Arne Dahl: Bad Blood

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.