Perhaps the strongest element in a strong series of books is Sjowal and Wahloo's characterization. Personages in these novels fall into two broad categories: characters and non-characters. Characters, even those who make cameo appearances, are finely drawn and usually win the audience's sympathy in one way or another, and the best appear repeatedly.

The non-character category is reserved for generic losers without whom no society is complete, and high level officials who exemplify the Peter Principle, whom readers never get to know personally. Kristiansson and Kvastmo (Kvant, in earlier books) exemplify the losers in The Terrorists.

These two men in a patrol car represent the poorly trained and even more poorly motivated policemen who replaced the earlier "flatfoot" on the beat. Unlike their predecessors, they have no personal contact with the people they supposedly protect and no sense that their purpose is to serve the public. They do...