Sprängaren

Sprängaren The Bomber

Annika Bengtzon #1

Stockholm is bustling with preparations for the upcoming summer Olympics when a bomb explodes at the city’s new Olympic arena. One of the most powerful women in Sweden, Christina Furhage, is blown to bits. The police begin a wild and desperate chase for the killer, while crime reporter and mother of two, Annika Bengtzon, discovers connections no one else sees. Thus begins the first standalone crime novel by Liza Marklund, which follows the impulsive and passionate reporter Annika Bengtzon on her thrilling assignments.

The Bomber is one of the most successful Swedish novels of all time. The award winning film based on the novel and directed by Colin Nutley became a major box office success.

The Bomber is a classic international thriller: sharply written, briskly paced, politically intriguing, and psychologically astute. It’s no accident that Liza Marklund is one of the most dynamic and popular crime writers of our time.”
–Patricia Cornwell

Awards

The Reading Relay Gold Medal Scotland 2012
Paperback of the Year Sweden 2000
Shortlisted for the Glass Key (Best Nordic Crime Novel of the Year) The Nordic Countries 1999
The Poloni Prize (Best Swedish Crime Novel by a Female Writer) Sweden 1998
The Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award (Best Debut) Sweden 1998
Shortlisted for the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award (Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year) Sweden 1998
Close award list

Reviews

  • “The pace never slackens.”

    Sunday Express, UK

  • “A taut and well-paced read.”

    The Observer, UK

  • The Bomber is the best Swedish crime novel in a long time, and an authentic portrayal of the hectic life of a mother of two with a stressful career in the big city.”

    Dagens Nyheter, Sweden

  • “Take the independence and determination of Peter Hoeg’s Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, stir in the sharpness and honesty of Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs… and you begin to sense the qualities that make up Annika Bengtzon.”

    Daily Express, UK

  • “The author combines suspense and social criticism in the best Swedish crime writing tradition. /…/ Sensitively and confidently done. /…/ Unlike other female protagonists in crime fiction, Annika Bengtzon is not an androgynous being, nor does she develop into an untouchable superwoman. [Marklund’s] characterization appears so realistic that you think you are looking straight into her workplace at the editorial offices of Kvällspressen.”

    Der Tagesspiegel, Germany

  • “An exciting thriller with a gutsy heroine. /…/ The Bomber is an entertaining story, but it’s the portrayal of the newspaper office, with its internal bickering and its determination to stay ahead of its rival which particularly impresses.”

    Sunday Telegraph, UK

  • “Breathtakingly suspenseful. /…/ The Bomber has a lot of substance, yet it is fast-paced.”

    Helsingin Sanomat, Finland

  • “The story moves along at high speed and with gratifying directness.”

    The Independent, UK

  • “With a story this exciting, you are happy to follow them both. Liza Marklund writes powerfully, using chiseled, at times photograph-like images.”

    Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany

  • “This superbly written thriller exhibits a depth of characterisation, intelligence and energy that raises it above the competition.”

    Good Book Guide, UK

  • “Liza Marklund delivers, once again, a fast-paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. /…/ It is refreshing to have a female character who comes across as strong, independent and believable and it is easy to see why this book held on to the No1 spot on the Swedish bestseller list for a whopping 17 consecutive months … The Bomber is a detailed but absorbing read that will have you hooked from the first page.”

    The Southland Times, New Zealand

  • “Marklund does indeed create a convincing character with Annika Bengtzon /…/ The story runs at a sharp pace which is gripping and exciting. Marklund's characters are well developed and rounded; their back stories seem well researched but the details do not overwhelm the story thread. /…/ an absorbing and vivid read /…/ A fast-paced crime thriller with a strong female protagonist, I enjoyedThe Bomber a lot.”

    Eurocrime, UK

Author
Photo: Annika Marklund Liza Marklund
Published
1998
Genre
  • Crime
Pages
416
Reading material

Swedish edition

English edition

German edition

Spanish edition

Rights sold

Arab World, Al Arabi

Bulgaria, Colibri

Canada, Penguin Random House

Czech Republic, Euromedia

Denmark, People’s

Finland, Otava

France, Black Moon

Germany, Ullstein

Greece, Synchroni Orizontes

Greece, Themistoklis

Iceland, Uppheimar

Italy, Marsilio

Japan, Kodansha Bunko

Korea, Golden Bough

Latvia, Janis Roze

Lithuania, Media Incognito

Netherlands, De Geus

Norway, Vigmostad & Bjørke

Poland, Czarna Owca

Portugal, Circulo de Leitores

Russia, MK Meta

Serbia & Montenegro, Trivic

Slovenia, Desk

Spain, Suma (World Spanish)

Sweden, Piratförlaget

Taiwan, Commercial Press (Complex Chinese)

UK & Commonwealth, Transworld

Film rights sold

Sweden, Yellow Bird

More From Liza Marklund

The Polar Circle Trilogy

Annika Bengtzon

Stand-alone