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Title: Discover Martin Beck for yourself.
Review: Like Freeling or Simenon, the Sjowall/Wahloo novels are excellent more for the excuse the mystery provides for an examination of everyday life, than they are for the excitement or horror of the crime itself. In the case of Martin Beck, he explores the frustrations and pleasures of Swedish life while solving his mysteries.This is not my favorite in the series (so far, that would be _The Man Who Went Up in Smoke_), but it's not a bad place to begin. It is hurt a bit by being a little dated by some of the concerns about Roseanna herself-- she is a great view of how many saw the hippies at the time. However, the book itself is not dated and this is not an issue that should dissuade someone from reading it.
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