“A fascinating ‘creative nonfiction’ account of the greatest unsolved mystery in Swedish history.” —Wall Street Journal“It’s more than just a thrilling book…There’s a lot of evidence that points to an international conspiracy.” —CBS This Morning SaturdayThe author of the Millennium novels laid out the clues. Now a journalist is following them.When Stieg Larsson died, the author of The Girl with … them.
When Stieg Larsson died, the author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had been working on a true mystery that out-twisted his Millennium novels: the assassination on February 28, 1986, of Olof Palme, the Swedish prime minister. It was the first time in history that a head of state had been murdered without a clue who’d done it—and on a Stockholm street at point-blank range.
Internationally known for his fictional villains, Larsson was well acquainted with their real-life counterparts and documented extremist activities throughout the world. For years he’d been amassing evidence that linked their terrorist acts to what he called “one of the most astounding murder cases” he’d ever covered. Larsson’s archive was forgotten until journalist Jan Stocklassa was given exclusive access to the author’s secret project.
In The Man Who Played with Fire, Stocklassa collects the pieces of Larsson’s true-crime puzzle to follow the trail of intrigue, espionage, and conspiracy begun by one of the world’s most famous thriller writers. Together they set out to solve a mystery that no one else could.
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Wow, this was an eye-opener! I knew a little about the late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme and his murder, but I didn’t know that novelist Stieg Larsson had taken such a keen interest in the case. Jan Stocklassa, using his own research and tons of material Stieg Larsson had accumulated throughout the years, wrote a book that left me in stunned disbelief! Oh my goodness, the story of Olof Palme’s unresolved murder is the stuff bestselling thrillers are made of!
THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE relates how Jan Stocklassa became interested in the Palme assassination when he was given access to Larsson’s files on right-wing extremism in Sweden, which also included Larsson’s theories on the Palme investigation. Mr. Stocklassa writes a comprehensive narrative, detailing Stieg’s and his own experiences with the Palme investigation, almost as if it were happening in real time. It is fascinating and extraordinarily compelling. I just couldn’t believe what I was reading!
There is one person whose story was barely looked at, even though it appears full of holes. Although this person is definitely not the killer, I feel that something is off, and yet never looked into. Jan Stocklassa – as Stieg Larsson before him – seems to have very sound hypotheses, but one wonders if the Palme assassination will ever officially be solved. Solved, most likely – it might already be – but officially…
If THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE had been submitted to a publisher as a work of fiction, it would certainly have been immediately rejected as too outlandish; it is just that mind-boggling. It is obvious that Stieg Larsson based his Millennium hero Mikael Blomkvist on himself, which made me appreciate the late author even more. I had wondered if Stieg Larsson might have been murdered because of his tireless work against right-wing extremism, but it appears that he worked himself to death fighting fascists, and trying to find Olof Palme’s murderer. Jan Stocklassa and a few people who helped him in his quest also put themselves in real danger, and what they accomplished is awe-inspiring as well.
THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is very well written, the prose is concise and clear, abundantly detailed yet easy to follow. The text is adequately translated and edited, and the story utterly spellbinding. It reads like a political thriller, but it’s all real! I still can’t wrap my head around this mystery and all its political implications. It gives an altogether different perspective on recent world history (Olof Palme was murdered in 1986). Stieg Larsson and Jan Stocklassa did play with fire.
Thought this would be a good read. I was wrong. I don’t know enough about Swedish politics for this to be anything but boring.
10/6/21 – An interesting book about the assassination of Olof Palme. Going into it I knew nothing about the assassination, but learned a ton during the book about both the author and Stieg’s research. I enjoyed the book, but it was a bit dense and at times difficult to get through/keep track of all the names.
This book had so many twists and turns I wish I had kept notes. Was never aware of this story, but the detective work this author did was unbelievable. His theory of what happened made sense when all was said and done.
Olof Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 until his assassination in 1986. He was twice Prime Minister of Sweden. He headed a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet government from 1982 until his assassination on 28 February 1986. The murder caused huge turmoil in Sweden, and although a suspect was eventually convicted, he was soon exonerated and released, and the case actually remained unsolved for 30 years. Part 1 is the story of Stieg Larsson’s investigation into the murder. It reads like a fictional mystery, though it is based on careful research by the author, Jan Stocklassa, who apparently got exclusive access to Stieg Larsson’s research after Larsson’s death 9 November 2004. This book also details the results of Jan Stocklassa’s ongoing nine-year investigation in Part 2. He concluded it was a high-level, carefully planned and executed, assassination, not the work of a lone disgruntled fanatic. In June 2020, Swedish prosecutors named the man who they say killed former Swedish prime minister Olof Palme in 1986, perhaps ending years of mystery, but not everyone is satisfied and/or convinced. I could not help but think someone (or someones) involved in the investigation purposefully led it astray, distracting from the many tips and clues. There were numerous foul-ups, dropped lines of investigation, lost opportunities throughout the 30+years of the investigation. There was no mention of a large conspiracy. (Google olof palme assassination).
This is an informative book of Larsson’s sleuthing for the assassinator of a Danish prime minister, but is boring compared to the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series.
I loved all these books, great read!
Not as good as Stocklassa’s fiction but in the same style. Read’s like fiction though it is true crime and it is particularly a good read for those of us who grieve Stieg Larsson’s early demise. The author has tried to be true to Stieg’s aim and as devoted as he was. I enjoyed it.
Part of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Good read.