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Series Review
Childhood's End
Once upon a time Varg Veum, the hero of the Varg Veum Mystery Books, was an idealistic social worker who tried to protect children from the many, many disgusting adults who hurt them. As a private investigator he can go after these scumbags in a more direct, violent way, which he does in this series of noir crime novels. Set in Bergen, Norway
Dark stories about the victimization of children
Refreshingly, Varg Veum is not driven by personal demons. He has his hands full fighting real evil in the world around him. The translations are a bit like listening to a charming person with a foreign accent. These have been made into movies in Norwegian--anything for an English speaking viewer is very hard to find.
Series Guide
There are 16 books in this series so far. So few of them have been translated into English that it doesn't matter at all where you start.
Book Summaries
Below, the books in chronological order:
Yours Until Death (1993, Varg Veum Mystery Books #2)
A teenage gang is terrorizing the single mothers in an isolated Norwegian town.At Night All Wolves Are Grey (1986, Varg Veum Mystery #5)
A lethal game between an arms manufacturer an a paramilitary group leaves a trail of bodies from Bergen to Budapest.The Writing on the Wall (2004, Varg Veum Mystery Books #11)
A very dark story of child prostitution.The Consorts of Death (2009, Varg Veum Mystery Books #15)
Yet another way children are screwed by the welfare state.Cold Hearts (2013, Varg Veum Mystery Books #16)
First one missing prostitute is murdered. And then another...And another.Book Reviews
Varg Veum Series
(From newest to oldest; Dates refer to publication in the US in English;
# refers to series order)
Above, from top to bottom:
Bergen, Norway at night; Countryside near Bergen; Bergen building at night
Yours Until Death (1993, Varg Veum Mystery Books #2)
by Gunnar Staalesen
Translated to English by Margaret Amassian
NOT YET REVIEWED
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Norway.)
The Consorts of Death (2009, Varg Veum Mystery Books #15)
by Gunnar Staalesen
Translated to English by Don Bartlett
Betrayal of children at every possible level. Very dark.
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Norway.)
Cold Hearts (2013, Varg Veum Mystery Books #16)
by Gunnar Staalesen
NOT YET REVIEWED
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Norway.)
At Night All Wolves Are Grey (1986, Varg Veum Mystery Books #5)
by Gunnar Staalesen
Translated to English by David McDuff
NOT YET REVIEWED
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Norway.)
The Writing on the Wall (2004, Varg Veum Mystery Books #11)
by Gunnar Staalesen
Translated to English by Hal Sutcliffe
Some men really are pigs. Very disturbing story.
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Norway.)
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