This was more of a procedural than I was expecting. There were two separate cases , both of which involved the social and political atmosphere of the country . There is a lot of somewhat gloomy character development of wallander, the detective. Will have to try more, kept my interest, but I like a bit of humor sometimes in my mysteries ( )

"There is no such thing as the face of a murderer"

"Justice is the pursuit of truth without end."

A solid start to the series. I was a little disappointed by the major drops in intensity. The mystery was sometimes lost in Mankell's realism, earning him the genre name of "police procedural" more than anything else. The thorough characterization of Wallander prepares him to be reused for story after story. I love this curmudgeony cop and will gladly return to the series. The Swedish politics around immigration is the pet topic of the book. And the author is forgiven of his "conservative" stance due to him nodding toward neutrality or multiple perspectives. His opinion was a bit on the nose sometimes. An enjoyable read, I hope the next book is a more intricate/thrilling mystery. ( )

Story: 7 / 10
Characters: 7.5
Setting: 7
Prose: 6 ( )

This was an interesting read. Was looking for a book for a prompt called Nordic Noir and this was one of the books suggested.

I was invested from the first chapter. I think I will definitely be reading this book again in the future. I really enjoyed the character of Kurt Walldander and may even see if I can’t find the BBC series they made based on this book series. ( )

A gripping crime novel that introduces us to Inspector Kurt Wallander, a brilliant but flawed detective that has to deal with a series of brutal murders and racism in his Swedish town. Wallander is a very relatable character, I like that he has not only strengths but weaknesses as well. His personal struggles add more depth to the story and the character, making him more than just a crime solver.

Faceless Killers is an excellent introduction to the Kurt Wallander series and a great read for fans of Scandinavian crime fiction.

Plot Summary from Bard AI

In the quiet town of Ystad, Sweden, Inspector Kurt Wallander is called to the scene of a gruesome double murder. An elderly couple, Johannes and Maria Lövgren, have been found brutally slain in their remote farmhouse. The only clue left behind is Maria's dying word, spoken in a foreign language.

Wallander's investigation quickly takes him into the murky depths of xenophobia and racism, as he uncovers a series of hate crimes targeting immigrants. He soon realizes that the Lövgrens' murder was not an isolated incident, but part of a larger, more sinister plot.

As Wallander delves deeper into the case, he finds himself facing not just a ruthless killer but also the prejudices and fears that fuel his crimes. He must confront his own biases and grapple with the complex social and political issues that lie at the heart of the case. ( )