At the risk of sounding overenthusiastic, here is another superb outing in the Martin Beck series. The first few chapters, which describe a stakeout in which Gunvald Larsson of the homicide squad is reluctantly involved, are brilliant. The authors capture so well the big picture and the minutiae of normal life that together create a tense, involving drama.

THE FIRE ENGINE THAT DISAPPEARED is about a case in which a large house blows up: was it deliberate arson or an accidental blaze? Due to a coincidence bought about by his own personality quirks, Larsson himself, a senior detective, witnesses the explosion that decimates the house, and becomes a hero in rescuing some of the inhabitants from a certain death. He's concussed in the process, so is signed off work. The official police investigation continues, but the parallel, decidedly unofficial, interviews performed by the disgruntled Larsson are hilarious.