The Locked Room

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The Locked Room (1972) is a novel by Sjöwall and Wahlöö in their detective series revolving around Martin Beck and his team. (Original Swedish title: Det slutna rummet.)

[edit] Plot summary

The Locked Room has two plots running simultaneously. Larsson and Kollberg are extremely reluctantly part of a special task force that needs to solve a spree of bank robberies. Martin Beck is given a pity job after recovering from being shot at the conclusion of The Abominable Man; he needs to solve a classic situation of the genre: the locked room mystery.

The incompetence of the Swedish police force has spread to the point that all three detectives are severely hindered in their work. Although Larsson and Kollberg manage to solve their case, the many distractions take so much time that by that time the robber has fled the country. One criminal walks free for a heinous crime he did commit, then gets to do hard time for a crime he did not.

[edit] Characters and their development

Beck meets Rhea Nielsen, and it is love at first sight, sort of, in slow motion. Contrary to his ex-wife, she is a no-nonsense type of person and his intellectual equal.

Criminal mastermind Werner Roos and bank robbers Malmström and Móhren are introduced, as is their ineffectual but successful Nemesis, public prosecutor 'Bulldozer' Olsson.

[edit] Film

The book was adapted by Dutch filmmaker Jacob Bijl as De gesloten kamer in 1993. In this film, the action is set in Antwerp and Beck is played by famous Belgian actor Jan Decleir. Most of the other characters were renamed to match the new setting; for instance, the name of Beck's assistant Kolberg was changed to "Colbert."