Henning mankell faceless killers1/23/2024 but only if there's a different narrator. Mankell has piqued my interest with this first in the series, so I do expect to listen to more. A less obnoxious narration might have tempered the bad-boy behavior of Wallendar, and allowed me to feel more sympathetic. But my sentiments might have to do with the narration. In fact, I would have thought that the lull, the dragging on of the case, would have pushed him over the edge. I'm glad he seemed to clean up at the end, but it wasn't clear how he finally did that. At times I found Wallendar to be pathetic in his heavy drinking and self-pity. I found two things difficult, however: (1) developing sympathy for Wallender himself and (2) accepting the fast shift through several months (and toward a new, improved Wallander) near the end of the novel. It does well as an atmospheric mystery novel. In spite of Hill's narration, I enjoyed the mystery itself, the insight into Swedish culture and politics, and the relentless cold and bleak landscape that Mankell paints with his words. Simon Vance would have been more appropriate. If it hadn't been clear that the novel was set in Sweden, I would have thought it was in NYC given Hill's narration. I agree with other reviewers that he was not the best choice for a Swedish mystery novel. This is my first listen to an Henning Mankell novel, and I plan to come back for more. Good cold listen for a hot, steamy afternoon All-in-all it was very enjoyable, authentic, and I definitely plan to read more of the Wallander series. I found him very easy to listen to, and to also keep the voices of the characters distinct from one another. I prefer a narrator who puts some drama into the reading of a book, yet I did not think he went over the top. I like Dick Hill, and I enjoyed him here. Unlike many detective mysteries, where the reader is introduced to potential killers in some fashion before the end of the book, Menkell kept us as much in the dark as to the killer(s)' identitiy as Wallander, which gave me the feeling that I was working right along with Wallander as to what to do next, and really brought me into the story. I really wanted to keep listening to it, even when I had to turn it off. Menkell started with a bang! The plot was complex, interesting, and suspenseful. Some writers truly evolve in their writing skills, to the point that the earlier books are not as well written as the later ones, but none of that here. The mystery was great, and had no "first book" feel to it. He does not solve this crime brilliantly, but rather with hard work, capable help from his colleagues (which added even more interesting characters to get to know,) trial and error, but, of course, with a true talent as a detective. I find Wallender different from Bosch he is a little easier to relate to as a real person with real life issues and daily problems. I have been going through "Harry Bosch withdrawl" and Wallander has become a great addition as a very enjoyable detective series for me. After listening to a more current Kurt Wallander mystery, I bought this with the intent to start this series from the beginning.
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