The Vault (Grens & Sundkvist #2)

Dec 27, 2009 Tony rated it it was ok

Shelves: thrillers

Roslund, Anders, and Hellstrom, Borge. BOX 21. (2009). **. Hailed by many critics as the new thriller-blockbuster from Sweden, I got the feeling that it was a paint by numbers book assembled by two writers who only had bright day-glo colors to work with. The book is written in a hop-scotch style that revels in scenes of macabre sex and domination, and the investigation put on by a team of Swedish police is directed by flashbacks of the chief investigator of an accident that left his wife paralyz ...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Brad Hodges rated it liked it

This novel centers around the trafficking of sex workers from the Baltic states to Sweden, which is apparently a big problem, as it seems to pop up in a lot of Swedish crime novels (and was the subject of a harrowing film called Lilya-4-Ever). Though I found this book tautly written and difficult to predict, it's awfully bleak.

The Russian mob does a nice business by hoodwinking young girls, with the promise of high-paying jobs, into leaving their humble origins in Russia or the Baltic states and ...more

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Oct 23, 2009 Maddy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2009-reads

PROTAGONIST: Detec. Ewert Grens
SETTING: Stockholm
RATING: 4.5

It’s really disheartening to think of the thousands (millions?) of women’s lives that have been destroyed by the sex slave industry. BOX 21 takes us deep into that world by focusing on the situation of two Lithuanian women who were forced into sex slavery in Sweden. The book tells their story in a very straightforward manner. The wrongs that they have to endure are heartrending. Locked into an apartment for three years and forced to ser PROTAGONIST: Detec. Ewert Grens
SETTING: Stockholm
RATING: 4.5

It’s really disheartening to think of the thousands (millions?) of women’s lives that have been destroyed by the sex slave industry. BOX 21 takes us deep into that world by focusing on the situation of two Lithuanian women who were forced into sex slavery in Sweden. The book tells their story in a very straightforward manner. The wrongs that they have to endure are heartrending. Locked into an apartment for three years and forced to service at least a dozen men each day, Lydia Grajauskas and Alena Sijusareva have adapted to their situation, both in different ways. Lydia performs extra acts for the men and keeps the money that she charges hidden from the pimp in hopes of eventually breaking away. Before she can do so, he beats her almost to death and ends up in the hospital. She escapes from her room and manages to hold several hospital workers hostage. It isn’t clear what she is seeking; only later, do all of her actions and the final resolution of the situation make horrifying sense.

Ewert Grens is the lead detective handling the case. He is a man who is renowned for the results of his investigations and his laser-like focus on every case he handles. However, he’s haunted by an incident that occurred many years earlier that resulted in the destruction of the woman he loves, who is now institutionalized. The man that he blames, Jochum Lang, is a mob enforcer who has just been released from prison; Ewert becomes consumed by his need to punish Lang. Despite the fact that he is known for his ethics and integrity, Grens begins to bend the rules in very inappropriate ways, tampering with evidence, in an effort to protect his best and only friend’s reputation. His younger partner, Sven Sundkvist, faces off with Ewert—but it’s hard to paint things black and white when it means that innocent people may be hurt.

The plight of the sex slaves was well rendered, factual without being sensational or prurient. It was sad to see how innocent young women were fooled and used so disgracefully. There are no happy endings; it’s something that is almost impossible to stop. There is always a gullible girl who will believe that she is escaping to a better life, unfortunately. The parallel story of Grens’ slide into compromising his integrity is riveting as well. In a twisted sense of justice, he allows a man he knows to be innocent to be convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, a kind of payback for the crimes that he did commit.

BOX 21 is an intense book, with an unflinching view of reality. It goes beyond being a thriller or police procedural; reading the book forces one to consider the nature of justice and vengeance, women’s rights and how far we are willing to go to protect a loved one. The final resolution made my jaw drop; the beautifully wrapped package really masks a snake. On the minus side, the characterization was a bit flat and the narrative jumped around between time periods and points of view in a way that was at times confusing.

Anders Roslund is the former head of Culture News on Swedish television; Borge Hellstrom is an ex-criminal who helps rehabilitate drug addicts and young criminals. They’ve written several books together; I for one will eagerly await their translation into English.

...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Yvonne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Hmmmmm, not so much. A thriller set in Stockholm. The main character is a detective superintendent who, 30 years earlier, watched his partner, also the love of his life get gunned down. She lived, and resides in a facility where she is cared for, and has the brain function of a baby. She does not know Grens, her former lover. But he spends his entire life mourning her loss, alienating everyone in his life except the other police officer who was at the scene. They form a strong bond and friendshi ...more

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Jan 29, 2015 Thomas Strömquist rated it did not like it

Silly, run-of-the-mill thriller "spiced" with sex and gruesome violence. Skip in favor of almost anything.

On a side note, the writers of this one said in an interview in Sweden's largest newspaper that the fact that a number of police procedural authors were collaborating on books nowadays were because of...them(!) Apparently, in their minds, they invented the method in 2004. Just to mention the most blatant counter argument; Maj Sjöwall & Wahlöö Per - 10 groundbreaking, defining novels, kic ...more

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Nov 24, 2014 Dalila. rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-crime

Although the book is touted as having many plot twists and turns, I was able to see virtually all of them coming from a long way away. However, because of the interactions between the characters and the generally good writing, this did not affect my enjoyment as it might have in a more simplistic or less-well written book. The book is dark and somewhat graphic in many of it's descriptions and depictions, but given the subject matter, I don't see how that could be easily avoided. There is no real ...more

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Jan 17, 2010 Dustin Manning rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Dustin by: Library Journal

not very well written AT ALL.. not "bound to please fans of Stieg Larsson" because Steig Larssons characters jump off the page, you feel for them, understand them, care for them worry for them hate them. Box 21 is such a disappointment. These characters are so one dimensional that their actions do not make sense, and not in the artsy "well humans are complex creatures and do not always make complete sense". It's just simply poorly written.

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Sep 13, 2010 Bridget rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a really long time. I liked everything about it, the writing style, the characters, everything was perfect. This would be the perfect gift for the reader in your life.

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Aug 20, 2016 Maddy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-reads

RATING: 4.5

It’s really disheartening to think of the thousands (millions?) of women’s lives that have been destroyed by the sex slave industry. BOX 21 takes us deep into that world by focusing on the situation of two Lithuanian women who were forced into sex slavery in Sweden. The book tells their story in a very straightforward manner. The wrongs that they have to endure are heartrending. Locked into an apartment for three years and forced to service at least a dozen men each day, Lydia Grajaus RATING: 4.5

It’s really disheartening to think of the thousands (millions?) of women’s lives that have been destroyed by the sex slave industry. BOX 21 takes us deep into that world by focusing on the situation of two Lithuanian women who were forced into sex slavery in Sweden. The book tells their story in a very straightforward manner. The wrongs that they have to endure are heartrending. Locked into an apartment for three years and forced to service at least a dozen men each day, Lydia Grajauskas and Alena Sijusareva have adapted to their situation, both in different ways. Lydia performs extra acts for the men and keeps the money that she charges hidden from the pimp in hopes of eventually breaking away. Before she can do so, he beats her almost to death and ends up in the hospital. She escapes from her room and manages to hold several hospital workers hostage. It isn’t clear what she is seeking; only later, do all of her actions and the final resolution of the situation make horrifying sense.

Ewert Grens is the lead detective handling the case. He is a man who is renowned for the results of his investigations and his laser-like focus on every case he handles. However, he’s haunted by an incident that occurred many years earlier that resulted in the destruction of the woman he loves, who is now institutionalized. The man that he blames, Jochum Lang, is a mob enforcer who has just been released from prison; Ewert becomes consumed by his need to punish Lang. Despite the fact that he is known for his ethics and integrity, Grens begins to bend the rules in very inappropriate ways, tampering with evidence, in an effort to protect his best and only friend’s reputation. His younger partner, Sven Sundkvist, faces off with Ewert—but it’s hard to paint things black and white when it means that innocent people may be hurt.

The plight of the sex slaves was well rendered, factual without being sensational or prurient. It was sad to see how innocent young women were fooled and used so disgracefully. There are no happy endings; it’s something that is almost impossible to stop. There is always a gullible girl who will believe that she is escaping to a better life, unfortunately. The parallel story of Grens’ slide into compromising his integrity is riveting as well. In a twisted sense of justice, he allows a man he knows to be innocent to be convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, a kind of payback for the crimes that he did commit.

BOX 21 is an intense book, with an unflinching view of reality. It goes beyond being a thriller or police procedural; reading the book forces one to consider the nature of justice and vengeance, women’s rights and how far we are willing to go to protect a loved one. The final resolution made my jaw drop; the beautifully wrapped package really masks a snake. On the minus side, the characterization was a bit flat and the narrative jumped around between time periods and points of view in a way that was at times confusing.

Anders Roslund is the former head of Culture News on Swedish television; Borge Hellstrom is an ex-criminal who helps rehabilitate drug addicts and young criminals. They’ve written several books together; I for one will eagerly await their translation into English.

...more

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Feb 17, 2010 Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction-scandinavia, translated-crime-fiction, crime-fiction

Having read somewhere that fans of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo would also like this book, I picked it up. It's nothing like Stieg Larsson's book at all. In his novel, there's a mystery to be had as well as a strong heroine who lives by her own inner sense of morality and never wavers. Here, what you've got is a police procedural, a story of revenge and betrayal, and at its heart, an ethical and moral dilemma. That's not to say that this isn't a good book (it is), but it's a different animal alto Having read somewhere that fans of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo would also like this book, I picked it up. It's nothing like Stieg Larsson's book at all. In his novel, there's a mystery to be had as well as a strong heroine who lives by her own inner sense of morality and never wavers. Here, what you've got is a police procedural, a story of revenge and betrayal, and at its heart, an ethical and moral dilemma. That's not to say that this isn't a good book (it is), but it's a different animal altogether than Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

The main focus of this novel centers around the sex-slave trade. Young girls Lydia Grajauskas and Alena Sljusareva lived in Lithuania until promises of good jobs in Sweden brought them there, only to realize the first night on the boat trip to their new home that they had been horribly misled. They find themselves locked in the rooms of a house, prisoners, kept there by a nasty piece of work named Dmitri, brutalized into submission and forced to perform twelve times a day for various regular clientele. Their situation has lasted three years and comes to a head one day, bringing the police into the situation, beginning a story that will absolutely make you cringe and want to look away as you read it. But you can't.

Aside from Lydia and Alena, the main characters in the novel are policemen, especially Ewert Grens, a detective who has been obsessively gunning for a criminal named Jochum Lang who years earlier, caused Grens' partner Anni to live in a permanent state of brain damage and to be confined to a wheelchair. Grens is a puzzle to his co-workers -- his crime-solving rate is high, and he's good at his job, but since Anni's accident, he's been a loner, spending his time as a chronic workaholic, finding some solace in the music of a pop singer from the 1960s. As Grens works the case involving Lydia and Alena, he comes into possession of some information that leads him to a critical juncture both in his life and in his career. His partner, Sundqvist, can't figure out what's going on until an order from above sends him off to find out the truth.

This is a dark book all the way through to the last page, which actually made my blood run cold. There are no feel-good or warm fuzzy moments here, no happy endings, and you will definitely have food for thought after you've finished. It's well written, the plotlines hang together well and all in all it is a great read.
I'd recommend it to people who like Scandinavian crime fiction, or crime fiction in general on a somewhat more gritty and realistic level than the usual fare. ...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Alipeli rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Hlavní hrdinkou tohoto románu je Lydia Grajaukas, která byla pod slibem zaměstnání a svobody přepravena z Litvy do Švédska (Stockholmu). Ale ukázalo se, že byla další obětí překupnictví s bílým masem a koupil ji pasák jménem Dimitrij. Když si Lydia po letech bokem něco ušetří, vždy za extra služby si řekla něco na víc, odmítne dále dělat kurvu. Dimitrij ji za to zbije do bezvědomí, ale s podezřením na domácí násilí do bytu vtrhne policie.

V Södermalmské nemocnici, ve které právě Lydia leží, se n Hlavní hrdinkou tohoto románu je Lydia Grajaukas, která byla pod slibem zaměstnání a svobody přepravena z Litvy do Švédska (Stockholmu). Ale ukázalo se, že byla další obětí překupnictví s bílým masem a koupil ji pasák jménem Dimitrij. Když si Lydia po letech bokem něco ušetří, vždy za extra služby si řekla něco na víc, odmítne dále dělat kurvu. Dimitrij ji za to zbije do bezvědomí, ale s podezřením na domácí násilí do bytu vtrhne policie.

V Södermalmské nemocnici, ve které právě Lydia leží, se nalezne mrtvé tělo feťáka. Alena, která byla také kurva patřící Dimitrijovi, propašuje do nemocnice pistoly, provaz a semtex. Díky těmto věcem Lydie zadrží 5 rukojmí v márnici nemocnice, všem zaváže ruce a připevní na ně semtex. Kvůli výbušnině na chodbách k márnici, se k ní a rukojmím ani policie nedostane. A jediné, co Lydie chce, je pomstít se člověku, který, podle ní, má život jaký žila na svědomí.

Pověsila telefon zpátky do vidlice na zdi. Zapnula mobilní telefon, zmáčkla tlačítko se zeleným symbolem a zvolila čtyřmístný kód, jak ji to naučil starší lékař.
Čekala jenom několik vteřin.
Ozvalo se zvonění, přesně jak očekávala.
Nechala telefon chvíli zvonit, potom ho zvedla, ten černý, který visel na zdi.
„Čas vypršel.“
Hlas Bengta Nordwalla.
„Lydie, potřebujeme…“
Prudce udeřila do telefonu.
„Udělali jste, o co jsem vás žádala?“
„Potřebujeme trochu víc času. Jenom chvíli. Abychom stačili vyřídit nedorozumění s telefony.“
Po čele jí stékal studený pot. Každý nádech cítila jako bodnutí do žeber. Bylo jí zatěžko se soustředit, udržet bolest v šachu. Uhodila ústím pistole do telefonu. Tentokrát víckrát, důrazněji. Ale neřekla ani slovo.
Bengt Nordwall čekal, slyšel její vzdalující se kroky. Věděla, že se opět otáčí ke kolegům, kteří tam stáli se sluchátky a snažili se porozumět. Chytil telefon, po chvíli zavolal, tak hlasitě, jak mu to dovoloval strach.
„Haló!“
Slyšel, jak se ozvěna odráží ode zdí, jak jeho slova tančí místností.
„Haló!“
Potom uslyšel to, co slyšet nechtěl.

Box 21 není kniha pro slabší povahy. Nejen, že se dozvíme o nelegálním obchodu se sexem, více než bychom chtěly, ale i policejním systému ve Švédsku. Během knihy stále měníme vlastní názor na většinu postav – s odpornými postavami můžeme po čase cítit soucit a naopak. Žádný člověk z knížky není vyloženě ten dobrý a ten špatný.

...more

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Nov 02, 2016 Dimitris Passas rated it really liked it

''Αυτή η ντροπή είναι μεγαλύτερη από οτιδήποτε άλλο. Αυτό το τίμημα δεν είναι κανένας διατεθειμένος να το πληρώσει. Μια απομόνωση της οποίας η διάρκεια είναι παντοτινή'' (Σελ. 437)

Κάθε βιβλίο των Roslund kai Hellstrom που διαβάζω με αφήνει στο τέλος με μια πικρή αίσθηση, τα φινάλε των σκοτεινών ιστοριών τους δεν προσφέρουν κανενός είδους κάθαρση, δεν μπορούμε να μιλήσουμε για δικαίωση του θυματος και τιμωρία του θύτη και αυτό συμβαίνει επειδή σε όλο το βιβλίο το εξαιρετικό, σουηδικό συγγραφικό δ ''Αυτή η ντροπή είναι μεγαλύτερη από οτιδήποτε άλλο. Αυτό το τίμημα δεν είναι κανένας διατεθειμένος να το πληρώσει. Μια απομόνωση της οποίας η διάρκεια είναι παντοτινή'' (Σελ. 437)

Κάθε βιβλίο των Roslund kai Hellstrom που διαβάζω με αφήνει στο τέλος με μια πικρή αίσθηση, τα φινάλε των σκοτεινών ιστοριών τους δεν προσφέρουν κανενός είδους κάθαρση, δεν μπορούμε να μιλήσουμε για δικαίωση του θυματος και τιμωρία του θύτη και αυτό συμβαίνει επειδή σε όλο το βιβλίο το εξαιρετικό, σουηδικό συγγραφικό δίδυμο κάνει ότι μπορεί για να αλλοιώσει τα όρια που χωρίζουν τον ένοχο από τον αθώο. Προσωπικά, θεωρώ ότι η ''Θυρίδα'' είναι το πιο βαρύ και μελαγχολικο τους έργο και εν μέρει αυτό οφείλεται στο κεντρικό θέμα (trafficking-πορνεία). Η αγφήγηση είναι γρηήγορη και πυκνή, είναι ένα ''γεμάτο'' βιβλίο που δεν σε αφήνει να πάρεις ανάσα μέχρι και την τελευταία φράση του βιβλίου όπου φανερώνεται το μεγάλο plot twist. Στο περιθώριο της εξέλιξης αυτής της καλά ΄΄δεμένης΄΄ πλοκής, οι Roslund και Hellstrom στοχάζονται πάνω στο αίσθημα της ντροπής και της συντριπτικής επίδρασής της στους ανθρώπους. Οι περιγραφές είναι σκληρές και ρεαλιστικές, σχεδόν νατουραλιστικές ( ας μην ξεχνάμε ότι ο ίδιος ο Hellstrom είναι πρώην κατάδικος και ασχολείται έντονα με οργανώσεις κοινωνικής μέριμνας και επανένταξης) και οι διάλογοι είναι σύντομοι κοφτοί και απότομοι σαν τον χαρακτήρα του κεντρικού ήρωα-ντετέκτιβ Ewert Grens ( η λέξη ''Grens'' στα σουηδικά σημαίνει το όριο).
Για τους πιστούς του σκανδιναβικού crime συστήνεται ανεπιφύλακτα, για όσους δεν θέλουν σκοτεινές και ψυχοπλακωτικές ιστορίες δεν θα το πρότεινα σε καμία περίπτωση.
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Oct 11, 2014 Booklover Butterfly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, crime, mystery

Crime novels are generally not something that holds a lot of interest for me, but I have to admit that I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Box 21 deals with human trafficking and sexual slavery, so trigger warning for those who might have sensitivities to those subjects. The chapters were short and alternated between the perspectives of several characters which kept the pacing fast. I liked characters' who had perspective chapters where not just the main detectives (Ewert Grens and Sven Sundkvist) b ...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Shawn Towner rated it really liked it

A book filled with frustrating characters, sensationalistic themes, and a masterfully constructed plot. Box 21 tells the story of Swedish police investigating a hostage/murder-suicide incident at a hospital. The perp is a young girl who has been kept as a sex slave for three years. The police have to uncover the dark secrets of modern slavery and sexual abuse, while struggling with the ethical behaviour of their own force. The blurb on the cover compares the novel to Stieg Larsson's Millenium tr ...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Stacia rated it liked it

Shelves: nordic, crime-fiction, 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 21, 2011 Ellie rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime, 2011ind-chal200bks, series, nordic-noir

The Vault (in my translation, Box 21) by Anders Roslund is the second in a series following the gritty cases of hard-core police detectives Gresn & Sundkvist. There is passion but no sentimentality in this police procedural about a young girl kidnapped from Vilnius and forced into prostitution who seeks vengeance and the vengeance Detective Grens seeks on the man who destroyed the life of fellow detective (and love of his life) Anni, 20 years earlier.

The story is often sordid, filled with ju ...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Anthony rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another Swedish mystery set in a similar style as Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy. What is it with these Swedish mystery writers that makes their novels so gruesome and gritty? Is it the long, cold, dark winters? This was indeed a gruesome book, but well worth reading. The authors explore a seamy side of Swedish culture that I for one, was not aware of, and that is the sex slave business in Sweden, run mostly by Russian and Lithuanian mobsters. But it was also the rich characterization of the ...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Blanca rated it liked it

Oh,dear! So much for justice! Why is it that one wants the criminal meet their comeuppance and feels truly disappointed when it is not so? This novel is too near to the truth in its rawness and leaves you with despair on the system.

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Jan 16, 2010 Hans rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I wanted to like this book, but it was just too heavy-handed and predictable. The social issue though is shocking, disturbing, and very sad.

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Oct 04, 2012 Jennifer S rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Read another of Roslund's books over the summer and Skip suggested I read this one (earlier story with same police detectives). Good writing, if a little grisly on subject material.

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Feb 28, 2012 Marcel Kupka rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Rozjezd pomalý... ale vypadá to dobře.

Dočteno, jsem plný dojmů... Nebál bych se Box 21 přirovnat ke Spasiteli Jo Nesba - i tady čtenář celou dobu něco předpokládá a nakonec ho autor docela slušně na samotný závěr překvapí.

Přidám recenzi:

Lydia je kurva. Litevská kurva, aby bylo jasno. Kurva z donucení. To mají muži ve Švédsku rádi. Holka, kterou můžeš ponížit, chutná jinak než emancipovaná Švédka. Trvá to už tři roky. Dost dlouho na to, aby Lydia znala úchylky stálých zákazníků. Ví, kdo si rád ...more

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Jul 08, 2017 Christelle rated it really liked it

Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Had a great time reading this book and will see if I can find more titles from these authors.

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Feb 12, 2017 Jody rated it really liked it · review of another edition

not a brilliant translation but good read and i guessed the twist. 4*

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Nov 16, 2013 Ape rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scandinavia, women, crime

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ok, English version further down....

Jag tyckte om boken jättemycket, trots att den var väldig långsam att komma igång, och slutet gjorde mig så förbannad att jag ville slänga boken över rummet och hoppa på det. Mer pga avbildning av samhället, men också för att de förstärkade samhällets attityd att Lydia inte var värt ett dugg.

Det finns två brott i boken, en är inte så intressant och är inte varför den här boken är så bra - det handlar om en yrkeskriminell som sårar och dödar för pengar, och har Ok, English version further down....

Jag tyckte om boken jättemycket, trots att den var väldig långsam att komma igång, och slutet gjorde mig så förbannad att jag ville slänga boken över rummet och hoppa på det. Mer pga avbildning av samhället, men också för att de förstärkade samhällets attityd att Lydia inte var värt ett dugg.

Det finns två brott i boken, en är inte så intressant och är inte varför den här boken är så bra - det handlar om en yrkeskriminell som sårar och dödar för pengar, och har slagit ihjäl en knarkoman. Ewert Gren vill låsa honom i fängelset resten av livet för att han skadade allvarlig en kolleg för 15-20 år sedan, så att hon egentligen är en grönsak numera. Brottet som gör boken intressant, är människohandeln, och tjejer som kommer ifrån östeuropa och blir tvingade att prostituera sig. Här har vi två, Lydia och Alena som är inlåst i en lägenhet med sin hallick och måste ligga med 12 "män" var varje dag. Lydia blir nästan piskad ihjäl, polisen kommer, hon färdes till sjukhuset. Och där tar hon 4 läkare som gisslan i bårhuset och ber att en polis, Bengt, som kan ryska, kommer ner och byta plats med gisslorna.

Vad gjorde mig så arg är samhället. Jag vet att det är skönlitteratur, men det står säkert väldig nära verkligheten. Det är mycket kvinnohat i boken. T.o.m polisen kallar Lydia för balthoran när de är i sjukhuset och försökar förhandla med henne. Det är inte som om hon var extremt kåt och girig för pengar och bestämde sig för att sälja sin kropp. Hon är ett offer!! Hon blev bortrovad från Litauen, våldtagen av sin nya ägare, inlåst i en lägenhet och tvingad att ha sex med värdelösa män, tolv stycken per dag, i tre år. Om hon hade varit svensk, skulle de har bryt sig mer, men hon är utländsk, kan inte språket, så hon är inte värt något, lätt att ersätta (som vi ser, tragisk nog i boken). Och när Ewert och Sven (två av polisen) får redo på att deras kolleg Bengt deltog i traffikering av tjejer till Sverige, ingående Lydia, täcker de över det. Så att Bengts anka inte ska bli för ledsen. Stackars!! Vad om Lydias minne, och hennes rätt att sanningen ska fram? Vad om chansen att de kunde ha brytit in i den här människohandeln och räddat andra tjejer? Ah, men det handlar om underlägsna människor, så de ska inte tänka för mycket på det. Kan nog säga att jag blev extremt besviken på de två figurerna och sämhället och attityder de företräder. Ironiskt, men allt de gör är att låta frugan fortsätter med traffikering av tjejer - så inget blir bättre än att en värdelös man är död. Man får också undrar över tjejernas kunder - män som måste väl fatta hur och varför tjejerna är där, inlåst i lägenheten, att de egentligen inte vill ligga med dem, och att de hjälpa kriminelvärlden fortsätter tjäna pengar på andra människors eländighet och förstörda liv. Men de måste kunna bli tänd på något sätt, va? Och porr industri och sexualisering av barn har inget med det att göra????

This is a great book because of a subject it deals with, although I found it very slow moving for a good portion of the book. And it has some very unsympathetic characters that you just want to slap. By the end of the book I just felt disgust for the detectives in this story - I hope they dont appear in any other books by these writers, because I dont think I could stomach it. I do realise this is fiction, of course, but I'm sure it lies very close to the way things actually are. Box 21, or Vault 21 as I think the English translation has been called, is about human trafficking into Sweden, and in particular two lithuanian girls, Lydia and Alena, who have been kidnapped into the trade and have been forced to have sex 12 times a day for the past three years. When their pimp/owner almost whips Lydia to death, the police get involved and take Lydia away to hospital. After a few days, when she's got enough of her strength back, she goes down to the morgue and takes four doctors hostage. She demands that a particular policeman is brought in to negoiate with her. And you get to find out just how corrupt and mysogenistic the system is. There isn't a positive ending, which I suppose is realistic, but also makes you loose your faith in law and order and the human race in general. ...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Kristina Čechová rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Máte ve zvyku si přečíst poslední stranu knihy? Pokud se rozhodnete pro Box 21, tohle v žádném případě nedělejte.

Tohle je první detektivka, kterou jsem četla. Chci říct, první pořádná detektivka, pořádné krimi, s pořádně frustrovanými postavami, pořádně nechutná, pořádně ze života, pořádně pravdivá. Ano, po přečtení doslovu od autorů jsem byla zděšena, že něco takového mezi námi existuje. I když tušíte, že ano, možná si nechcete uvědomit v jaké míře. Autoři totiž pro svůj nevšední příběh čerpal Máte ve zvyku si přečíst poslední stranu knihy? Pokud se rozhodnete pro Box 21, tohle v žádném případě nedělejte.

Tohle je první detektivka, kterou jsem četla. Chci říct, první pořádná detektivka, pořádné krimi, s pořádně frustrovanými postavami, pořádně nechutná, pořádně ze života, pořádně pravdivá. Ano, po přečtení doslovu od autorů jsem byla zděšena, že něco takového mezi námi existuje. I když tušíte, že ano, možná si nechcete uvědomit v jaké míře. Autoři totiž pro svůj nevšední příběh čerpali ze zkušeností od žen, které se staly obětmi obchodu s bílým masem a jsou nuceny prostitucí "splácet" svůj dluh za to, že se z chudé země Litvy dostaly do Švédska. A jak sami autoři v doslovu píší, doufají, že některé z nich jsou ještě stále naživu.

Hlavními hrdinkami tohoto příběhu jsou Lydia a Alena. Obě uvěřily, že se budou mít lépe, že pro své rodiny vydělají spoustu peněz, když půjdou pracovat do Švédska. Chápejte, vydělat až dvacetkrát více za měsíc než tomu bylo doposud, kdo by potom netoužil. Netušily však, že jen co vstoupí na švédskou půdu, veškerá práva na jejich svobodný život končí. Obě pracují pro Dimitrije, svinského pasáka, tak se mu po celou dobu v knize říká, a každý výkyv v jejich chování je krutě potrestán. A tak se stane, že se po jednom takovém incidentu objeví policie v čele s Ewertem a Bengtem - nejlepšími přáteli, a věci se začnou dít. Zatímco Alena má v plánu se prostě jen dostat zpátky domů, Lydia bere spravedlnost do svých rukou. Začíná tak honba za pravdou, při níž se začnou dostávat na povrch nebezpečná tajemství.

Určitě byste se měli připravit na to, že na takovou četbu budete potřebovat trochu silnější žaludek. Autoři si opravdu neberou servítky a čtenáře nešetří různými nevkusnými praktikami jednotlivých postav. Začátek knihy byl tak pro mne vcelku - ehm - řekněme dost silné kafe. Hned několik linií příběhů se zde protíná, první kapitoly jsou vyprávěny z pohledů několika postav - prostitutky Lydie, feťáka Hildinga, policisty Ewerta, Bengta či Svena, nebo vyděrače Jochuma. Připravte se na to, že všechny postavy dodávají knize depresivní nádech. A všechny postavy vás také dovedou do depresivního konce bez satisfakce. Nejdříve jsem si říkala, proč to tak je? Proč nemůže tohle všechno skončit dobře? Proč? No, protože ve světě, o kterém budete číst, to nikdy neskončí. Natož tak dobře. Budete číst o problémech, které jsou neustále kolem nás, ale které nevidíme. Nevnímáme. Nemusíme řešit. A přesto společně v tomhle problému žijeme a dýcháme stejný vzduch jako ty, které jsou dennodenně ponižovány a bity. A v knize je právě tak ukázáno, jak nekonečný boj s tímto problémem je, a jak bezmocně můžeme jen přihlížet.

Já jsem nesmírně ráda, že jsem si tento tzv. reading copy od Knižního Klubu mohla přečíst, protože netuším, zda bych se k samotné koupi odhodlala, jelikož krimi příběhům moc neholduji a se severskými autory nemám vůbec žádnou zkušenost. Ale! Po dnešku vím, že tohle nebyla stoprocentně poslední kniha, kterou jsem si od autorů ze severu přečetla. Vyhovoval mi jednoduchý styl psaní, při kterém jsem i beztak musela dost přemýšlet, vyhovoval mi spád děje a kupodivu i náročnost na psychiku. Byla jsem nucena po knize sahat každou volnou chvíli. Box 21 doporučuji všem, kteří se do teď krimi báli. A všem, kteří se chtějí bát. ...more

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May 05, 2011 Toni Osborne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Also published under the title “The Vault” in the UK

Book 2 in the Ewert Grens series

The novel holds two main stories that are dark, extraordinarily sad and definitely not for the faint at heart. Both threads involve one of Stockholm’s best detectives Ewert Grens.

The first plot opens, with the release from prison of a notorious criminal; Jochum Lang. Detective Grens who has personal and professional reasons, feels Lang is a threat to the public, a hard core criminal and he makes it his mission to Also published under the title “The Vault” in the UK

Book 2 in the Ewert Grens series

The novel holds two main stories that are dark, extraordinarily sad and definitely not for the faint at heart. Both threads involve one of Stockholm’s best detectives Ewert Grens.

The first plot opens, with the release from prison of a notorious criminal; Jochum Lang. Detective Grens who has personal and professional reasons, feels Lang is a threat to the public, a hard core criminal and he makes it his mission to put him back behind bars. Grens strong feelings are based on an incident that happened twenty five years earlier. His colleague and girlfriend at the time was beaten to within an inch of her life and has been institutionalized ever since, a case that haunts him to this day. When Grens discovers that criminal bosses are hiring Lang as a strong arm he seizes the chance to send him back to prison.

The second plot is fast paced and full of credible action with a sad tone, another case Detective Grens is working in parallel that is demanding much of his time and skill. Lydia Grajauskas and Alena Sljusareva are two Lithuanian girls who have been tricked into leaving their country only to become sex slaves and property of the man they call Dimitri-Bastard-Pimp. We first learned about the girls when they are into a three year old nightmare servicing 12 clients a day, their moral at the extreme low and often beaten into submission. One day Lydia was so badly beaten that the neighbours called the police and was transported to the hospital. Her terrifying ordeal is revealed and at the same time she seizes the opportunity to fulfill a dream, take matters into her own hands and escape the hands of her captor.

The writing is crisp and steadfast with short chapters that shift back and forth between several colourfully portrayed characters: the criminals, the victims and the cops. I found it rather hard to get into this tale at first but once I became familiar with the writer’s style and phrasing, it all fell into place, at this point the story gelled and I was hooked.

I like this novel; it is a complex and intense psychological thriller that delivers a brutally intimate view into the drug and sex slave trade. ...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-audio-books, 2011-mysteries

Box 21,by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom, A-minus, Narrated by Christopher Lane, Produced by Brilliance Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

I think that this book was written before “Three Seconds” and in my opinion it is a much better book. Alena and Lydia were teenagers in Lithuania who were lured by the promise of making more money in Sweden. They signed on and for three years were sex slaves in a Stockholm brothel. They were forced to “service” 12 men a day, to always act like they were e ...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Paula rated it liked it

Box 21 was written by the mystery team of Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom, whose acquaintance I made when I read their later book, Three Seconds, which was terrific. Box 21 is a great, fast read featuring detective superintendent Ewert Grens, who continued on into Three Seconds. However, Box 21 is set at an earlier time and finds Grens still haunted by his wife’s accident and encumbered by rather poor social skills. The early chapters of the book set up each of the main characters in a rapid- ...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Celina Araujo rated it really liked it

A book filled with frustrating characters, sensationalistic themes, and a masterfully constructed plot. Box 21 tells the story of Swedish police investigating a hostage/murder-suicide incident at a hospital. The perp is a young girl who has been kept as a sex slave for three years. The police have to uncover the dark secrets of modern slavery and sexual abuse, while struggling with the ethical behaviour of their own force. The blurb on the cover compares the novel to Stieg Larsson's Millenium tr ...more

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Oct 18, 2015 Payal rated it liked it

This book had been on my shelf for ages and I'm glad I finally read it. It was my first Roslund and Hellstrom book, and I was pleasantly surprised in many ways. For one, it was a fresh voice, though there were points where the narrative style wore thin, but I suspect that could be down to the translation. Yes, the book leaves a bad taste in your mouth (as it should because the central theme is human trafficking), but there is a stunning revelation right in the last line and knocks you for a six! ...more

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