Book ReviewFaceless Killers, a 1991 novel and the first in the Kurt Wallander series, delves right into Mankell's favorite pet peeve: the changing political and social landscape of Sweden and in particular the influx of immigration and asylum seekers allowed into Sweden seemingly without barriers.The plot arises like a Phoenix from this backdrop of which Mankell is a crucial source both personally and professionally as enlightening the world to such problems. It is no mistake that it is a Somali that suffers at the hands of nationalists. Mankell has a great history with Africa. It is no mistake that what allowed for the crime to take place is a bureaucracy hopeless tangled up in its loose enforcement of Sweden's immigration laws if not a national willingness to let anyone into Sweden after the fall of communism.This is a dogged story. It happens across a span of months, not days. It is a story of patience, of relentless police procedurals, of an alertness to the seemingly obvious. We gain insight into Kurt Wallander's personal life: Linda, his daughter, his senile father the artist; his sister with whom he is not close; his former wife Mona and his imminent divorce. We are introduced to his fellow detectives: Hanson, Martinson, Bjork, the newly arrived prosecutor Annete Brolin, Ebba the administrative assistant, an ailing colleague, Rydberg. We explore the setting for the novels: Ystad, the southern shore of Sweden, rural but close enough to Stockholm to conform to the general tendency of Swedish writers to locate crimes near or in urban areas (there are exceptions to this, including Mankell). Wallander's home is on the beach. His proclivity is to let his subconscious reign while not at the office, to allow what he knows subconsciously to slip his mind in order to gain the focus he needs: walks on the beach, his intense interest in opera, his stereo equipment, standing in the rain, and single malt scotch.The crime, as in early Viking bloody sagas, is horrendous. The solution often at odds with the chronology of a clock. As humans, we must allow all that thinking to coalesce in our subconscious so our mind can recognize the patterns, a subconscious that feeds itself from what Kurt sends it is ultimately responsible for the crime's solution.-----------------------------------------------------Series ReviewHenning Mankell is an internationally known Swedish crime writer known mostly for this fictional character Kurt Wallander. He is married to Eva Bergman.Henning Mankell - AuthorIt might be said that the fall of communism and the consequent increase in Swedish immigration and asylum seekers has been the engine that drives much of Swedish crime fiction. Mankell's social conscience, his cool attitude towards nationalism and intolerance is largely a result of the writer's commitment to helping the disadvantaged (see his theater work in Africa). In this vein, readers might be interested in his stand-alone novel Kennedy's Brain a thriller set in Africa and inspired by the AIDS epidemic (Mankell often traveled to Africa to help third world populations); or read his The Eye of the Leopard, a haunting novel juxtaposing a man's coming of age in Sweden and his life in Zambia. Mankell's love of Africa, his theater work on that continent, and his exploits in helping the disadvantaged is not generally known by his American readers. In fact, an international news story that has largely gone unnoticed is that while the world watched as Israeli soldiers captured ships attempting to break the Gaza blockade, few people are aware that among the prisoners of the Israelis was one of the world's most successful and acclaimed writers: Henning Mankell. It is no exaggeration when I say that Henning Mankell is by far one of the most successful writers in Scandinavia, especially in his own country of Sweden. The Nordic weather, cold to the bones, drives its populace indoors for much of the year where cuddling up to read the latest in crime fiction is a national pastime.For many GR readers who have been introduced to Kurt Wallander it is interesting to note that ultimately the success of bringing Mankell to English speaking audiences only came after bringing in the same production company responsible for Steig Larsson's Millennium trilogy for the wildly popular BBC version starring Kenneth Branagh. Viewers had no problem with an anglicized version of Mankell's work, an English speaking cast set down in a genuine Swedish countryside. Of course, to those fans thoroughly familiar with Mankell's work, it is the Swedish televised version that is found to be a more accurately portrayal of Mankell's novels...not the British, sensationalized version. And there's a reason for that.Henning's prose is straightforward, organized, written mostly in linear fashion, a straightforward contract with the reader. It is largely quantified as police procedural work. The work of men who are dogged and patient to a fault. Kurt Wallander, the hero in Mankell's novels, is the alter ego of his creator: a lonely man, a dogged policeman, a flawed hero, out of shape, suffering from headaches and diabetes, and possessing a scarred soul. Understandably so and if some of the GR reviews are an indication; like his famous father-in-law Ingmar Bergman, Mankell is from a country noted for its Nordic gloom. But before you make the assumption that this is yet another addition to the somberness and darkness that characterizes Nordic writing Mankell often confounds this cliche with guarded optimism and passages crammed with humanity (for Mankell, this is true both personally and professionally as a writer).As Americans we often think of Sweden as possessing an very open attitude towards sex and that this is in marked contrast (or perhaps reprieve) to the somber attitudes of its populace. But this is a view that often confounds Swedish people. The idea of Nordic carnality is notably absent in Mankell's work, as much a statement of its erroneous perception (Swedes do not see themselves as part of any sexual revolution at all) and in the case of Mankell ironic because the film director most responsible for advancing these explicit sexual parameters (for his time) was his own father-in-law the great Ingmar Bergman. In a world where Bergman moves in a universe where characters are dark, violent, extreme and aggressive - take note that the ultimate root of this bloody death and ennui lies in the Norse and Icelandic Viking sagas of Scandinavian history - that dark, somber view ascribed to both Mankell and Bergman's work was often a topic of intense jovial interest between these two artists.For any reader of Nordic crime fiction, Henning Mankell is an immensely popular and staple read.Enjoy!
During one of my periodic efforts to prove to myself that I'm not one of The Great Unwashed, I watched PBS's Masterpiece Mystery series featuring the Swedish detective Kurt Wallander as played by Kenneth Branagh. (Yes, it had English actors playing Swedes and was filmed in Sweden. Just go with it.) I liked it quite a bit and since I also loved the The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I decided to read some more about these murderous Swedes. And now I'm really hooked.Written in 1990, this book introduced Wallander as a police detective in a backwater town in Sweden. When an elderly couple are brutally assualted and murdered in their rural home in an apparently motiveless crime, the initial clues make some citizens think that someone in the flood of immigrants seeking asylum following the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe is responsible. A wave of anti-immigrant violence and hysteria is on the verge of being unleashed.Wallander is having enough trouble dealing with his messy personal life. His marriage has just failed, his emotionally troubled teenage daughter flits in and out of his life, and his estranged father is showing signs of dementia. The strain of balancing his increasingly unmanageable personal life and his police work are starting to take a serious toll on him. In addition, he's constantly worried about the new wave of crime and violence he's noticed rising in Sweden.Wallander is a great sort of every-man detective. Not brilliant in a Sherlock Holmes or Columbo kind of way, and definately not built for leaping into action against the bad guys, Wallander just comes in and attacks the tasks he thinks he needs to complete to solve the crime and get his life under control. Even though he doesn't manage to get through the list most days and experiences numerous setbacks, he just starts over again the next morning even if doesn't really feel like trying. Despite his frustrations with his own shortcomings and the government bureaucracy, Wallander manages to make progress with his steady two-steps-forward/ one-step-back method. Good writing with an intriguing crime and a very relateable main character made this an interesting read. I'll be checking out more of the Wallander books.
What do You think about Faceless Killers (2003)?
I had never heard of Henning Mankell before I purchased this book over a year ago. It sounded exotic, and I have a thing for exotic mysteries. Faceless Killers is the first of the Kurt Wallander novels, named after a detective in Ystad in the South of Sweden.From the moment Wallander hears about the brutal murder of an old farmer and his wife, Mankell's story builds up speed as we see the entire police force involved. When the news that the murdered farmer's wife's last word was "foreigner" is leaked to the press, all of Sweden becomes involved; and unsavory skinhead types begin to not only threaten refugees throughout the country, but they actually murder a Somali in cold blood.It will take me several hours to come down from reading this book: The pacing is almost painful as the book ramps up to its final conclusion. Without a doubt, I will be returning to Wallander again soon to read the second novel in the series, The Dogs of Riga.
—Jim
FACELESS KILLERS (Swedish Police Procedural)- G+Henning Mankell – 1st in seriesVintage Crime/Black Lizard. English Translation, 2003 – Trade PaperbackPolice Inspector Kurt Wallander is called to the scene of a particularly violent attack of an elderly couple on a small farm. The husband is dead but the wife, found with a noose around her neck, utters the work “foreign” before dying. Wallander becomes obsessed with solving the case before feelings against Sweden’s immigrants becomes violent.*** Although the translation into English made the dialogue a bit awkward at times, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. Wallander is fully dimensional, very fallible-yet-determined, and surrounded by strong supporting characters. Although told in third person, the writing has a first person feel in the way you know what’s going on inside Wallander’s thoughts. There’s plenty of action and suspense, and even a red herring that leaves you feeling the frustration of Wallander trying to solve his case. It also introduced me to the problems in a country about which I hadn’t previously known. I recommend the book and know I’ll be looking for others by the author.
—LJ
My initial reaction to this book “Faceless Killers” was “Poor Kurt Wallander”! Our introduction to the character of Inspector Wallander by Henning Mankell, was certainly unusual . As the hero of many detective novels after this story, he cuts a sorry figure - and yet, a realistic one. At the beginning of the novel, we quickly discover that Wallander’s marriage has finished, his daughter doesn’t want to have much to do with him and his father doesn’t appear to like him much either! However, despite so many personal problems, he shows us how professional he is as he deals with the murders of an elderly couple, racial unrest and the murder of an immigrant worker. As a crime novel, this book worked well for me: there were some brutal, difficult crimes to solve and the character of Inspector Wallander is interesting. I’m looking forward to reading more of Henning Mankell’s work.
—Angela
