Book review: Hitman Anders And The Meaning Of It All by Jonas Jonasson

Take a disillusioned hotel receptionist, an embittered former priest and a recently released hitman and what do you get? Yet another madcap tale from one of Sweden’s most popular literary exports, Jonas Jonasson, the author of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window And Disappeared.

Per Persson has a relatively uneventful life as receptionist at the Sea Point Hotel and he plans to keep it that way when the notorious Hitman Anders takes board at his hotel.

However, lapsed priest Johanna Kjellander has other ideas, spotting a gap in the market for hitman services for hire. It all goes swimmingly for the new business trio until Hitman Anders turns his back on violence.

But, never ones to miss out on a corporate opportunity, Johanna and Per embark on a new money-making scheme, with Anders once again unwittingly at the helm.

Although irreverent and fun, unfortunately the plot does become a bit long-winded and the novel suffers as a result.

Published by Fourth Estate