Crimes of Passion: No More Murders

The most interesting aspect of Peter Schildt's production, involving a series of revenge killings, familial skeletons in the cupboard and an illicit love-affair involving an underage girl, is the way in which such bloody deeds take place in edenic surroundings. Puck (Tuva Novotny) is now married to Eje (Linus Wahlgren), and the two of them come to stay in Eje's village where he grew up, accompanied by a cat belonging to Puck's father. They are served delicious- looking sweetmeats cooked by Hulda (Lottie Ejebrant) and spend much of their time sitting on the veranda on a series of glorious summer days. Nothing, it seems, could be more perfect, except for the unexplained deaths ...

This kind of storytelling is very much reminiscent of British versions of Agatha Christie, where the apparently civilized veneer of the characters conceals much darker desires. Director Schildt emphasizes this through the use of close-ups - for example, on the face of alcoholic would-be tycoon Yngve (Mats Blomgren), as he tries his best to cover up his seamy past, or the young gardener Borje (Martin Eliasson) who tries his best to avoid Inspector Christer's (Ola Rapace's) gaze.

Occasional comic relief is provided through the presence of two weird sisters Livia (Ylva Ekblad) and Agneta (Julia Sporre), who try their best to conceal anything from Puck's relentless questioning, while doing the best to poke their noses into everyone else's business. We see several medium shots of them gossiping to one another as they witness what happens in front of them. The town of Skoga might be pleasant to live in, but like all small towns it betrays a multitude of secrets.

The resolution of the story is relatively straightforward; sharp- eyed viewers should be able to guess the identity of the murderer well before the end. Nonetheless NO MORE MURDERS makes for a pleasant ninety minutes' diversion.