• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

On the Shelf

Header Right

  • Library Home
  • My Account
  • How Do I?
  • Contact Us
  • Search MD Libraries

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

  • Read, Listen, Watch
    • Search the Catalog
    • eBooks and Audiobooks
    • Streaming Movies and Music
    • eMagazines
    • Search MD Libraries
    • Check Out a Hotspot
    • Check Out a Ukulele
    • Suggest a Title for Purchase
    • Recommended Reading
    • On the Shelf
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Library Services
    • Get a Library Card
    • Using Your Library Card
    • Computers and Printing
    • Meeting Rooms
    • Donate to the Library
    • Exam Proctoring
    • Notary Service
    • Tax Forms and Information
    • Tell Us Your Library Story
  • Research and Learn
    • All Online Resources
    • Genealogy and Local History
    • Language Learning
    • Lynda.com
    • Job Seeker’s Toolkit
    • Resources for Grant Seekers
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
    • Homework Help
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Kids Events
    • Teen Events
    • Adult Events
    • Book Discussions
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
  • Kids
    • Kids Events
    • Homework Help
    • Recommended Reading
    • Tumble Book Library
    • Ready to Read
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • Teens
    • Teens at the Library
    • Teen Events
    • Homework Help
    • Recommended Reading
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • About Us
    • Locations and Hours
    • New Leonardtown Library
    • Library Policies
    • Library Administration
    • Board of Library Trustees
    • Strategic Plan
    • Donate to the Library
    • Jobs at the Library
    • Volunteer at the Library
    • Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library
    • St. Mary’s County Library Foundation
    • Community Partners

The Department of Sensitive Crimes

August 28, 2019 by Sara Leave a Comment

The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
Who it’s for: Adults
Format: Book, eBooks, Audiobook on CD, eAudio

Scandi-noir is big these days – Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbo, and Peter Hoeg are just a few of the authors known for this crime fiction genre set in any one of the Nordic countries. Scandi-noir is known for being dark, moody, and often grisly. Alexander McCall Smith’s newest series about a Swedish police department assigned to investigate crimes that are a bit too quirky for the rest of the police force is a bit of a different take on the genre. The series deals with crime in a Nordic country, but it lacks the bleakness typically associated with Scandi-noir. McCall Smith refers to it as “Scandi-blanc,” defined as “Scandinavian crime fiction without much crime and without any bodies.”

The cases the title team takes on are strange, but not so bleak and gory as typical Scandi-noir: a man stabbed in the back of the knee and the disappearance of an imaginary boyfriend are just the start. The complicated lives and relationships of Detective Ulf Varg and his team are also explored: Will Ulf and Anna admit their feelings for each other? Will Varg’s deaf dog Martin overcome his depression?

Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy his familiar writing style, while fans of Scandi-noir might just like this tongue-in-cheek play on the genre.

Do you prefer listening to digital audiobooks? The eAudio version of The Department of Sensitive Crimes is only available through RBdigital, so create an account with your St. Mary’s County Library card and download the app to get started listening!

Find The Department of Sensitive Crimes in the catalog.

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults Tagged With: Digital Audiobook, Humor, Mystery

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

On the Shelf Home

 

Welcome to On the Shelf! Find reviews and recommendations for books, movies, music, library resources, and more. All posts from the Kid’s Book Blog have been brought over to On the Shelf, so your old favorites are still here!

Subscribe so you don’t miss a post!

Recent Posts

  • In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse
  • Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism
  • It Is (Not) Perfect
  • Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
  • The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Categories

Tags

African American Animals Audiobook Award Winner Bears Bedtime Being Different Birds Book Bugs Cats Classic Clothes Colors Counting Dogs Emotions Family Fiction Food Foreign Culture Friendship Go Green History Holidays Humour Interactive Jobs Libraries or Books Mice Monsters Music New Baby Nonfiction On the Farm Picture Book Poetry Rhyming Romance School Seasons Things That Go Tough Stuff True Stories Weather

Archives

St. Mary's County Library

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m., Lexington Park only

Locations

Charlotte Hall Library
37600 New Market Rd., Charlotte Hall, MD
301-884-2211

Leonardtown Library
23250 Hollywood Rd., Leonardtown, MD
301-475-2846

Lexington Park Library
21677 FDR Blvd., Lexington Park, MD
301-863-8188

Quick Links

  • My Account
  • Search the Catalog
  • eBooks and Audiobooks
  • Streaming Movies and Music
  • Search MD Libraries
  • Online Resources
  • Events
  • Meeting Rooms
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility
FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog