Henning Mankell's Faceless Killers: A murder mystery that was a bit light on the mystery, but with well-defined characters that I really enjoyed.

This is Mankell's debut novel in the Kurt Wallander series.  And I intend to read more from him.  I hope the mysteries will be a bit more exciting as the series continues, but if the characters continue to develop as they have in this book, I will be content.

Kurt Wallander is a detective with the Swedish police.  Estranged from his wife and daughter, taking comfort from too much alcohol, and sinking into an ever widening pool of cynicism, he's a walking stereotype.  But he cares about his job, and about seeing justice done.

So when an elderly farmer and his wife are viciously attacked, Kurt can't let it go.  Even when the case seems hopeless.  There are no known enemies, no apparent motive, and only one lead - the wife's dying word - "foreign".  With only this small lead, the case seems as cold as the Swedish winter season.  But Kurt won't rest until every stone is turned.

Thus Kurt works the case, tirelessly, even as the rest of his life falls to shambles.  

At the same time, there's an ever-growing problem in Sweden - asylum-seekers arriving in droves, and the system is just not mature enough to handle them.  Resentment against the "foreigners" is growing by leaps and bounds.  How does this ever-worsening climate relate to the murders?  That's what Kurt intends to find out.

The mystery surrounding the murders was a bit "light".  No real thrills, surprises, or twists.  Nothing that made me say "Ah Ha!".  In fact, it was a rather lame story, with a thrown-together ending.

However, the strength of this book lies in its characters.  And in how it gets me to want to read more about them.  Wallander, himself, has many layers and we barely get through the top few, but we know there's so much more to discover.   The story of his estranged daughter is touched upon, but I'm hoping more details will come out, in subsequent books.  Even Kurt's co-workers are introduced, and explained in rich details, such that we get to "know" them, and care about them.  One, in particular, is facing a very troubling situation; I sure hope it gets resolved, going forward!

I was also happy to read about Sweden - a place I know virtually nothing about.  The scenery is described in vivid detail, as was the political clime and the general "personality" of the population.  Whether the depictions are truly accurate or not, I have no idea, but as the author is from Sweden, I assume there is at least some element of truth.

In the end this is just an "ok" book.  While the characters and setting were fascinating, the murder mystery, itself, was lame.  And the ending was - well - bad.  However, I will definitely explore subsequent books in the series, and hope the author gives us more mystery.

Recommended: No