Agaton Sax and the Big Rig

Agaton Sax #1

by Nils-Olof Franzén, Kenton Hall, Stephen Harris (Editor)

Frankly, Agaton Sax should know better than to go on vacation. At least, this time, he's managed to enjoy some rest and relaxation without stumbling into a criminal conspiracy. On the way home however, it's a different story... from a slow train through Brosnia to a castle in Edinburgh and onwards to a motorboat speeding across the North Sea, Agaton Sax is up against a criminal mastermind who is almost - but not quite - as clever as he is. And there's garlic. Far too much garlic. The Agaton Sax series of books were first published in Sweden, later being translated into English and printed with illustrations by much-loved artist Quentin Blake (perhaps best known for his work on the books of Roald Dahl). The English translations became immensely popular, achieving the status of the most re-issued mystery & detective series in the history of Nordic children's literature. Now, after many years out of print, Oak Tree Books is proud to publish the entire Agaton Sax series, newly translated and illustrated for the next generation. This new collection includes the eleventh book which has never before been released in English.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Childrens, Novels

114 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

Reviews

[Katsuro · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Please note that this review is of the Swedish original, and not the very changed and edited English translation.)
This book is, as you might know, the first part of a series. This is noticeable, especially (but not only) to people who are familiar with the series since before. It's slightly more grounded and realistic than the other books; most of the recurring characters have still not entered the scene, and the plot is a bit less well-structured than the later books (at least if my childhood memories can be trusted). The ending is a bit too dependent on a contrived coincidence. Still, this is more of an adventure story than a clue-based mystery, and as an adventure story, it's not at all bad, though a bit more dull than I'd like at times, and the plot does take a bit too long to get going.

[Johan Berkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snabbläst och lättläst, med vissa lustigheter på vägen.

[David Fridell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charmig. Men Ture Sventon är överlägsen i pastischgenren.

[Farbror the Guru · Rating 4 out of 5]

En barndomsfavorit. Med åren har som jag ser det Ture tagit över som vårt språkområdes främsta ”brottsbekämpare”.

Det är något skissartat över sagorna om Agaton Sax men det finns fina toner av snärtig crazy-humor. Lättsamt.

[Anders Magnusson]

1001 böcker
Sid 42, mening 1:
”Lymmel!”

[jaysonreadinginthedark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had such high hopes but this was nowhere near as entertaining as “Agaton Sax and the Diamond Thieves”.