"Easy Money" by Jens Lapidus

Jens Lapidus, the author of "Easy Money" ("Snabba Cash") is a Swedish criminal defense lawyer. By this sole fact he already caught my attention. Then there came the Swedish blockbuster movie "Snabba Cash" with Joel Kinnaman as JW, directed by Daniel Espinosa in 2010. By this time I knew the book may be an interesting one. And I wasn't wrong.
"Easy Money" is basically about the Stockholm underworld. Drug trade, prostitution, pimps, guns, mobsters and the "big world" of business, golden boys and girls, fancy clubs. The language of the novel is usually rather literal, a lot of cursing and swearing, but it only makes the story more realistic. I couldn't help but wonder whether Lapidus himself wasn't involved in any way with some of the plots he writes about. His JW comes from poorer parts of the Swedish society, but with his wits, entrepreneurship skills, looks and charm, he manages to trick everyone into believing he is someone better. Well written first novel. Fast, gripping, a good thriller. No wonder it has been translated into the movie language and a successful film. Just wait and see the Americans show up, make their own version. Oh wait, no - actually, Warner Bros. already holds rights to the story and is set to film soon, starring Zac Efron as JW, I presume. What a waste.

Jens Lapidus

Joel Kinnaman