I can see why Henning Mankell is gaining popularity so fast. His detective, Kurt Wallander, is a complex character with realistic issues concerning his career and his family. And reading the Mankell series gives a good close-up experience of day-to-day life in Sweden.

Unfortunately, his pursuit of killers in this book takes us into Latvia, a nation where poverty and political fear are widespread. Even though the plot was well-constructed and suspenseful, to me this was just a little too depressing.

But that's just one person's opinion. What do YOU think about this book? I hope you will enjoy it, then take a moment to post your comments here. When you're done with it, please leave it in some public place where other readers will have the chance to pick it up. Everyone should have the fun of finding a free book!

Mailed to oliviapoolside for bookstogive's International Mysteries VBB

Received and thank you!

Swedish policeman Kurt Wallander is called to the scene where two bodies in a life raft are washed up on a beach. As the dead men are traced to Latvia, a Major Leipa of Latvia is sent to Sweden to help with the case. Leipa and Wallander work well together but it doesn't last long as Major Leipa is murdered on his return to Latvia. Wallander's pursuit of leads bring into the country of Latvia, a very different sort of place than Sweden. As he struggles to make sense of what is going on he is followed, bugged, chased, driven to secret meetings with a hood over his head, given secret notes and messages for secret meetings, lied to, and basically is looking all directions for who are the bad guys and what are the crimes. While he tries to figure things out he is freezing, choking on cigarette smoke (not his own) and buying souvenirs in the ugly, poor Russian dominated city of Riga in Latvia. He is his usual dogged and depressed self, he seems like an old friend in some ways.
This is one of the earlier Kurt Wallander mysteries, but it is consistent with the later mysteries and is not disappointing even when it is a bit hard to believe as possible.

Reserved for the Murder in Translation VBB.

Querying the status of the Murder in Translation VBB as I haven't heard from it in awhile and forum search brings up nothing (course it never does).

Murder in Translation VBB does not seem to exist anymore so this book is now reserved for bookstogive's mystery/thriller VBB.

Wasn't selected from the Mystery/Thriller VBB so I am putting it into the ABC Book Box.

Released into the ABC Book Box which is now on its way to LoriPed

This book enjoyed a brief stop in San Jose, CA before continuing its travels in the ABC Bookbox!

As I've been enjoying mysteries set in far-away lands/cultures, I've decided to pluck this from the ABC boobox.

This is the first book I've read by Mankell, and I shall certainly be looking for more. Wallender is a complex many-layered character*, as was the plot itself. I was fascinated both by details of life in Sweden, and (in this one more so) Latvia.

I expect I'll offer this either in the mystery vbb or the ABC. One plus of my recent move is that while sorting and packing, I gathered all books from other crossers and boxed them together....now focusing on getting those read. :)

*one oddity that struck out for me: his "school boy crush"~~which I found silly.

The mystery vbb is so humongous, that the odds of a book being selected are low....but this excellent mystery was snapped right up when offered in the ABC box :D

Sorry I took so long in getting it off to you~

Looks like this book has returned back to MN. Look forward to reading it. Thanks for sharing!

Shipping to Elk Grove, CA via the ABC box. Enjoy!

Received as a selection from the ABC VBB. Thanks for including this one!