This was little more than a novella. I bought it as a novel. Wallender in his phlegmatic manner looks into finding a skeleton found in the yard of a house he is thinking about buying. The book is written in a rather disinterested manner but finally the owners of the house are tracked down and the murder is uncovered. Rather uninteresting and disappointing in that I bought the book at B&N.A very fast read with no involvement of the author. This Wallander story was originally written for a Dutch book giveaway promotion and subsequently was used as a script basis for one of Kenneth Brannagh's portrayal of Wallander according to the author's afterword. Mankell further states that chronologically this story fits in just before the last book, The Troubled Man, in the series. Wallander is house-hunting in late fall and takes a look at one owned by a relative of his colleague Martinson. Daughter Linda is now a police officer living with Kurt in his apartment--both aspects presenting some adjustment problems. Kurt is beginning to take stock of his life, especially the future while also reminiscing about his deceased father. The house Martinson offers needs some work but has possibilities and Kurt decides to make an offer. Shortly after doing so, however, he stumbles while walking in its back garden and is shocked to find a skeletal hand protruding from the ground. Thus starts the search for a solution to a mysterious and very cold case. In only 150 pages Mankell produces a full-blown, satisfying police procedural giving his fans another glimpse into Wallander's world. However, Mankell adds another treat after the afterword entitled "How It Started, How It Finished And What Happened In Between." The addendum gives insight into how Wallander emerged from Mankell's imagination, how the series developed and what he hopes to leave with the reader. Fascinating reading from beginning to end!
What do You think about Ręka (2004)?
Good book - too short though. Missing reading more about Wallander but I can accept his fate....
—ohmylola
Tavallinen Wallander-romaani tiivistetyssä muodossa.
—rinta
