Nordic Noir

The Telephone Voice – a short review and link to buy.

The detective novel The Telephone Voice, a new Nordic Noir book, is fascinating in many ways, especially because it gives a credible picture of everyday police work. Far from the heroism and glamour of detectives in films and famous crime novels we meet an Irish policeman , chief inspector Bill Hardwick, who works in Sweden since many years. International bank robbers make it impossible for him to relax in his summer holiday. He sees it as his duty to help and catch the robbers, and his family, son, daughter and wife also become involved in the hunt. Bill tries to combine his dangerous job as a policeman with his identity as husband and father. It´s not easy and we become irresistibly drawn into his efforts and feel sympathetic with him.

It is a well told story, which eventually gets a happy ending. But it is above all the portrait of  Bill Hardwick that we will remember. He is a nice and honest guy, kind to his family and his Irish parents and it is his musicality that makes him recognize the voice of one of the robbers, “The Telephone Voice”.

www.amazon.com/The-Telephone-Voice-Ulf-Herrstr%C3%B6mer/dp/1493523236/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1391611025&sr=1-12                                                                                                                

Review of The Telephone Voice

This unusual crime novel, which is well worth reading, is not just a thrilling story of robbery and the efforts of the police to catch the robbers. The main character, chief inspector Bill Hardwick, who is an Irishman, now living in Sweden, has a keen ear for music and his ability to recognize different human voices plays a decisive part in the exposure of the ruthless bank-robbers.

The focus is laid on the indefatigable efforts of the police to reveal the crooks and of the energetic cooperation between Bill Hardwick and his men. The robbers are dangerous villains with all modern means of communication, fast boats and cars. They strike quickly and disappear fast.

It´s unbelievable that this is the author´s first novel. Ulf Herrströmer, a former physician in Gothenburg Sweden, seems totally familiar with modern police work, its difficulties and its possibilities. He tells us about it in such a convincing way that we believe him. Bill Hardwick´s ability to discover similar patterns in criminal acts in different places and to solve problems by drawing the correct conclusions, his courage, and his devotion to his fellow police-men and his family make him an unusually versatile character. We end up with regarding him as an old friend.  

The Telephone Voice – a short review

The detective novel The Telephone Voice is fascinating in many ways, especially because it gives a credible picture of everyday police work. Far from the heroism and glamour of detectives in films and famous crime novels we meet an Irish policeman , chief inspector Bill Hardwick, who works in Sweden since many years. International bank robbers make it impossible for him to relax in his summer holiday. He sees it as his duty to help and catch the robbers, and his family, son, daughter and wife also become involved in the hunt. Bill tries to combine his dangerous job as a policeman with his identity as husband and father. It´s not easy and we become irresistibly drawn into his efforts and feel sympathetic with him.

It is a well told story, which eventually gets a happy ending. But it is above all the portrait of  Bill Hardwick that we will remember. He is a nice and honest guy, kind to his family and his Irish parents and it is his musicality that makes him recognize the voice of one of the robbers, “The Telephone Voice".