The Martin Beck Stories

The Martin Beck Stories

10 BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations

Summary

The Martin Beck books are widely acknowledged as some of the most influential detective novels ever written. Written by Swedish husband and wife team Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö between 1965-1975, the ten-book series set a gold standard for all subsequent Scandanavian crime fiction. Long before Kurt Wallander or Harry Hole, Beck was the original flawed policeman, working with a motley collection of colleagues to uncover the cruelty and injustice lurking beneath the surface of Sweden's seemingly liberal, democratic society.

This complete collection includes:

Roseanna (1965) - translated by Lois Roth and dramatised by Jennifer Howarth
The Man Who Went Up in Smoke (1966) - translated by Joan Tate and dramatised by Katie Hims
The Man on the Balcony (1967) - translated by Alan Blair and dramatised by Katie Hims
The Laughing Policeman (1968) - translated by Alan Blair and dramatised by Jennifer Howarth
The Fire Engine That Disappeared (1969) - translated by Joan Tate and dramatised by Katie Hims
Murder at the Savoy (1970) - translated by Amy and Ken Knoespel and dramatised by Jennifer Howarth
The Abominable Man (1971) - translated by Thomas Teal and dramatised by Katie Hims
The Locked Room (1972) - translated by Alan Blair and dramatised by Jennifer Howarth
Cop Killer (1974) - translated by Thomas Teal and dramatised by Jennifer Howarth
The Terrorists (1975) - translated by Joan Tate and dramatised by Katie Hims

About the authors

Per Wahlöö

Born in 1926, Per Wahlöö was a Swedish writer and journalist who, alongside his own novels, collaborated with his wife, Maj Sjöwall, on the bestselling Martin Beck crime series which are credited as inspiring writers as varied as Agatha Christie, Henning Mankell and Jonathan Franzen. In 1971 the fourth novel in the series, The Laughing Policeman, won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Per Wahlöö died in 1975.
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Maj Sjöwall

Maj Sjöwall and her late partner Per Wahlöö created the acclaimed Swedish crime novels featuring Martin Beck. The ten books in the series, written between 1965 and 1975, became international bestsellers and have sold over 10 million copies.
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