I just finished watching a second episode of the Scandinavian mystery/police series Detective Inspector Irene Huss. I'm so happy to see a woman detective as the lead character in a murder mystery. But more than that what I'm starting to really like about Irene Huss is that she's also a wife and mother, juggling a demanding career with family responsibilities. She's also in a happy marriage for a change, and has two lovely but typical teenage daughters who challenge their parents in all sorts of unexpected ways. D.I. Huss is a great detective but also a woman you can imagine as a good friend.
D.I. Huss is played by Swedish actress Angela Kovacs. Since 2001 she's been part of the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm as well as working in films and television. I don't remember seeing Ms. Kovacs in other television series or films, but I must have seen her since her IMDB profile shows she's worked in several Wallander episodes, one of my favorite Scandinavian Mysteries. Talented actors can often change appearance and character in a way to be unrecognizable. Ms. Kovacs brings a great deal of realism to her portrayal of Irene Huss. She's no supercop, but a capable, professional, and strong policewoman who is also human and vulnerable. Her interactions with the actors who play her family come across as very believable. The actors playing the Huss are all very good and charming, especially Reuben Sallmander as her laid back husband Krister.
Irene of course has her office family, her Gottenburg police colleagues, who are a group of colorful characters. Two of my favorites are Jonny, played by Dag Malmberg, a 50'ish and sometimes chauvinistic detective who is clearly channeling Elvis, and young tech-geek policeman Frederick played by Eric Ericsson.
The Irene Huss television/film series is based on the novels by crime fiction author Helene Tursten. Before becoming an author, Ms. Tursten worked as a nurse and dentist.
Author Helene Tursten
To get a better idea of the Detective Inspector Irene Huss series, see the trailer below (for mature audiences only):
US viewers can see the Irene Huss series and other international mystery television series on the MHZ Networks: http://www.mhznetworks.org/
