(Drivebycuriosity) - Scandinavia is cursed (or blessed?) with long and dark winters. Maybe this is the reason that the region developed an own dark literature genre, the Nordic Noir. Martin Holmén belongs to the newest voices of the genre. His novel "Clinch" reminds me of Raymond Chandler`s & Dashiel Hammet´s hard boiled thrillers ( amazon). But these were the good old times, Holmén`s tale is much, much, much more violent & brutal.
The novel is set in Stockholm in the 1930s, the Great Depression, and told in first person. The protagonist is an ex boxer, still quick with his fists, who makes his living by collecting debts from those who were unfortunate enough to borrow money from criminals. He is a brute but smart with an analytical brain. One of his endeavors brings him into deep trouble (this is a spoiler free blog).
Holmén can really write. His writing skills remind me of Knausgard who also has the talent to describe simple observations in an entertaining way. I enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of wintry Stockholm, the frequent restaurant visits, the food & the booze.
The
novel touches many aspects including the influence of an horrible
childhood, nightlife in 1930s Swedish capital, Stockholm´s queer
community and more
Holmén spiced the plot with the explicitly elaborated sexual adventures of the bisexual protagonist - the wasabi on an already spicy dish.
Even though the plot was partly too violent & too brutal for my taste I consider to read some day "Down for the Count", the next book of Holmén`s Stockholm Trilogy.
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