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The Department of Sensitive Crimes (Detective Varg, #1)

Alexander McCall Smith

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Jun 13, 2019 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: first-of-a-series, crime-thriller-suspense, library, library-request, favorite-authors, on-laptop, lib-has-audio, 2019

I liked this first novel in AMS's new series, but I didn't love it. I read it off and on between other more pressing reads, so maybe I didn't give it the best chance, but it was just OK for me. I'll definitely try the next book, and see how it goes.

I know that series can often start out OK and then they get better as they go, like his Number One Ladies Detective series. So we'll see. I did enjoy the audiobook narration. I also like the new Swedish setting, which in my experience is new for his ...more

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Sep 23, 2019 Tony rated it liked it

Shelves: novels, setting-europe, crime

Having loved Smith's #1 Ladies series, but not tried any of his others, I picked this up on a whim when looking for something light. It's the first in a series that appears to be designed as a kind of parody/pastiche of the Scandinavian detective genre, which tends to skew on the darker side -- more Henning Mankell's "Wallander" books, than the outsized "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" books.

The titular department is based in Malmo and is a lovably mish-mash of personalities who get assigned to non ...more

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Sep 14, 2022 Andy Plonka rated it liked it

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The premise of the author is a good one. Most of the Scandinavian mysteries are somber so he decided to write one which was more uplifting and this was the result. It has the best last paragraph that I have read in a long time.

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