It was a crime of senseless violence. 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. As if this didn't present enough problems for Ystad police inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman's last word, his only tangible clue, was "foreign." If publicized, it could be the match that would inflame Sweden's already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments.
In this case, unlike the situation with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the young prosecutor who has piqued his interest, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the already tense situation explodes--though it will require all of his talent to do so.
About the Author :
Henning Mankell (1948-2015) was Sweden's most-read author worldwide. His novels, which include the bestselling Kurt Wallander mysteries, have been translated into thirty-seven languages with more than thirty million copies in print worldwide. He has received the Crime Writers' Association's Macallan Gold Dagger and the German Tolerance Prize and has been a three-time finalist for the Los Angeles Times Mystery/Thriller Book Prize.
Dick Hill was one of the most awarded narrators in the business. We was named by AudioFile magazine as a Golden Voice and also as a Voice of the Century. He earned several of the prestigious annua Audie Awards for Best Narration and thirty-four AudioFile Earphones Awards. In addition to narrating, he both acted in and wrote for the theater. He passed away in 2022.
Review :
"[A] brilliant US debut...The author goes well beyond the narrow police procedural in creating a full-bodied Wallander and in casting light on the refugee problem in contemporary Swedish society."
-- "Library Journal"
"A well-crafted police procedural...The story moves along at a brisk pace and comes to an exciting climax."
-- "St. Louis Post-Dispatch"
"An especially satisfying crime novel, like those of such past masters as Georges Simenon, Nicholas Freeling, and Sweden's own Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö."
-- "Wall Street Journal"
"Combines thriller-quality entertainment with a depiction of antiforeigner prejudice in Sweden, painted here as a very chilly place indeed."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Mankell's work mixes compelling procedural details with strong social consciousness...A superior novel--and a harbinger of great things to come."
-- "Booklist"
"An exquisite novel of mesmerizing depth and suspense."
-- "Los Angeles Times"
"Inspector Wallander has established himself as one of the best of recent detectives...Tightly plotted."
-- "Times Literary Supplement (London)"
"Intelligent, moving and topical, this is a thriller of the very best kind."
-- "Times (London)"
