by Maj Sjöwall
Part of Martin Beck
First published 1993
Martin Beck's August vacation on a Swedish island comes to an abrupt end when a phone call sends him to Budapest. A journalist has disappeared without leaving any clues behind. Beck exchanges sunny days with his children for the shadowy world of Eastern Europe's underworld. He must search for a man that no one seems to know or remember. The local police prove surprisingly helpful, conducting their business in the city's public baths with cool efficiency. Beck navigates unfamiliar streets and foreign customs while pursuing leads that seem to evaporate. The investigation pulls him deeper into Budapest's hidden corners. He faces the unsettling possibility that he might disappear just like the missing journalist. The case forces Beck far from his comfort zone, both geographically and professionally, as he works to solve a mystery that grows more puzzling with each dead end.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, gritty, suspenseful, tense
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, procedural-investigation, stranger-in-a-strange-land
Setting: Budapest, Sweden, Eastern Europe
Period: 20th century
192 pages · Paperback · Vintage
Content warnings: death, violence