Steinar Hovland is loosely based on Lennart Kollberg, one of the lead characters in the original novels about Martin Beck, but never part of the Beck series.
Steinar are in some way based on Lennart Kollberg from the books "roman om ett brott" by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. He's based on Kollberg because he don't like to shoot and have a family, a counter part to the loved Gunvald Larsson.