And so to the latest English translation of Henning Mankell. This is the first Mankell novel that I’ve read which doesn’t feature Inspector Wallander. In this instance we follow Stefan Lindman, a policeman with cancerous tongue, worried about his forthcoming treatment, and on sick leave.
When an old boss of his dies in the north of Sweden, he can’t help but go there to see what’s happening, helping and hindering the official investigation being conducted by the local police.
All the familiar Mankell traits are to be found with a similar work ethic and certain bleakness to be found. I must admit that I just want to go and visit that part of Sweden if it’s anything like true to life.
Amazon speaks of this as heralding the end of the Wallander era, yet by my reckoning we still have several novels still to be translated into English. Harvill have done a fine job so far with Mankell, but the order that they’ve published the books is still something of a mystery to me. Indeed at the beginning of April we should get Firewall, the last of the Wallander novels, even though we’ve still not had the first. Then in September, we are due for Before the Frost which features Wallander’s daughter Linda. And in April 2005, it should apparently be The Man Who Smiled, an earlier Wallander novel. So if you can explain the publishing sequence, please do let me know!