I’ve enjoyed everything of Jonasson’s that I’ve read so far, so it was a no-brainer to read another!
Our main characters are a hitman, recently out of prison and staying in a cheap hotel, a hotel receptionist called Per Persson (at which, the author points out the name isn’t that weird, given his own!), and an athiest former priest who only went into the business ‘cos her father made her.
The receptionist and the priest (as the author mostly refers to them) hatch a plan to earn money, hiring him out to commit more minor crimes (broken bones, etc), but eventually this escalates and they end up on the run with millions of Kroner in a couple of suitcases.
The hitman has discovered Christianity, but not the most accurate form of it – his involves significantly larger portion sizes of communion wine for one thing – and the receptionist and the priest see a way to earn more cash, in having him preach generosity to a gently sozzled congregation.
I’m really not sure what genre I’d assign to this – comedic crime?! Whatever it is, it’s very engaging.
Favourite quote: “Sometimes the line between manliness and sheer stupidity can be razor-thin.”
The book is complete chaos and I loved it.
ineke.co.uk 