Faceless Killers
Ratings28
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings28
Average rating3.5
It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn’t present enough problems for the Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman’s last word is foreign, leaving the police the one tangible clue they have–and in the process, the match that could inflame Sweden’s already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments.
Unlike the situation with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the beautiful but married young prosecuter who has piqued his interest, in this case, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the already tense situation explodes, but soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to solve.
--back cover
Reviews with the most likes.
It's not unexpected that this wasn't my cup of tea. I read this to check off the “Nordic Noir” prompt for the PopSugar challenge, and I struggled to find a qualifying book that I could tolerate - it's just not a genre I like much. Noir in general isn't my thing.
The police procedural component was serviceable enough. The mystery wasn't terribly satisfying, but the investigation was interesting. But that was only about half of the book - the other half concentrated on the main character's personal experiences, which can be roughly summarized into the categories of being pathetic and getting injured. But I guess this is also a pretty classic noir trope.
Oh well, I tried something different - and it had the virtue of being pretty skimmable!
My first Wallander, and definitely not my last. I love how terrible his indigestion is, and how he's always tired.
Also I didn't expect action scenes, and this had action scenes! Pretty nifty!
Series
11 primary booksWallander is a 11-book series with 11 primary works first released in 1991 with contributions by Henning Mankell, Ebba Segerberg, and 3 others.
Series
9 primary books10 released booksKurt Wallander is a 10-book series with 9 primary works first released in 1991 with contributions by Henning Mankell, Steven T. Murray, and 3 others.
