The plot is that he’s chasing a serial killer who targets happy people. Of the first seven books starring Swedish police detective Kurt Wallender, this one especially captures what makes the character so memorable. With the exception of a few colloquialisms, there was nothing different than would take place in any city in the US.Loved it!
Don't be reluctant to read this book because it is from a foreign author, in a foreign country. He is one of my favorite narrators, and did a fantastic job with all the characters. Also, I love Dick Hill, always have, and he did not disappoint. Mankell makes Wallender humble, and a strong leader, but also shows his human frailties and I came to truly like the character. It had a refreshing air of realism that made me feel that I was truly getting an undistorted picture of how a murder investigation would progress in real life. I wondered if some of the questionable decisions were intentional, or if Mankell didn't do exhaustive research, or if the Swedish police just aren't as advanced as the US in terms of forensics (for instance, it this book it took a week just to get a ballistics report back!) But, regardless, I had the feeling that I was in an authentic story, with humans who were not only talented, but also not flawless.
Mankell created a police mystery story with a different kind of view of real crime solving. But is was refreshing to read a story that had such a strong ring of realism. It's great to read about the "cowboy" cops such as Harry Bosch or the super-human heroes such as Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp. They make mistakes, they struggle with dead ends, they break down with fatique and personal issues. There is no sugar coating on the talents of the investigators. The one thing that distinguishes his mystery writing about a police investigation is that he makes it real. Mankell does a fantastic job with character development, and the reader is really brought into the personal side of all the characters, especially Wallender. This was my first listen to a Kurt Wallender mystery, and I enjoyed it so much that I will now be going back and getting them from the beginning.
0 kommentar(er)
