One imperfect letter, one missing page

52. Woman with Birthmark by Håkan Nesser
I adore Håkan Nesser's books and Woman with Birthmark was no exception. Though Van Veeteren is a cranky main character, I love reading about him and this newly translated book is no exception. While Van Veeteren fights off both a cold and the desire to do nothing but sleep in, he manages to find himself wrapped up in a potential serial murder case. The story, and not just the characters, are engrossing and while we get to follow the murder as well as Van Veeteren, the motives remain a mystery. The book has a satisfying ending and I cannot wait to read whatever book of Nesser's is translated next.

53. The Calder Game by Blue Balliett
A fun, well written and engagingly read young adult/juvenile mystery set in both Chicago and a small town in England. The story revolves are three friends: Calder, Tommy and Petra. After visiting an Alexander Calder exhibit in Chicago, the three friends find themselves enamored with mobiles, but little do they know how important Alexander Calder will be. Calder, named after the artist, and his father take a trip to England and while there, Calder ends up disappearing. Fearing a kidnapping, or something even more sinister, Calder's father calls the two people who know him best, Tommy and Petra. The two friends must, with the help (and hindrances) of the adults in their lives, try to find Calder before it's too late. Balliett's novel is entertaining and Deirdre Lovejoy does a magnificent job bringing each of the characters to life. The audio book makes any long car trip go by in a flash.

54. Nemesis by Jo Nesbø
I completely adore Jo Nesbø's books. Luckily for me, I picked up The Redbreast first, which is the earliest (book time line wise) of the Harry Hole books translated into English (it's not the first of the series to be translated, but of the three books, it's the earliest one in the series). So I was extremely excited to see that my library had a copy of the next book, which is Nemesis. In some respects, it picks up where the previous book left off and we're treated to another thrilling ride with Harry Hole. Many of the same characters are back, but Nesbø gives us another, Beate Lønn. Hole, along with Lønn, must work to solve a bank robbery and murder. Mixed in with all the mystery is Hole's experiences with an ex-girlfriend and his live with his current lover. Nesbø's skill with both plot and characters is clear throughout all his books and Nemesis does not disappoint.

55. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
As a fan of Scandinavian mysteries, I should have been excited about reading this book. But for some reason, maybe it was the fact that it seemed to be so popular, I didn't get to it until it was no longer a 'new' book at my library. Turns out that I should definitely have been excited to read it, because Larsson's book is brilliant. It's engrossing and captivating, from the murder-mystery that must be solved, to the characters. The only drawback is the fact that Larsson himself is dead and there are only three books (possibly four if his partner decides to finish it for him). I cannot wait until The Girl Who Played With Fire is finally published in the US.

55 / 100 books. 55% done!

08. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
I finally read it. I've been putting it off since the day it came out and I must admit that I'm glad I did. While almost everyone I know who read it, did so in one day, it took me three days (partly because of work and partly because I wanted to take my time reading it). I'm actually very glad I did. It did not drag, I thought that the story was interesting and the end fulfilling to the effort I put into reading it. I realize this differs from a lot of opinions, but I quite enjoyed it and found that it was better than some of the other books. It was, of course, still too long (who really needed all that stuff about the wedding and then the time spent in the tents, no one, that's who). But, that being said, I'm glad I read it and I am definitely glad I waited.

09. The Return by Hakan Nesser
I'm a sucker for a good Swedish mystery and Nesser did not disappoint. I'd read his previous novel (translated by the Laurie Thompson, the same person who does the Åke Edwarson books I love so much). I found this one to be just as good as the previous. I don't really have a lot to say about these because I don't want to give away plot points, but I have to say that the atmosphere that Nesser creates is fantastic. And, of course Thompson does a fabulous job bringing that across in English.

10. Voices by Arnaldur Indridason
Not a Swedish mystery, but a Scandinavian one nonetheless. Indridason's books all take place in Iceland and feature the troubled and philosophical Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson. I love Indridason's books and he was one of the first Scandinavian authors I read. His writing is dark, but his books have their light-hearted side and he makes a strong effort to explore the inner workings of his characters, especially Erlendur. While the crime is not quite as horrific as some detective novels, Indridason builds a compelling story with a tightly woven plot. He, as all good mystery writers do, leaves the reader guessing as to who really committed the crime. Unlike the all-knowing narrator, we see the world through Erlendur's eyes, knowing what he knows. In spite of the dark topic, the novel is actually quite fun.

10 / 80 new reads. 13% read!