In this third outing for our loveably depressed small-town Swedish policeman, an impossible to explain murder disturbs him (and us) and before you know it, our hero must battle to solve a conspiracy of global proportions to save his daughter’s life and the future of South Africa. While I wanted to enjoy the international espionage elements of the novel, which Mankell pulled off in his Dogs of Riga, this time round I felt the double plot detracted from the novel more than it added. That is to say, I wanted to follow Wallander in his small-town Swedish world rather than the goings on, no matter how momentous, on the other side of the world with another cast of characters who had no interaction with our hero or his gang.
No. 17 of 100 books I intend to read and review in 2019.
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Patrick Sherriff publishes a monthly newsletter highlighting good fiction about Japan and featuring an original painting or sketch. He lives in Abiko, Japan, with his wife and two daughters.
Patrick Sherriff 