En plena celebración de un partido de fútbol, un joven es atacado con una jarra de cerveza en un popular pub de Estocolmo y muere allí mismo. Parece un crimen sin importancia, al menos hasta que entra en juego la intervención del Grupo A, la unidad especial formada por detectives de élite para la resolución de crímenes internacionales, disuelta desde el último caso. La investigación se asigna a Paul Hjelm y Kerstin Holm. Conforme interrogan a los testigos, Hjelm y Holm empiezan a darse cuenta de que había algo más tras una escena del crimen aparentemente accidental. Además de estar conectados con unos crímenes ocurridos en Suecia durante el verano, en un futuro cercano, un ataque terrorista entra en escena. Ese caso pondrá a prueba la eficacia del Grupo A, dándoles, al final, una segunda oportunidad.

It is in English Goodreads! ( )

Dahl är alltid pålitlig. Underfundig humor kombineras med spänning. Välskrivet. ( )

If you already know about Arne Dahl then you probably met the author’s ensemble detective series courtesy of the BBC4 Swedish TV drama which holds its head high among the very best Nordic noir. The books in the Intercrime series are even better…

Although this is the third novel in the series you can skip the preceding two and cut to the chase: the opening chapters deftly explain the salient points of the back story. The team was disbanded after everything spiralled a little too wildly out of control at the end of the last book – but now an explosion in a prison, a killing in a pub, an investigation into hardcore porn and a host of other apparently unconnected threads all lead back to an ominous threat to public safety.

There's more detail about the plot and characters over at
http://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/to-the-top-of-the-mountain-t...

The real pleasure in Arne Dahl’s novels comes not from the intertwined plot threads and his skilful manipulation of time, place and person which draws the reader into an increasingly tense scenario. No, the real reward comes from the characters: half a dozen separate, credible, involving individuals whose interactions are inescapably fascinating.

To The Top Of The Mountain is a complicated and intense novel, punctuated with wry moments of sly wit and graphic savagery. The writing has been skilfully crafted and translated to balance the pace of the investigation with poignant personal moments and gripping action sequences. For some, those more accustomed to American thrillers I suspect, it may take too long to establish the characters and deliver the final punchline. Some readers will be frustrated by the meandering path of the plot which circles ever tighter around the nub of the matter – but for me that’s what makes books like this so interesting.

Recommended for fans of Karin Fossum, Arnaldur Indriðason and Åke Edwardson. Also, if you enjoy TV series like The Protectors or Unit One.

9/10
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Het nationale Team A wordt weer bij elkaar geroepen wanneer een 'gemakkelijke' moord op een voetbalfan in verbinding blijkt te staan met een reeks complexe misdrijven. ( )