The Laughing Policeman (1968), by Sjöwall and Wahlöö, is the fourth police detective novel, in the ten-part Martin Beck series. Originally published in Sweden in 1968 as Den skrattande polisen, it is the first novel in the series to criticize the shortcomings of the Swedish welfare state. In 1971, The Laughing Policeman earned a 'Best Novel' Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. The American police procedural film, The Laughing Policeman (1973) featuring Walter Matthau, is a loose adaptation of the novel.