About Me

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Recent retiree--35 year's experience teaching reading, English, adult basic education and volunteer leadership skills. Started this blog to exchange ideas and commentary with friends and others having an interest in joining the discussions. Greatest life accomplishments include: 1.organized my 3rd grade class to check out library books for me to get around librarian's weekly limit--Amazon.com, the Mullins Elementary 3rd Grade Class of 1956 is still waiting for "thank you" notes; 2. volunteered in the Peace Corps, island of St. Kitts, West Indies; 3.taught adults to read, earn their GEDs., and speak English as a second language; 4. bought a border collie puppy for $6, got evicted rather than give him up, and began a life-long love affair with all things "Dog"; 5. joined a physical fitness boot camp in my mid-50s--don't mess with someone who's been doing regulation pushups in wet grass at 5:30 a.m.; 6. walked across Northern England with best friend Sally--over 80 miles from the Irish to North Seas; and 7. travelled to many foreign countries for pleasure and work.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Teaser Tuesday - Murder in Stockholm

This is the Golden Room of City Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.  Liza Marklund's latest crime fiction, Last Will, opens in this glittering hall with the annual awards ceremony for the Nobel Prize.  The main character, reporter Annika Bengtzon, witnesses the point blank assassination of the Secretary of the Nobel Prize Committee on the dance floor.  In fact, Annika stares into the chilling yellow eyes of the killer just minutes before she murders the Secretary.

Annika is immediately detained by the police as a chief witness and compelled to help the police develop a description of the killer and the events leading up to the attack.  Because of the potential negative impact of information getting out, the police issue a gag order on the reporter.  It couldn't have happened at a worse time for her at the newspaper where she works.  She is not in great favor with her editor and management because she wrote an expose of the family who owned the Evening Post.  Her editor uses the gag order as an excuse to sideline Annika for a couple of months.

Meanwhile, at home Annika's marriage is falling apart.  She does the only thing she knows how--goes after the story on her own.  She soon finds herself in the middle of a story of terror and death that leads back to Alfred Nobel, the Swedish industrialist who was responsible for establishing the Nobel Prizes, so coveted that people are willing to kill for the honor of being a recipient.  Will Annika be able to use her work and love of her two small children to suppress her own demons?

"No angels, she managed to think, thank god the angels are keeping quiet" p. 12
(Meet Chet, my 3 month old puppy.  He's going to be a good reading companion.)

In September 2011 I participated in a great tour of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, prompted, in part, by my love for dark Swedish crime fiction.  Henning Mankell, Stieg Larsson, Camilla Lackberg, Jo Nesbo, Anne Holt and now Liza Marklund to name a few.  Here are a few photos that are the scene for the murders in Last Will:

The Golden Room above is in City Hall which is on Lake Malaren.  I took this photo from my hotel window.  Lake Malaren was a possible escape route for the killer.
The killer stood outside City Hall in the courtyard, smoking a cigarette and waiting for the target to get in place:
This is the Blue Room just inside the courtyard. Annika and other ceremony attendees was dancing here when the killer struck. Making her escape from the Blue Room, she actually stepped on Annika's foot, leaving a boot heel imprint.

Teaser Tuesday is described by its host, Miz B over at Should Be Reading ,as a "weekly bookish meme" open to any reader who wants to play along. If, like me, you're always curious about what people are reading or on the lookout for the next great read, then this may by your meme. To play, just click on Miz B's link above for the simple rules.

14 comments:

Sandra Nachlinger said...

This sounds like a compelling story, set in beautiful locations. I'll read it for sure. Thank you, too, for posting all the lovely photos.
My teaser is from Deadly Pleasures.

TexWisGirl said...

chet is so sweet! :)

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

This one sounds so exciting! I love the way you've set up the scenes with photos.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Paulita said...

This sounds like it's got something for everyone. Here's Mine

Pooch said...

This sounds like a good read. I'm going to add it to my list. Having visited the areas where a story happens always adds so much depth to whatever I'm reading. Your pix are simply wonderful!

Chet--what a cute doggy name!

:)

Nise' said...

I love Swedish crime fiction and have read one of Liz's books and will keep my eye out for this one. Just finished my first Anne Holt book. Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

This one caught my eye,a cute puppy!

http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/05/teaser-tuesday.html

Jan n Jer said...

That is so cool that you were in the same places as in the book! Looks like little Chet is settled in an comfy!

George said...

Thiis sounds like a great read. I'll have to look into it.

Sandra Nachlinger said...

Thank you for stopping by our blog and leaving a comment. I hope you'll come back tomorrow, read our interview with Mary Firmin, and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of her book, Deadly Pleasures.
http://iousex.blogspot.com

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Great post and the book sounds amazing.

Chet is adorable.

Janice said...

No fair overdosing Chet on Benedryl just so you can read!

Amy Burzese said...

How fun that you have photos of the book setting! I'll have to try this one.

A Colorful World said...

This was fascinating! Such great photos to support the story-line of the book!