In this case, it is Detective Kurt Wallander’s obstinate desire to see that justice is done that brings the truth to light.
On the Swedish coastline, two bodies, victims of grisly torture and cold execution, are discovered in a life raft. With no witnesses, no motives, and no crime scene, Detective Wallander is frustrated and uncertain he has the ability to solve a case as mysterious as it is heinous. But after the victims are traced to the Baltic state of Latvia, a country gripped by the upheaval of Soviet disintegration, Major Liepa of the Riga police takes over the investigation.
Thinking his work done, Wallander slips into the routine once more, until he is called suddenly to Riga and plunged into an alien world in which shadows are everywhere, everything is watched, and old regimes will do anything to stay alive.
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"Very Kafkaesque, largely taking place in Latvia around 1990-91 shortly after the Berlin wall came down, when the Soviets had a strong influence there and it was a totalitarian, police state. The plot line was less interesting than the insight Mankell provides into what life was like on the ground in a Soviet dependency at that time. Well worth a read for that if nothing else. I also love his portrayal of the Swedish mindset." — Tom (4 out of 5 stars)
"Very Kafkaesque, largely taking place in Latvia around 1990-91 shortly after the Berlin wall came down, when the Soviets had a strong influence there and it was a totalitarian, police state. The plot line was less interesting than the insight Mankell provides into what life was like on the ground in a Soviet dependency at that time. Well worth a read for that if nothing else. I also love his portrayal of the Swedish mindset."
“Dick Hill’s portrayal of Mankell’s Swedish police detective, Kurt Wallander, is masterful…Hill’s Latvian detectives have just enough of an accent for distinction, and his tone darkens astutely as Wallander begins spiraling deeper into the political underworld of the bewildering country he is reluctantly immersed in…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
“A gripping, thoughtful police procedural that engages from the first page.”
“A tale rich in gritty local culture…The plot is satisfyingly seamy, [and] Wallander is, as always, discombobulated and astute.”
“The writing is spare, the characterization deft, the atmosphere strong, and the suspense overwhelming.”
“Mankell’s intense, accomplished mystery...[is] riveting reading.”
" Read this book in Dutch. "
" Quirky, smart, & mysterious!! "
" Here is a new twist, our hero Wallander going to grips with the crimimal police in Latvia just before the collapse of the Russian hegemony. He falls in love with a policeman's wife but finds the killer after a very risky operation. One of the more gripping stories of Mankell. "
" The 2nd Wallander mystery, taking place in Latvia, amid the rich description of the gritty local culture. "
" I am a fan of Mankell and his Wallander series. Unusual portrait of a Swedish police commissioner. Social and political undertones. "
" Once again this author had written an extraordinary story. His characters are so believable as humans and mystery solvers. "
" Interesting book! I liked the cold war twist and the Latvia setting. "
" Good Police Procedural - I started with the second book in the series because it was in the library but I'll read more of the series. Not quite Stieg Larsson, but if you need a Swedish detective fix, this will do. "
" Great series of murder mystery stories with believable chacters. "
" This one was certainly thought provoking; it provides a nice insight into Latvian life in the 1990's. However, I just didn't find it to be nearly as engaging as the 1st Wallander novel. I think that this will end up being one of my least favorite Wallander novels. "
" My favorite Kurt Wallender. "
" Where everything started! "
" Slow pace until the end. "
" Definitely not as strong as the first Wallender mystery, I still really enjoyed it. His visuals of a changing Latvia and the streets of Riga were intense. It does wander a bit in the middle, but finds itself again towards the end. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy Scandinavian mysteries. "
" Not one of my Henning Mankell favorites. Slow paced, very little action. Frustrating plot. I hope the next in the series is more exciting. "
" Top rate crime fiction from Sweden. "
" Can't say enough about Henning Mankell. If you haven't read any of his novels, DO SO!!!! "
" A very good mystery--much more to my taste than the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. "
" Not a favorite. Much of the story took place outside Sweden, and it didn't really move Wallander's character forward much. In some ways, it felt Mankell wanted to write a novel set in Riga, and he grafted Wallander into it. "
" Just finished. I liked the characters most and the thrill factor was pretty good. A bit dated with the Riga/Soviet Union bit and [MILD SPOILER ALERT] the end was a bit much, but I am 'hooked' on Wallander and will read more. "
" Blech. Couldn't finish. The translation was horrible. "
" I'm not sure if I liked the setting in the book.. it was a bit depressing.. but it was exciting towards the end "
" Another good detective/mystery book. I like this author and the way he has used this Kurt Wallender charactor so far. "
" I am not a "mystery reader", but I picked this up because I enjoy the BBC series with Kenneth Branaugh. This was a well-paced, enjoyable read, with much of the story taking place in not-quite-post-Soviet Latvia. "
" I just love the Wallander series - and the TV show. This is the second in the series - the first being The Faceless Killers. "
" I like the sparse, atmospheric writing, but so far the plots are not all that interesting. "
" I liked the part of Estonia under communism - haven't ever read a book placed in the Baltics. It reminded me of the Romanian film about the abortion: the 4 months...one "
" Okay, I'm hooked on Kurt Wallander. Finished Riga, now reading Pyramid. Interesting to read about young Kurt. "
" This is actually the first Wallander book I read, so it's the one that got me hooked. Very interesting to see the world through this Swedish man's eyes. "
" Okay, this is more like it. After being disappointed in the first Wallender book, more by the writing than the storyline, I was relieved to see such improvement in the second book. I'll keep reading. "
" I'm listening to this one on the ipod, as I did with the first Kurt Wallander book.These are some Swedish murder mysteries I can get into! "
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, named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, is one of the most awarded narrators in the business, having earned several Audie Awards and thirty-four AudioFile Earphones Awards. In addition to narrating, he has both acted in and written for the theater.
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