The Faceless Killers

For anyone drawn to this novel by the Scandinavian mystery novel publishing sensation Steig Larsson's Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, thinking you'll get more of the same, well you'll be disappointed. Oh, you'll recognize the landscape and the people are the same, this a bit more rural or small-town and less urbane, but Sweden and its people are well-represented in both. Mankell's narrative is slower and its protagonist less super-human, less likable, than Larsson's but far more rewarding I think. Wallander is a deeply flawed detective, but his humanity and doggedness are what drive the plot, ultimately the plot is secondary, more a means to illuminate the human condition, the protagonist's struggles and triumphs. Wonderful book