EricCWelch

Poetess Sowell and her husband wrote a series of ten detective stories featuring police inspector Martin Beck. They have been well translated from the Swedish and are delightful. In this, the third of the series, Beck has abruptly been recalled from his vacation by his chief to investigate the strange disappearance in Budapest of a journalist. Afraid they might have another Wallenberg case on their hands, the Swedish Foreign Office has asked the Swedish police to begin an investigation – unofficially, of course. Beck flies off to Budapest where he is followed by the police, propositioned by a woman who claims not to have known the missing man, and where he generally stumbles around having no clue as to how to begin the investigation. The local police pretend to be unconcerned about the disappearance. The inspector becomes intrigued by the growing puzzle. Finally his poking around provokes an attempt on his life, the would-be assassins are caught, they know of the missing man and the case begins to come together. The writing in Sowells books reminds me very much of the great Maigret stories by George Simenon, one of my favorite authors. These are extremely enjoyable mysteries.