Gunnar Staalesen

Big Sister, by Norwegian crime novelist Gunnar Staalesen, is a fast-moving story about P.I. Varg Veum's search for a missing teenage girl; additionally we follow Veum while he meets his half-sister for the first time, as she is the godmother of the missing girl. The book, while quickly paced, and interestingly resolved, definitely had some problems which lessened my enjoyment. Mainly, it is that the plot hinges on characters known neither to the detective or the reader, and that there are far too many coincidences keeping the book from being realistic. However, I understand that Staalsen has a large following in Scandinavia, so it is possible that my irritation with some parts of the book are due to my pickiness, and not some failure of the author. In my eyes, Big Sister is a mediocre book that I won't be recommending, nor will it prompt me to find more books by Gunnar Staalsen.… (mere)

This is the next book in the Varg Veum series following We Shall Inherit the Wind. In my review of that book, I predicted that difficulties would lie ahead for the protagonist. I was not wrong.

Three years after the loss Varg experiences in We Shall Inherit the Wind, he has become an alcoholic. As he conducts his next investigation, he struggles with the siren call of aquavit. His case is the disappearance of 3-year-old Mette Misvær twenty-five years earlier, in 1977. Her mother Maja wants Varg to find out what happened to her daughter who went missing from the sandpit outside her home, one of five houses in a small housing co-op.

Varg is very methodical. He spends his time interviewing people, first focusing on the other four families living in the co-op. A lot of characters are introduced in a short span of time so it is difficult sometimes to remember who is who and the connections among characters. Of course Varg always manages to extract information that allows him to move forward. Mette disappeared without a trace, and the police never solved the case, but Varg does of course.

The incompetent police trope is annoying, especially because Varg solves more than one case. A recent jewelry heist has more than one connection to the people who were Maja and Mette’s neighbours. All these connections stretch credibility.

I can understand a mother wanting answers to what happened to a missing child, but considering the many secrets Maja has, it’s surprising that she hired a private investigator. Varg uncovers many secrets and lies, many of which involve Maja.

I found parts of the book to be predictable. From the beginning, I guessed Maja’s secret which added to her guilt. And when a certain character was introduced, I immediately heard alarm bells and guessed much of the ending. I read to the end to discover the other details which are not obvious.

I think I’ll return to this series at a later date; in the meantime, I’ll begin listening to a Canadian series I’ve been meaning to read.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski).… (mere)

When I asked for suggestions for a new detective series to listen to during walks, a friend recommended the Varg Veum series by Gunnar Staalesen, who is often described as the father of Nordic noir. I began with We Shall Inherit the Wind though I understand it is not the first of the series. As so often happens, not all the books have been translated and translations do not always begin at the beginning. Nonetheless, this book turned out to be a good place to start since it marks a major change in Varg’s life.

Varg, whose name means wolf, is an ex-social worker who has become a private investigator working in Bergen, Norway. Ranveig Mæland, a friend of Varg’s fiancée Karin, asks Varg to investigate the disappearance of her husband Mons. Mons owns land on a remote island which is being considered for a controversial wind farm. Just as all interested parties and opponents to the plan are to gather on the island, Mons has gone missing. As Varg searches for Mons and later checks into a land sale, he uncovers business and family secrets.

The book touches not only on disappearances, one in the past and one in the present, and dubious business dealings but also on environmental terrorism and religious fanaticism.

Varg is a likeable character though he is, as he readily admits, not perfect. He will not stop until all his questions are answered and though this may be admirable, it is also a flaw. This determination has him making an error for which he pays a tragically high price. Yet afterwards, even when the case is finished, he continues investigating on his own because he wants to confirm his suspicions about an unsolved case from the past.

Another trait that stands out is his stoicism. He rarely displays his feelings, though his thoughts reveal that he is capable of deep emotions. The ending suggests that difficulties may lie ahead for Varg because he doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings.

Varg is 65 years old; as befits his age, he is more old-fashioned in his approach. He relies on deductive reasoning; he is not the gun-toting tough guy who manhandles suspects.

My one problem with the book is the names of the characters, and there are lots of them. Because I was listening, not reading, I often became confused with the many similar-sounding names who, to me, are foreign.

I appreciate that though there are some unexpected twists, the clues are there. Things that didn’t feel right prove to have not felt right for a legitimate reason. All the reader has to do is pay close attention and, like Varg, use his/her deductive thinking skills.

I quite enjoyed my introduction to this series, so much so that I’ve already downloaded the next book. I look forward to spending my morning walks in the company of Varg Veum.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).… (mere)