The Nightmare, by Lars Kepler ($16)

I liked The Hypnotist, the first book in this series by the husband-and-wife writing team that uses the pen name "Lars Kepler." One of the strongest elements in that book, the character of the doctor-hypnotist, isn't present in this book. What we have left is Inspector Joona Linna, a Finn who grew up in Sweden but who still retains his capacity to swear in Finnish. He's just as irritating and arrogant in this book as he was in The Hypnotist. He is joined this time by an equally irritating investigator, Saga Bauer, a female version of the short-tempered, know-it-all Linna. It doesn't matter that they are right in their "instincts," because they're so darned moody all the time. After a while "I just know it" doesn't cut much literary clout. (I don't know why this persona is attractive in Kurt Wallander but not here. Maybe because Kurt has more personal humility and a well-written character; he knows when he's being an ass?)

For the first 230 pages of this book, I wondered what I was doing, slogging along page after page. To add to the hum-drum, chapters of Linna investigating the hanging of a prominent government official were interwoven with chapters of a young woman and her boyfriend being stalked by a mysterious professional killer. It became obvious that most of those chapters were in the past, but that interweaving was just plain old confusing. "Gyah," I complained to Jean. "Just stop reading it," was her advice, the same advice I've given countless other readers when their books didn't "speak" to them. But I didn't stop. There was something there, a spark of potential, a hint that what I treasured in The Hypnotist -- the quirky characters, the surprising twists, the fast pacing -- would eventually surface. Two hundred and thirty pages is about two hundred pages more than I give any book that doesn't hold my interest, but that was about when things started to happen.

Instead of a hypnotist, Kepler gives us Alex Riessen, the man who takes over the government job of the hanging man. That job is to approve arms exports. He must ensure that the materiel doesn't go to countries or organizations boycotted by Sweden or its allies. A tragedy, the nature of which is teasingly drawn out, haunts him. He is tortured by insomnia, the only partial cure for which is cuddling up to a real-life "teddy bear." He could have been a world-class violinist, but he became a statesman instead. Now we're talking interesting stuff.

Also Penelope Fernandez and Björn Almskog, the couple being chased by the hired killer, get interesting when their timeline almost catches up to Linna's present day. They are briefly held captive by a colorful and devilish ex-game show host. Rub your hands because, finally, the circus is out of the tent.

Riessen is being pressured to approve a significant shipment of ammunition. Fernandez is part of the Swedish Peace and Reconciliation Society, mostly concerned with the atrocities she witnessed in Dafur. Somehow these two are related, and it is up to the much faster-paced second half of the book to connect the dots. Linna and Bauer for the most part have quit their drama queen ways, and it's interesting to watch them speed to prevent more deaths and catch the bad guys.

Riessen's story is very moving and by itself makes it worth the price of admission.

SPOILER ALERT:
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Let me help you out if you want to read this book. Here are the first 230 pages condensed:

DI Joona Linna is with the National CID, homicide division. He doesn't listen to what anyone else tells him. Cool cats in the police department think he's fabulous and way cool. His boss metaphorically just rolls his eyes and lets Joona do what he wants. When work doesn't get in the way, he is courting Disa.

Lots of police and Säpo personnel are mentioned. You don't need to know any of them, except Carlos is Joona's boss, Anya is Joona's assistant, Göran is a jackass with Säpo.

Saga Bauer is with the anti-terrorism group in Säpo, kind of like the FBI and CIA. It doesn't help that she's petite and looks like an elf. She's smart but no one takes her seriously. (See previous comment about elf-like appearance.) She wants to prove herself and takes over the hanging man case. Joona attaches himself like an unwanted limpet to that case.

Penelope Fernandez was born in an El Salvadorian prison. Her mother was an activist there, but now she and her two daughters live in Sweden. Viola, Penelope's younger sister, cadges a ride on Björn's sailboat when Penelope and he were meant to have a romantic getaway. Viola is murdered while the boat is anchored on a remote beach of a Swedish island. When Penelope and Björn discover the body and see a man in black, they hightail it out. They run and run and swim and swim, never quite connecting with sympathetic humans who want to help them. Then they run into the house of the aforesaid game show clown.

Axel Riessen lives in his family's manor house, subdivided to share with his brother, a violinist and violin maker. Axel has taken in a 15-year-old mentally and emotionally handicapped girl. Axel can only sleep if she's curled up next to him. No hanky panky. Just weird. He has just signed a contract to take over the government job and is being pressured to approve a particular shipment. Just before he died, his predecessor wrote down something about "reaping a nightmare." No one knows what that means.

Now go to page 220 and read on. You can thank me later.