THE DEPARTMENT OF SENSITIVE CRIMES Detective Varg, Book 1

Narrator David Rintoul uses his considerable acting talents to deliver this "Scandi blanc" parody of Scandi noir (also known as Nordic noir). Author Alexander McCall Smith introduces us to Swedish detective Ulf Varg and his colleagues in the Department of Sensitive Crimes through three cases in which no one gets killed or even seriously maimed. Rintoul effectively differentiates the many characters, who do a lot of talking throughout minimal actions that generate a significant amount of contemplation and brooding. Rintoul's performance keeps the listener engaged in the amusing stories. Listeners might wonder if a character named Blomkvist is a tip of the hat to the journalist of the same name at the center of Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who" books. This audiobook is a well-performed refreshingly light listen. E.Q. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2019]