Henning Mankell (1948–2015)

Well, I turned the pages easily enough, but I felt there was a lot that simply didn't ring true in this story. Linda, Wallander's daughter, is about to become a police officer - she's completed her training, but she's not part of the force yet. When she becomes entangled in her friend's disappearance, and later, in the fall-out from an extreme religious movement, she seems to become part of the investigation with no trouble at all. Really? And with her father working from the same department? And those re-established friendships withe her school friends. Nah, I don't think so. Linda herself is a pretty unpleasant, self-centred piece of goods. The plot itself is quite complex, but quite involving too, so I was happy enough to read through to the end. But I won't be picking up another book with Linda Wallander centre-stage.… (mais)

My first Inspector Wallander book, but not my last. I like this talented, persistent, unwillingly dedicated and utterly flawed detective. I admired the complex plot line which I can't summarise at all, I don't think, without being guilty of a 'spoiler alert'. It really was impossible to follow this story without being gripped, at dead of night, and compelled to read more.It begins conventionally enough with a death at a cash point, and moves smoothly on to two teenage muggers who kill their taxi driver. Two unrelated incidents. Or are they? It'll take you the whole book to find out.… (mais)

The third book in this series was going a bit of the way of the second one with Joel as an increasingly awkward and not always endearing teen but it took a very different turn about halfway through and I really began to see the Joel I liked from the first book. He is imaginative and impulsive and spins tales that you know are going to get him into trouble but there is something else in him, a way of seeing the world, that is interesting and he is forced to grow up quickly. Looking forward to the final book of the series.… (mais)