The Laughing Policeman (novel)
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| The Laughing Policeman | |
| Author | Sjöwall and Wahlöö |
|---|---|
| Original title | Den skrattande polisen |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Series | Martin Beck series |
| Publisher | Norstedts Förlag |
| Publication date | 1968 |
| Pages | 240 pp |
| Preceded by | The Man on the Balcony |
| Followed by | The Fire Engine That Disappeared |
The Laughing Policeman is a detective novel by Sjöwall and Wahlöö, and the fourth in the ten-part 'Martin Beck' series. Originally published in Swedish in 1968 as Den skrattande polisen, it is the first in the series to criticize[citation needed] the shortcomings of the welfare state. In 1971, The Laughing Policeman—the title is taken from the song of the same name—received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Novel. A 1973 film with Walter Matthau was very loosely based on the book.
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[edit] Explanation of the novel's title
The title of the novel comes from a 1922 song with the same name: Beck gets the record as a Christmas present from his daughter Ingrid but doesn't think it is funny. Beck's first laugh since the murder comes when Stenström's death is fully vindicated.
[edit] Plot summary
Eight people (including Detective Ake Stenstrom) are killed, and another is wounded when someone empties a submachine gun on a city bus. Beck and his team wonder if the mass-murder was to disguise the murder of Detective Stenstrom, who was using his free time to investigate the 16-year-old murder of a Portuguese whore.
[edit] Character Development
To solve the case, several outsiders are called up: Detective Ullholm who is introduced as the reactionary cop who has made ratting on his fellow officers a hobby; Per Månsson, who was briefly introduced in a previous book when Beck stayed in Malmö on a case, earns himself the reputation of a man who can find anything; and sympathetic detective Nordin from Sundsvall who proves to be a most tenacious investigator.
Åsa Torrell, Stenström's girlfriend, comes to play a significant emotional part in the novel, and after slowly recovering from the shock of having her boyfriend murdered, admits to plans to join the police.
| Preceded by The Man on the Balcony |
"Martin Beck" timeline, part 4 of 10 | Succeeded by The Fire Engine That Disappeared |
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[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
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It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled The Laughing Policeman (film). (Discuss) |
The 1973 film based on the book starred Walter Matthau as Jake Martin (Martin Beck). The action has moved from Stockholm to San Francisco. In the film, a homosexual businessman named Henry Camarero guns down a busload of passengers, including an off-duty cop, Dave Evans, who is following him to dig out information linking Camarero to the murder of his wife Teresa two years earlier. Evans was partnered with Jake Martin on the Teresa case, and it obsesses Martin to the point that, after a lengthy series of dead ends in the bus massacre investigation, he turns back to the Teresa case when he finds that one of the murdered passengers was a former business associate of Camarero's who helped him cover up the murder of Teresa. Against the orders of his superior (played by Anthony Zerbe), Martin and his new partner Leo Larsen (Bruce Dern) smoke out Camarero, leading to a high-speed pursuit and a confrontation with Camarero on another bus.
