Also, American readers may find odd Mankell's bundling of his upright anti-racism message with broad notions of what constitutes acceptable social control.
But he provides essential information only at the last minute, which makes the solution feel more like an appendix than a conclusion. Mankell is clearly a skilled writer, and his portrait of Wallender (who periodically slides beneath respectability) is effective.
However, a leak to the press complicates the investigation by arousing anti-immigrant feelings, some of which are expressed in anonymous threats. Wallender puts those clues on the back burner when he learns that Johannes, ostensibly a simple farmer, had a secret life involving wealth and connections unknown to his wife. Rydberg, a police force old-timer, says the noose's unusual knot and the word foreigner, which Maria uttered before she died, are important. Such consolations can't help him absorb the scene at the Lovgren farm, where elderly Johannes Lovgren has been brutally beaten and stabbed to death and where his wife, Maria, is found barely alive with a noose around her neck. Since his wife walked out on him, Kurt Wallender, a middle-aged cop in the small town of Lenarp, has drowned his sorrows in opera and far too much liquor. Pick up THE WHITE LIONESS if you are a Scandinavian or Nordic Noir fan, or even if you just love a good thriller! You will not be disappointed.In his first appearance in English, Swedish bestselling author Mankell combines thriller-quality entertainment with a depiction of anti-foreigner prejudice in Sweden, painted here as a very chilly place indeed. Happily, this did not detract too badly from the enjoyment of reading this novel! The minimalist prose is in this book almost exaggerated by the translator – I would love to see it a little more refined. I do want to point out that this edition is not perfect I noticed several typos and defects that would benefit from a closer look by an editor. It’s an excellently penned, satisfyingly complex thriller, as well as a great detective story. On a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse, an elderly farmer was bludgeoned to death, his wife left to die with a noose around her neck. Every novel opens the door a little further into Wallander’s state of mind, and that fact alone is almost enough to recommend this book on.Īs for the plot, this is where THE WHITE LIONESS really shines in comparison to THE DOGS OF RIGA, with multiple interwoven and overlapping plot lines, and layer upon layer of subterfuge. His behaviour is increasingly unpredictable, erratic and irrational – although somehow as a reader you can begin to understand his emotional reactions. Interestingly, as Wallander’s cases become increasingly vast, we get to se more of his inner struggles. While I have always felt that Mankell’s minimalist writing style was best suited to the clean and occasionally bleak Scandinavian countries, he uses Wallander to great effect as we watch him try to come to grips with the world’s major political issues as they bring problems to his own front door.
In THE WHITE LIONESS, Mankell continues his trend of connecting the somewhat sleepy police force in Ystad to major global events through crime. In comparison to the prior novels in the series, I enjoyed THE WHITE LIONESS more than THE DOGS OF RIGA, but still not quite as much as FACELESS KILLERS. He is the protagonist of many thriller/mystery novels set in and around the town of Ystad, 56 km (35 mi) south-east of the city of Malm, in the southern province of Scania.
Faceless killers a kurt wallander mystery series#
Although not strictly necessary or central to the plot, some of Wallander’s behaviour is informed by and makes reference to the events of the previous novel, so I would suggest picking that one up first. Kurt Wallander (Swedish pronunciation: valndr) is a fictional Swedish police inspector created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell (1948 2015). A 1 international bestseller: This exquisite novel of mesmerizing depth launched the acclaimed Wallander Mysteries and BBC series starring Kenneth Branagh (Los Angeles Times). THE WHITE LIONESS is chronologically the fourth novel in the Wallander series, but the third in publishing order, following on the heels of THE DOGS OF RIGA. A series of strange circumstances around her death puts him on the trail of a killer that is poised to cause an entire nation to descend into chaos. Kurt Wallander is called in to investigate the execution-style murder of a Swedish housewife with a seemingly perfect existence. Quick Review: Another wonderful addition to the Wallander series several different but overlapping and suspenseful storylines make this a satisfying read! Read this book for: realistic police procedure, history – Apartheid, mentions of historical figures, suspense, minimalist writing, Scandanavian/Nordic Noir
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