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Scandinavian Crime WaveWhy the most peaceful people on earth write the greatest homicide thrillers.

By Nathaniel RichPosted Wednesday, July 8, 2009, at 7:02 AM ET

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Nathaniel Rich is an editor at the Paris Review and the author of The Mayor's Tongue.
COMMENTS

I read the Scandinavian mystery writers because most of their stories are strongly character driven. We know who Kurt Wallander is, we know his brooding, confounded mind, his pain. Håkon Nesser's Van Veeteren, Eriksson's Ann Lindell and Indriðason's Erlandur are people who work to know more about themselves. None are them are typical cops, they all seem to be fish out of the water of their own careers. I love them all.

-- BeverlyCY
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