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This Belgian/Dutch co-production could easily be confused with the Swedish-German-Danish 1997 film with the same title, since the later production is based on the same fictional character and was intended as the first in a sixteen-part series. However, this film is based on a different book by beloved mystery/thriller authors Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. In the story, Martin Beck is a police detective who has just returned to work after recovering from an injury suffered in the line of duty. While he appears to be just as stolid as ever, his recent injury has made him a bit queasy about the dangers of his profession. The man whose murder he is investigating died in a room that was apparently locked from the inside. A series of coincidences and chance encounters help him find the clues that will enable him to solve this supposedly unsolvable crime.