The mystery is an intriguing one and delves into the secret life of one of the victims. The mystery is not of the solveable variety but that's ultimately not that important. My main attractions to Faceless Killers were the glimpse into Swedish society and Kurt Wallander himself.

An 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. The woman supplies Wallander with his only clue: the perpetrators may have been foreign. When this is leaked to the press, it unleashes a tide of racism. In Latvia, citizens would get the choice (more or less) about whether to stay in the Soviet orbit or go it alone and free. Mankell makes another interesting observation in that not all Latvians wanted Coca-Cola capitalism, were just hunky dorey with communism but were dissatisfied at how the revolution was going. Mankell also provides a good explanation for how, when the Iron Curtain fell, Russian style gangsters were more than ready to fill the void created by the end of totalitarian rule. Why? Because they were already there and in business. In the Footsteps of Wallander PDF document from Ystad Tourist Office with map of places referred to in the novels.

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Segunda novela de la serie Wallander publicada en 1992. Escrita durante el año anterior, está influenciada por el derrumbamiento de los regímenes comunistas que se estaban produciendo al mismo tiempo. Seguramente ese sería el motivo de localizar la historia en Riga, capital de Letonia. Kurt Wallander ( Swedish pronunciation: [vaˈlǎnːdɛr]) is a fictional Swedish police inspector created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell (1948 – 2015). He is the protagonist of many thriller/ mystery novels set in and around the town of Ystad, 56km (35mi) south-east of the city of Malmö, in the southern province of Scania. Wallander has been portrayed on screen by the actors Rolf Lassgård, Krister Henriksson, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Adam Pålsson.

Driven by a desire to change the world and to fight against racism and nationalism, Mankell devoted much of his time to working with charities in Africa, including SOS Children’s Villages and PLAN International, where he was also director of the Teatro Avenida in Maputo. In 2008, the University of St Andrews conferred Henning Mankell with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his major contribution to literature and to the practical exercise of conscience. One frozen January morning at 5am, Inspector Wallander responds to what he believes is a routine call out. When he reaches the isolated farmhouse, he discovers a bloodbath. The Brothers ( Bröderna) A wealthy couple is found murdered in their mansion. Wallander and his team determine they were both tortured and that the wife must have been first raped in front of her husband. Linda and new DI Stefan Lindman prove their mettle as they learn the motive was revenge. The Arsonist ( Mordbrännaren) When a convicted arsonist is released from prison, he is set upon by vigilante neighbours after local fires crop up. Kurt, now officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, tries to hide the fact from his family and colleagues while struggling to solve the case despite his deteriorating condition.

Inquiries

What specifics does the novel reveal about how police investigations are conducted? About the strained relations between the police, the press, and the government? About the connection between sudden insight and the dogged search for clues? The Missing ( Försvunnen) A little girl slips away from her fighting parents who are both suing for custody. Wallander recruits the help of a suspect from a similar case years earlier to find the missing girl.