Murder at the Savoy

The Martin Beck books are widely acknowledged as some of the most influential detective novels ever written. Written by Swedish husband and wife team Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö between 1965-1975, the ten-book series set a gold standard for all subsequent Scandanavian crime fiction. Long before Kurt Wallander or Harry Hole, Beck was the original flawed policeman, working with a motley collection of colleagues to uncover the cruelty and injustice lurking beneath the surface of Sweden’s seemingly liberal, democratic society.In Murder at the Savoy, adapted from the sixth book in the series, Martin Beck and Lennart Kollberg are called to Malmö in southern Sweden when an industrialist is shot whilst having dinner at the city’s best hotel. There are people in high places who want the case cleared up quietly and quickly, but Beck refuses to give way to pressure.Translated by Amy and Ken Knoespel and dramatised by Jennifer Howarth.First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 - 6 July 2013.