The Gallows Bird, is a loner book that I must return to the person who borrowed it from the original owner. I do hope that I did not curl the pages, or mess up the pages too badly, but after all a book needs to be opened in order to read it.
When it was suggested that I might like this book, we had been discussing "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", and this book is written in a similar manner, the author originally wrote it in her mother language, and it was translated, so when I was handed the book, I noted the name and was curious as to it's meaning, so I asked the book lender (PS) what the name meant, she told me that she was not exactly sure, the same goes for the owner of the book who loaned it to her, so what does the Gallows bird have to do with the book, let us see.
The definition of a gallows bird;
-a person who deserves to be hanged.
I have had conversations with others who believe that the gallows bird is what they would call the crows who would hang around the gallows, waiting for their next meal. Or perhaps a newer definition might be someone who preys on others.
The book opens with a car accident, the driver of the car, a woman apparently drunk, had been driving with way too much alcohol in her system hit a tree, and since the tree did not move out of her way she died behind the wheel.
Our local police department is dispatched to the scene to investigate, the lead investigator, Patrick will not be happy with what he finds at the scene. Before leaving the station to go to the accident, Peter meets the new station addition, she is a investigator who has just moved into the area with her husband.
Hanna, the new investigator, accompanies Peter to the crime scene, where they find the unfortunate driver still behind the wheel, the tree in better shape than the car. Our lead investigator notes that the driver has on her face what appears to be some bruising and what might be sticky residue around her mouth, both of which he finds out of place and peculiar, I yell at the book, “its tape, she had tape on her mouth”, but Peter does not hear me. I am at a loss as to why the tape would have been on her mouth, and Peter is at a loss about the whole thing, for now, but he does seem to have a tickle of memory about a case a few years ago.
While the police are looking at cars wrapped around trees, and drunk drivers, there is another interesting thing happening in town, it seems that a national television channel has chosen this particular town to host the next rounds of their “reality” TV show, like we need another reality show. Anyhow, the show is about a group of a few older teenage kids, who’s only job is to drink too much, swear too much, argue, get into trouble, party, and get it all on tape to be edited for the viewing audience. Hmm seems like a winner eh?
The television producers have hired a psychologist to help the kids with their various issues, and hang-ups, after all the idea is to see if they can be turned into acceptable adults, as all the kids have personal issues that affect them in different ways. This shrink just happens to be the husband of our new police investigator, how fortuitous for him, he just moved into town and gets hired to help out with the kiddies.
Mellberg our chief of police, or station chief, is not a likeable guy, at least by his fellow officers, they have nothing nice to say about him. Mellberg finds love at a local dance, after years of being single he has finally found the girl for him, funny, he has not seen her at the dances before, but this fact does not prevent him from going all out.
Patrick and Hanna visit the ex-husband of the car crash, funny thing he tells them, his ex did not drink, not a drop, not ever? So Patrick is correct in thinking that there was something funny about the whole thing. Sure, I say it is the tape that was on her mouth (but I did not yell this time).
Another strange death in town, seems a drunk, got drunk and dies of alcohol poisoning. The autopsy’s of both victims at this point in the game, show the same thing, that they had way too much booze in them to even stand up, much less drive.
All the while Patrick and his girl are planning their wedding, Patrick must solve the biggest case his department has seen in years.
The kids are drinking, and fighting, partying, and dieing. Dieing? Most if not all of the show contestants seemed to have ganged up on one of the girls, bullying her, accusing her of talking behind their backs, then she shows up dead. No, no booze this time, just another murder to solve for Patrick and his team, even Mellberg actually has some useful incite to add, it must be love, that has cleared his head, that or all that, well, you know.
Patrick and the team begin to look for other strange cases in and around the area with the same strange circumstances. And they start finding some, they start putting the clues together, to finish the puzzle that started with a single car accident, alas, Patrick puts the last piece into his puzzle.
No, sorry you will have to read the book to find out exactly what happens, to see who killed whom, and why, do we find out who Hanna and her “husband” really are, does Peter finally get married, does Mellberg find true love, ah dear Reader, pick up the book, turn the pages, then you and I will talk.
Ok so back to the title. The Gallows bird, hmmmm. The original Swedish title is actually Olycksfågeln.
The literal translation of Olycksfågeln, thanks to Dictionary.com is “Accident Bird”
It would appear that the author decided to use the title The Gallows Bird, perhaps because it could have a few meanings, as I think it might apply to the book.
Could it mean;
-The normally quiet town, boring really, looking for something to bring them fame, or at least to be noticed, could this be the rope hanging in wait.
-The reality show contestants, drinking, fighting, looking for trouble, finding it, could this be the trap door.
-The hangman standing patiently, as the noose is placed around the neck of the accused, as did Mellberg wait all his life for “the right girl”.
-Hanna and her “husband” arriving on the scene, just as the first murder occurred, the noose is tightened.
-Patrick’s marriage to his long time girlfriend, patients, a virtue, the trap door opens.
-Hanna’s “husband” the only person who has access to all the contestants, to perhaps plant the seeds of doubt, as the knot slips home.
-The murderer waiting, planning, acting, getting his or her revenge on the world, after all those years, in the end the feet kick, twitch, then are still.
-Perhaps the victims deserved what they received, the Gallows Bird gets his meal.
bfn Brian.
oooooh the end of your blog is ominous....also, I like "Accident Bird." It's funnier.
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