The latest Henning Mankell novel’s recently been published, but it’s not actually his latest book. It just happens to be one that’s out of sequence. Actually, we’ve had loads of Mankell novels out of sequence, but this one jumps back quite a few years and characters who were last known to be dead are suddenly alive. And a character who’d previously just appeared out of thin air, is now introduced.
At first I was slightly concerned because I caught a glimpse of a review somewhere that spoke of this being the “last” Wallander book, but that’s more because Mankell’s concentrating on Wallander’s daughter now.
Anyway, enough of the background and on to the book itself. It opens with a small town solicitor being murdered on the roadside – a murder that’s later made out to be a traffic accident. This is swiftly followed by the murder of his son. Wallander’s soon on the case, coming out of sick leave to take it on, and we’re into a case that revolves around a reclusive Swedish tycoon who lives in a castle. Is he to blame, and can the evidence be found to prove it?
Once again, the novel’s full of Swedish melancholy, and I never fail to be amazed at the long hours they all seem to work there.