The Terrorists, by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö

(pb; 1975, 1976: tenth/final book in the Martin Beck Police Mysteries. Translated from the Swedish by Joan Tate.)

From the back cover:

"First Detective Inspector Martin Beck of the Stockholm National Police is in charge of security for a visiting U.S. senator whom a group of international terrorists is determined to assassinate. At the same time he becomes involved with the murder of a millionaire porno filmmaker and the misadventures of a young Swedish girl caught in the toils of bureaucratic red tape. As the terrorists move closer to their goal. . . Beck himself is faced with what appears to be imminent death."

Review:

One year after the investigations of Cop Killer, Martin Beck is faced with an unfamiliar task: protecting a visiting, highly unpopular American Senator from being assassinated, as well as investigate the murder of a pornographer.

Like the rest of the books in the Martin Beck Mysteries, The Terrorists deftly balances multiple, returning characters - including Åsa Torrell (first seen in The Laughing Policeman) - and multiple storylines that may or may not be connected.

Sjöwall and Wahlöö's balancing act also extends to the pacing of The Terrorists, as well as the plot-twisty moods of it: edge-o'-your-seat suspense, familiar-character warmth, Keystone Kop-esque quirkiness, gripping action, and tight writing-plotting.

The Martin Beck Mysteries are worth owning. This police procedural series is easily one of my all-time favorite series - mystery and otherwise - and I'm sad to have finished reading them.

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The resulting direct-to-video film, Stockholm Marathon, was released in Sweden on July 1, 1994.

Gösta Ekman reprised his role of Martin Beck. Kjell Bergqvist reprised his role of Lennart Kollberg. Rolf Lassgård reprised his role of Gunvald Larsson. Niklas Hjulström reprised his role of Benny Skacke. Jonas Falk reprised his role of Stig Malm.

Corinna Harfouch played Monica Lundin. Mats Huddén played Hellström. Thomas Anders played Ypsilon. Kjell Lennartsson played Walter Petrus. Anna Godenius played Mrs. Petrus.

An uncredited Maj Sjöwall, who also co-wrote the novel and the screenplay, played the uncredited role of "Woman with starting pistol".

Peter Keglevic directed the film, from a screenplay by the aforementioned Maj Sjöwall, Rainer Berg and Beate Langmaack.