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The Fire Engine That Disappeared (Martin Beck, #5)

Maj Sjöwall,

Per Wahlöö

Start date: November 15, 2023

Finish date: December 6, 2023

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Next in this classic series.
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What Members Thought

Feb 27, 2011 Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Arriving at the 5th installment out of the 10-book series to feature Martin Beck, the action begins on a freezing night police as Detective Gunvald Larsson goes to check on Officer Zachrisson, who is maintaining a surveillance on an apartment house. Offering a bit of a respite to the near-frozen officer, Larsson takes over for a bit, and while he's struggling to stay warm, things unexpectedly heat up when the house explodes. While in a bit of a state of shock, Larsson eventually rescues several Arriving at the 5th installment out of the 10-book series to feature Martin Beck, the action begins on a freezing night police as Detective Gunvald Larsson goes to check on Officer Zachrisson, who is maintaining a surveillance on an apartment house. Offering a bit of a respite to the near-frozen officer, Larsson takes over for a bit, and while he's struggling to stay warm, things unexpectedly heat up when the house explodes. While in a bit of a state of shock, Larsson eventually rescues several people from the house, but sustains a head injury and is put into the hospital. As it turns out, the man the police were watching wasn't among the survivors. But how did the fire start? What caused the explosion? Was this a suicide attempt, terrorism or just an accident? And where was the fire engine that had been sent for? In the meantime, a man who committed suicide is discovered in his apartment, leaving no note, just a piece of paper with the name "Martin Beck" written on it. This time Martin Beck isn't exactly in the forefront, but the mystery is challenging, and watching the solution unravel is intriguing.

The Fire Engine that Disappeared is yet another sterling work in this series. The character development continues to grow stronger with each installment, so that by this book (if you're reading them in order) you get the feeling that you're checking in once again on what your old friends are up to. What I find so amazing about this series is that each of these books is rather short, but there's a full story, great characterization, and an interesting look at the authors' world view in each one without any superfluous detail that often bogs down a police procedural and makes you want to skim to get back to the meat of the investigation. I'm sitting here looking at my copy of Nesbo's The Leopard, coming in at 611 pages; I mean, what a contrast! But back to the Beck series: there's also enough witty humor so that the reader will often walk away with a chuckle in the midst of a lot of serious business. This book is no exception, especially when Wahloo and Sjowall bring in Inspector Mansson, who is a complete contrast to Beck.

You could read this book as a standalone, but it will definitely serve you better to read the entire series because of the social/political components that the authors are trying to highlight and because the characters become more familiar with each book. Highly recommended, not to just to readers of Scandinavian crime fiction, but to crime fiction readers in general. And for Pete's sake, don't expect Stieg Larsson here, and don't complain when you don't get him. With this series, the authors have created some of the best crime fiction I've ever read. ...more

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Nov 02, 2023 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I am really enjoying this series. This is the fifth in the book, first published in 1969. I am now becoming familiar with Martin Beck, and his colleagues, who are extremely real. They are either in love with, or sick of, their spouses, they may enjoy each other's company, or be annoyed by certain of their team, be admired or frowned at. In other words, they are realistic and form a 'real' group of people.

This is a mysterious case, featuring a man who writes down Martin Beck's name on a piece of ...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Bev rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mount-tbr-2012, mystery, bought-2011, police-procedural

So...there isn't just one fire engine that disappears, but two. The fifth book in the Martin Beck series byMaj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö finds a great deal going on in Stockholm. It all begins with the suicide of a man whose only farewell note consists of two words: Martin Beck scribbled on a notepad by his bed. Beck has never heard of the man and, as there is no doubt about the circumstances of his death, he promptly forgets about him. Not long after his colleague, Gunvald Larsson is headed home for
So...there isn't just one fire engine that disappears, but two. The fifth book in the Martin Beck series byMaj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö finds a great deal going on in Stockholm. It all begins with the suicide of a man whose only farewell note consists of two words: Martin Beck scribbled on a notepad by his bed. Beck has never heard of the man and, as there is no doubt about the circumstances of his death, he promptly forgets about him. Not long after his colleague, Gunvald Larsson is headed home for the night--with no plans at all for becoming a hero. He stops on his way to check on a stake-out that he has organized and when he finds his man freezing at his post he takes over long enough for the officer to take a half hour break to warm up and get some coffee inside him.

He never expects the apartment house to explode in flames before his eyes. Before the night is over, he will be rescue eight of the eleven people inside and be proclaimed a hero--particularly because the fire department was so unreasonable slow in responding. But Malms, the man they had been assigned to watch, is dead and the methods are unclear. An autopsy reveals that the man died of carbon monoxide poisoning--apparently a suicide. A suicide who just barely cheated his murderer of the chance to take his life--for lodged in his bed had been the source of the blaze...a tiny chemical explosive.

It has been assumed that Malms was a small-time operator in the world of drugs and car theft and the hunt is on to find his contact, Olofsson. Olofsson has been missing for some months and every trail seems to lead to a dead end. The trail will lead to Malmö, Denmark, and even to contacts in Interpol before Beck and his team finally get to the bottom of who planted the bomb in Malms' bed.

Oh...and the title? Rönn, another of Beck's team, buys his son a spiffy red fire engine for his birthday. Within a couple of days the boy has managed to lose it--without having left his apartment. It is...the mystery of the fire engine that disappeared. And when Rönn mentions it to Beck and Larsson, they are reminded of another fire engine that disappeared on the night of the fire. A fire engine that was supposedly on its way within minutes of the explosion, but didn't arrive. That clue sets the team on most informative track.

A fast-paced police procedural with a realistic view of police work. You have a hodge-podge of various character types--some of whom definitely don't like each other--who manage to work together and get the job done. Just as in real life, I can't say I like all these men. But it's obvious that they know their jobs and they each have their specialty. Sjöwall and Wahlöö have also begun to show the police as having more than one case going on at a time. In many of the books prior to this (by other authors), you would think that when Lord So-and-So gets murdered that all the burglars and other criminals take a holiday while the police force concentrate on just one crime. Or...if any other crimes do occur then they naturally wind up being part of the overall mystery. Not so here--or in real life.

Not quite as un-putdownable as The Man on the Balcony (the best Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö that I've read so far), but a fairly intricate mystery that holds you till the end. Three stars.

{This review is mine and was first posted on my blog at http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/20.... Please request permission to repost any portion. Thanks.}
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