Surprisingly Moving

The Wallander novels are always steeped in his existential angst, but I found myself laughing at first at his blatant midlife crisis...and then...by the end I was crying. *I prefer the British reader of some of the others to this one, whose characters are harder to differentiate and women not great, but the story is still worth it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Good overall plot but one of my least favourite books of the series

Original and interesting idea but characters in this one seemed out of character. Part of Wallander’s appeal is that he is flawed, but here he was just disagreeable to the point of being unlikeable and even his moments of self reflection were brushed away quickly. He is demanding in all the books but he is also responsible and in this one he spends much of his time between self pity and blaming either others or exhaustion for his errors. I am glad I read so many of his others first. If this was my first one, I doubt if I would be quick to read more. I like his writing, just not this in this book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fantastic!

This work is quintessential Mankell. So terrifically terrifying, hilariously human, and entirely engaging at the same time. I was glued to the unfolding of a classic. A lovely listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Great book

Slow to start but when it got going did not disappoint,it felt like I was watching a movie that was a thriller,the ending was a decent outcome and I would recommend it to others

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A Nice 'Plus' Selection

1. Translated Thrillers are often inferior - something of the content, atmosphere, and especially "rhythm" is lost. That is not the case here:
[Translator Egga Segerberg manages to maintain the imagery, moodiness, and pacing that Henning Mankell doubtless intended. Admittedly, I haven't read the book in the original Swedish - but this version "feels" 100% organic]
2. Books later in a Series (this is the 6th of the 'Kurt Wallander' Mysteries) often lack background - and hence context. That is not the case here:
[Mankell does enough of a review of past assignments, personal relationships, and recurring character bios to allow readers/listeners to very quickly settle in to the author's imaginative world. This book has considerable "standalone" merit]
3. Crime Thrillers set in unfamiliar (read: foreign) countries sometimes lose relatability - because of cultural/procedural differences. That is not the case here:
[Some of the references to currency - the value of goods in Krönor, for example - are a little hard to pin down.. but the investigative techniques - interviewing, forensics, criminal record reviews, computer assessment, good ol' fashioned gumshoeing (canvassing for witnesses, stakeouts, etc.) - are familiar]

The investigation is quite dialogue-heavy (with only intermittent action), but the book is well-written, passably-paced, populated with interesting characters, and sinuously plotted with a provocative series of crimes (including several murders, a couple of attempts on Wallander's life, and an international cybercrime conspiracy).

Less fortunately, Dick Hill's narration detracts from the quality of the story somewhat. To be certain, his diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are typically professional (Mr. Hill is a very good reader).. but he reads a little too slowly on this project (set playback speed at 1.15X for the optimal experience), his Scandinavian pronunciations aren't great, and his voice-acting is occasionally weak (most notably with young & female characters).

Altogether, this audiobook rates 6.5 stars out of 10. If you can get it included with your subscription - as I did - don't hesitate to download it.
This audiobook is definitely imperfect, but even were they to demand a Credit, 'Firewall' would be worth it.

[Incidentally: the deus ex machina ending is disappointing, but the mid-novel review of "the case so far" - Wallander reviewing his notes - is a technique many mystery writers should emulate.. brilliant]

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

The last Dick Hill performance.

The stories are wonderful, crafted with care, and are slowly moving towards thinking detective rather than great sense of gore. However Mr Hill is difficult to listen to as he reads rather than performs.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful