of the things that struck me throughout was that the detectives were allowed to focus so much of their time and manpower on one case over so long a time. Was this kind of crime so unusual in that time period to allow such focus? Was there less crime in that time and place?
With most of the detectives we get some idea of their personalities and how they work together, but the most fully developed character is Martin Beck, the primary detective on this case (in Stockholm). His daily life and his family life are pictured. The point of view is mainly his. He is methodical and determined, almost obsessed with solving this crime. His home life is not ideal; the spark has gone out of his marriage and he doesn't feel like he knows his children anymore.
He put down his knife and fork, mumbled “thanks for dinner,” and absorbed himself with his rigging problem. Gradually, this activity calmed him completely. He worked slowly and methodically on the model ship and had no unpleasant thoughts. If he actually heard the noise from the television in the next room, it didn't register. After a while his daughter stood on the threshold with a sullen look traces of bubblegum on her chin.
“Some guy's on the phone. Wouldn't you know, right in the middle of Perry Mason.”
Damn it, he would have to have the telephone moved. Damn it, he would have to start getting involved in his children’s upbringing. Damn it, what does one say to a child who is thirteen years old and loves the Beatles and is already developed?Another favorite quote. His colleague, Kollberg, talks to him about the case:
“Don't think so much about the case. It isn't the first time we have failed ...”
“Don’t brood. It isn’t good for the morale.”
“The morale?”
“Yes, think what a lot of nonsense one can figure out with plenty of time. Brooding is the mother of ineffectiveness.”
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