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sgs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
2.0
Super graphic, too slow paced, and not that great of a twist.
krobart's review against another edition
3.0
I thought the motive for the original murders was ridiculous. I also found many of the characters to be one-dimensional. This novel is the second stand-alone I have read by Mankell, but unusually for me (because I often tire of series mysteries), I have preferred the Wallander novels. Both stand-alone novels are set partially in Africa, where Mankell lives part of the year. This novel is an improvement on the other one, which I thought was poorly written and extremely depressing, but it still has major flaws.
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/the-man-from-beijing/
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/the-man-from-beijing/
katzreads's review against another edition
5.0
WOW--what a fantastic novel. Kept me engaged throughout. Really well-defined characters, logical plot, interesting twists, and terrific leaps between centuries. I will definitely look for more books by this author.
vorpalblad's review against another edition
3.0
Not one of Mankell's stronger offerings, simply because the idea that drives the plot is so far-fetched. I liked the characterization and the historic episodes, but it was unclear why any of the action would have taken place at all.
tnt307's review
2.0
Der Anfang des Buches war recht spannend. Mord im Norden, unklarer Motiv, eine Richterin, die sich da einmischt. Ganz toll.
Dann wurde ich zum ersten Mal genervt, ale das Geschehen hundert Jahre in die Vergangenheit gesprungen ist und zudem auf ein anderes Kontinent. Aber auch diesen Teil der Geschichte fand ich letztendlich ganz nett.
Der Sprung zurück zu der Protagonistin fand ich dann wieder ziemlich spannend und hatte viel Spaß an ihren Ermittlungen.
Und dann fing das vierte Buch an und die chinesischen Intrigen wurden ausgetragen. Ich habe es bis zur Seite 460 geschafft (von 600) und dann habe ich das Buch abgelegt. Es hat mich überhaupt nicht interessiert, welche Kämpfe Geschwister innerhalb der Kommunistischen Partei durchführen, da es ja mit dem Geschehen nicht viel zu tun hatte.
Ich habe dann noch ein bisschen geblättert, um sich ein ungefähres Bild von dem Ende zu machen und bin eigentlich recht froh, dass ich mir die 150 Seiten gespart habe, obwohl ich dadurch vielleicht einige spannende Abschnitte mit Birgitta verpasst habe.
Einfach schade, weil der Anfang echt gut war.
Dann wurde ich zum ersten Mal genervt, ale das Geschehen hundert Jahre in die Vergangenheit gesprungen ist und zudem auf ein anderes Kontinent. Aber auch diesen Teil der Geschichte fand ich letztendlich ganz nett.
Der Sprung zurück zu der Protagonistin fand ich dann wieder ziemlich spannend und hatte viel Spaß an ihren Ermittlungen.
Und dann fing das vierte Buch an und die chinesischen Intrigen wurden ausgetragen. Ich habe es bis zur Seite 460 geschafft (von 600) und dann habe ich das Buch abgelegt. Es hat mich überhaupt nicht interessiert, welche Kämpfe Geschwister innerhalb der Kommunistischen Partei durchführen, da es ja mit dem Geschehen nicht viel zu tun hatte.
Ich habe dann noch ein bisschen geblättert, um sich ein ungefähres Bild von dem Ende zu machen und bin eigentlich recht froh, dass ich mir die 150 Seiten gespart habe, obwohl ich dadurch vielleicht einige spannende Abschnitte mit Birgitta verpasst habe.
Einfach schade, weil der Anfang echt gut war.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
3.0
THE MAN FROM BEIJING is a standalone book from the author of the popular Kurt Wallender series, and if the discussions I've seen about it are any indication, it's guaranteed to polarise opinion.
Set in Hesjövallen, where something very very bad has happened, police are called to the village by researcher, Karsten Höglin, who arrived in the town to find that this quiet, mostly deserted little village in Sweden is the scene of a massacre.
Judge Brigitta Roslin has an unexpected connection to this place, when she discovers that two of the victims are her mother's adopted parents, but it is enough of a connection to give her an investigation to fill the emptiness she feels in her own life. Following the trail to China, in the face of police disinterest and her own families objections, she soons discovers an international connection and a nightmarish situation.
Possibly part of the reason for some readers dissatisfaction with this book could be the rather tentative connection that Brigitta has to the crime, and her motivation for suddenly dropping everything and heading off in pursuit of a solution. The other objection could very well be the politics that are built into the story. Neither of these aspects presented much of an issue for me, and as a reader, I found Brigitta's actions and reactions were something I was happy to accept. The political viewpoint that Mankell presents was also not unexpected, and I felt not heavy-handed.
I've got a number of standalone novels by Mankell salted away in MtTBR (aka the retirement fund), and if THE MAN FROM BEIJING is any hint, then I've got lots of books to look forward to.
Set in Hesjövallen, where something very very bad has happened, police are called to the village by researcher, Karsten Höglin, who arrived in the town to find that this quiet, mostly deserted little village in Sweden is the scene of a massacre.
Judge Brigitta Roslin has an unexpected connection to this place, when she discovers that two of the victims are her mother's adopted parents, but it is enough of a connection to give her an investigation to fill the emptiness she feels in her own life. Following the trail to China, in the face of police disinterest and her own families objections, she soons discovers an international connection and a nightmarish situation.
Possibly part of the reason for some readers dissatisfaction with this book could be the rather tentative connection that Brigitta has to the crime, and her motivation for suddenly dropping everything and heading off in pursuit of a solution. The other objection could very well be the politics that are built into the story. Neither of these aspects presented much of an issue for me, and as a reader, I found Brigitta's actions and reactions were something I was happy to accept. The political viewpoint that Mankell presents was also not unexpected, and I felt not heavy-handed.
I've got a number of standalone novels by Mankell salted away in MtTBR (aka the retirement fund), and if THE MAN FROM BEIJING is any hint, then I've got lots of books to look forward to.
susanbrooks's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good murder mystery originating in Sweden and taking a turn into China. Some it was a bit contrived, and I had a few "don't go down there" horror movie-type moments with the plot (like - if your hotel room key was stolen, wouldn't you change rooms???!!!!)
lorieac's review against another edition
5.0
I'm looking forward to reading more of his books. Very well done.
sosilkie's review against another edition
2.0
I found this book in the "Nordic mysteries" section and I thought "hey maybe this genre is a thing now" considering the success of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The 100-year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window. But I found I had the same problem with this book as the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo... the pace is slow. Mainly for that reason, it was a tough read and I found myself unable to connect to the character. It's too bad.