And it’s all told Backman-style, with a huge helping of humor, sometimes verging on slapstick.
Here is an exclusive look at the author’s upcoming gem.
A stairwell full of police officers on their way to storm an apartment.
It was easy to get to this point, much easier than you might think.
All it took was one single really bad idea.
This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots.
Especially if you have other people you’re trying to be a reasonably good human being for.
We’re not in control.
That we know how sex works.
(Wrong way round, wrong way round, wrong way round, there!
We tried keeping tropical fish once and they all died.
One single really bad idea.
That’s all it takes.
Because this is a story about a hostage drama, but that wasn’t the intention.
It was supposed to be about a bank robbery.
But everything got a bit messed up, because sometimes that happens with bank robberies.
It’s probably a bit harsh to label the bank robber an idiot simply because of that, but .
well, it certainly wasn’t an act of genius.
It should be noted that this particular bank robber had the same level of fitness as the average thirty-nine-year-old.
By this point, any chance of evading the police had dwindled to pretty much nonexistent.
The whole thing went on for several hours, until the bank robber had to give up.
There was no other choice.
A couple of minutes later the police stormed the apartment.
But by then it was empty.
No one knew where the bank robber had gone.
That’s really all you gotta know at this point.
Now the story can begin.
Ten years ago a man was standing on a bridge.
Don’t think about cookies!
All you better know is that a man was standing on a bridge ten years ago.
Up on the railing, high above the water, at the end of his life.
Don’t think about that anymore now.
Think about something nicer.
It’s the day before New Year’s Eve in a not particularly large town.
A police officer and a real estate agent are sitting in an interview room in the police station.
The police officer’s uniform is too small, the real estate agent’s jacket slightly too large.
“Just answer the question, he pleads.
The Realtor nods her head quickly and blurts out: How’s tricks?”
“I said, just answer the question!
“You asked me what my real estate agency is called!
“No, I didn’t, I asked if the perpetrator who held you hostage together with .
“It’s called House Tricks!
The policeman tries to be patient.
But now I need to ask you a few questions about the apartment and the perpetrator, he groans.
It has been a difficult day for him, too.
The police station is small, resources are tight, but there’s nothing wrong with their competence.
They’re going to send some special investigative team from Stockholm to take charge of the whole case.
More like a medical condition, the policeman thinks.
the real estate agent chirrups, as if that were a real Swedish word.
The policeman looks down at his notes.
“Isn’t this an odd day to have a showing?
The day before New Year’s Eve?
The real estate agent shakes her head and grins.
“There are no bad days for the HOUSE TRICKS Real Estate Agency!
The policeman takes a deep breath, then several more.
Let’s move on: when you saw the perpetrator, what was your first react .
“Didn’t you say you were going to ask about the apartment first?
You said the apartment and the perpetrator, so I thought the apartment would be first .
the real estate agent chirrups.
“The apartment, then: Are you familiar with its layout?”
“Of course, I’m the real estate agent, after all!
the real estate agent says, but manages to stop herself adding from the HOUSE TRICKS Real Estate Agency!
“Can you describe it?”
The real estate agent lights up.
“It’s a dream!
Big windows that let in plenty of daylight!
The policeman cuts her off.
“I meant, are there closets, hidden storage spaces, anything of that sort?
“You don’t like open plan apartments?
There’s nothing wrong with walls!
“For instance, are there any closets that aren’t?”
“Did I mention the amount of daylight?”
“There’s scientific research to prove that daylight makes us feel better!
Did you know that?”
The policeman looks like he doesn’t really want to be forced to think about this.
Some people want to decide for themselves how happy they are.
“Can we stick to the point?”
“Are there any spaces in the apartment that aren’t marked on the plans?
“It’s also a really good location for children!”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“I just wanted to point it out.
The location, you know.
Really good for children!
apart from this whole hostage thing today.
But apart from that: a brilliant area for kids!
And of course you know that children just love police cars!
The real estate agent cheerily spins her arm in the air and imitates the sound of a siren.
“I think that’s the sound of an ice-cream truck, the police officer points out.
“But you know what I mean, the real estate agent persists.
I’m going to have to ask you to just answer the question.
What was the question, again?”
“Exactly how big is the apartment?
The real estate agent smiles in bemusement.
“Don’t you want to talk about the bank robber?
I thought we were going to talk about the robbery?
The policeman clenches his teeth so hard that he looks like he’s trying to breathe through his toenails.
Tell me about the perpetrator.
What was your first reaction when he .
The real estate agent interrupts eagerly.
And do you know why?
“Because it’s open plan!
Otherwise the bank robber would never have been able to aim at all of us at the same time!
The policeman massages his eyebrows.
“Okay, let’s try this instead: Are there any good hiding places in the apartment?
The Realtor blinks so slowly that it looks like she’s only just learned how to do it.
The policeman leans his head back and fixes his gaze on the ceiling.
His mom always said that policemen are just boys who never bothered to find a new dream.
It was his dad who never wanted to see his son in uniform.
Excerpted from ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman.
Published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster.
Copyright 2020 by Fredrik Backman.
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