The Terrorists

This article is about the Sjöwall and Wahlöö novel. For other uses, see Terrorist (disambiguation).

The Terrorists

File:The Terrorists (Swe).jpg First Swedish edition
Author	Sjöwall and Wahlöö
Original title	Terroristerna
Country	Sweden
Language	Swedish
Series	Martin Beck series
Publisher	Norstedts Förlag
Publication date	1975
Preceded by	Cop Killer

The Terrorists (Swedish title: Terroristerna) is a 1975 novel by Sjöwall and Wahlöö in their detective series revolving around Martin Beck and his team. The Terrorists was unfinished at the time of Per Wahlöö's death in June 1975; the manuscript was completed by Maj Sjöwall alone.

Plot

The story opens with a trial where an eighteen-year-old woman is accused of a bank robbery she never intended to commit. Later, a pornographic film producer is found murdered at the home of his mistress. The main plot of the book involves Martin Beck leading a team of policemen to prevent a presumed terrorist attack on a highly unpopular American senator who is paying an official visit to Sweden. The attack is led by terrorist Reinhard Heydt, born by a Danish mother in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Characters

Lennart Kollberg has resigned from the force and plays only a minor role in this book. His absence is mostly compensated by a more important role for Gunvald Larsson; likewise, Einar Rönn is also more prominently featured. In this last Sjöwall and Wahlöö book, Martin Beck finally admits to himself that he actually likes working with Larsson, although he misses Kollberg.

Theobald Braxén, a defense attorney, is introduced as a rather comical and sympathetic character who loves taking up apparently hopeless cases. His antagonist in court is Sten "Bulldozer" Olsson, first introduced in The Locked Room.

Film adaptation

Main article: Stockholm Marathon (film)

In 1994 the novel was adapted for film under the title Stockholm Marathon, with its plot much altered. In the novel, the Swedish prime minister is murdered by the young woman who had been falsely accused of robbing a bank, the young woman portrayed on the dust cover, and the police are largely unmoved:

"'I can't say I was one of his admirers,' said Content [a policeman]. 'But it does seem a bit pointless. They'll find another one just like him inside half an hour.'

Martin Beck nodded."

This fictional event was deemed too politically sensitive because the 1986 assassination of Olof Palme—the actual prime minister when the novel was published—remained unsolved. The film was directed by Peter Keglevic and Gösta Ekman played the role as Martin Beck.

Bibliography

• Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (1975), trans. Joan Tate, The Terrorists, 1978 reprint, New York: Vintage, ISBN 0-394-72452-6.

External links

• Stockholm Marathon at IMDb

Preceded by Cop Killer

"Martin Beck" timeline, part 10 of 10

Succeeded by none