Arne Dahl: Ont blod

It didn't unfold until the last half hour and there are some unexpected twists that I didn't see coming. The main storyline is rather macabre and disturbing and seemed a bit gratuitous, but the reason becomes evident.

This second two-part episode of the Swedish TV series about a hand-picked special crimes unit was a big improvement on the first double-header. With an all too credible plot, especially in the wake of recent terrorist acts in America as I write, this story fairly raced along, with many plot strands at play and even if some of the connections and resolutions lost me a little in passing, by the end I'd been compellingly entertained and just about caught up with the outcome.

Cunningly mixing a stock macabre serial-killer story (how do writers dream up these ever-more horrific torture methods by their imaginary perpetrators?) with the political intrigue of American treatment of suspects in Iraq and the involvement of CIA and FBI with the shadow of Al Quaeda thrown in for good measure all made for a believable and exciting story which kept this viewer guessing all the way.

I also welcomed the fact that there was less concentration on the Paul Hjelm character, so much the focus of the first story, with more background thrown this time on other members of the team, even if in truth, I find these elements something of a distraction, especially when they involve parenting problems, as they so often do in these Nordic Noirs.

The acting from everyone was excellent and wholly believable, likewise the dialogue, even in subtitled translation. The direction it almost goes without saying is intelligent and first rate, these people know to do suspense and excitement.

If the rest of the series is as good as this, I'll be delighted to keep watching this top-rate prime-time entertainment which is streets ahead of any UK equivalent that I'm aware of.

This series now streaming on MHz has been really disappointing. I have not read of the novelist's books but would find it hard to believe that these screen adaptations reflect them accurately. The scripts are childish, the characters appear incompetent and are hopefully a poor reflection of the Swedish law enforcement system. Everyone seems to be focused on solving the crime through endless talking, group meetings and incredible luck, rather than logic and procedure. There are too many sub-plots and not all are related. To play the "American" roles, B list actors were used. Their poor acting skills just dragged the episode down even further. Hopefully, there will be no more seasons of this type of Scandi-Noir!

Scandinavian Noir is definitely the surprise hit in the U.K. now, but not all of it is good(As in Wallander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo eg.) But the Arne Dahl stories are of a very high standard, and very enjoyable.

It is refreshing watching these dramas, literally, because the characters and story lines do not conform to the American stereotypes that we've all become accustomed to, so we get genuine surprises as the action moves along,and the individuals do things we don't expect.

(Heroes with faithful loving wives and families quite casually commit adultery, and its not even a major plot device to move the story along) The stories are gripping and the interaction of the members of the police team central to the stories are very enjoyable, and for non Swedes unpredictable ! Likewise the locations are new and in a perverse way exotic, to non Scandinavian viewers.

With two, one and a half hour episodes, per story, the film makers can take the time to set the scene, fill in the background to the plots and make the viewers familiar with the characters, who's diversity, originality, and complexity are a joy to watch.

If you want to put your feet up, and have a good night in I totally recommend these programmes, though with the sometimes brutally violent scenes and the depth of plot, they are most definitely not for children.