Like most books of the crime genre that I have read, it is a solid rather than spectacular read – although Sweden is a beautifully melancholy setting – the ending felt a little too sudden and not quite convincing but I still enjoyed the book.
Wallander’s views are neutral enough (the author wisely choosing to keep the questions in the foreground as opposed to his own opinions), but the worries were rightly justified. The Sweden of today is struggling worse than ever because of these problems. Most compelling is the patient layering of lots of different pressures coming from many angles,it helps keep distract from the main focus of the investigation but brings up some interesting questions about life in Sweden and the complexities of its politics.īearing in mind that this book was written in 1991, there were worries then about the open border policy who exactly was a refugee (or immigrant if you travel through countries), and the government’s inability to keep track of who is who and where they actually are. There are lots of meetings in this book, which I liked, as it felt properly police procedural, rather than being a case of swanning off every five minutes to badger a suspect because nobody likes paperwork. Family struggles, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, and being a lover of classical music are by now all common themes in the detective world. There are plenty of descriptions of the weather which will please the Brits, a grim murder scene to be analysed and a familiar feel to protagonist Kurt Wallander.
#Mankell faceless killers summary series#
Being, always behind the times, my first foray into the subgenre arrives fashionably late like a clue that traditionally cracks the case.įaceless Killers is the first novel in the Wallander series and as you would expect the landscape, plot and the titular character’s personal life are all a bit bleak. It’s been a long while since I’ve read a crime novel and as there have been a significant number coming out of Scandinavia in recent years, in both books and on TV. But now Wallander must forget his troubles and throw himself into a battle against time and against mounting racial hatred. He works tirelessly, eats badly, and drinks his nights away. His wife has left him, his daughter refuses to speak to him, and even his ageing father barely tolerates him. When this is leaked to the press, it unleashes a tide of racism. The woman supplies Wallander with his only clue: the perpetrators may have been foreign. When he reaches the isolated farmhouse he discovers a bloodbath.Īn old man has been tortured and beaten to death, his wife lies barely alive beside his shattered body, both victims of a violence beyond reason. One frozen January morning at 5am, Inspector Wallander responds to what he believes is a routine call out.
0 kommentar(er)
