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spiralnode 's review for:
Sidetracked
by Henning Mankell
Okay, the series has redeemed itself! This was my favourite Wallander book so far - it starts with the suicide of a teenage girl right in front of the detective, in the middle of a hysteric episode in a deserted field. Shortly after, the body of a former minister of justice is found scalped and hidden under a boat.
This book brings a new perspective over the Swedish underworld. So far the books have focused more on other countries affecting Sweden and that mishmash, but this one is much more in the home territory and reveals weaknesses of the national police and their own complaints over the system and the bureaucracy. Of course, the grass is always greener on the other side. It is also the first book to feature more heavily history and customs, and to rely on profiling, in a Criminal Minds kind of style. For someone who prefers character-driven books, this is definitely the one! The writing remains alert and energetic, but there is a new dimension that focuses on personal evolution of characters and dissects the modus operandi of the criminal.
What I did find unusual and bothered me a bit, though, was that the previous stories seemed to be tied together much more seamlessly. There were details that didn't quite match up. For example, Wallander explains to his daughter how sometimes criminals become fascinated by the police officers on their case and may even make them an active part of their plan. However, Linda should already know this because she was captured as a hostage in a previous book.
This book brings a new perspective over the Swedish underworld. So far the books have focused more on other countries affecting Sweden and that mishmash, but this one is much more in the home territory and reveals weaknesses of the national police and their own complaints over the system and the bureaucracy. Of course, the grass is always greener on the other side. It is also the first book to feature more heavily history and customs, and to rely on profiling, in a Criminal Minds kind of style. For someone who prefers character-driven books, this is definitely the one! The writing remains alert and energetic, but there is a new dimension that focuses on personal evolution of characters and dissects the modus operandi of the criminal.
What I did find unusual and bothered me a bit, though, was that the previous stories seemed to be tied together much more seamlessly. There were details that didn't quite match up. For example, Wallander explains to his daughter how sometimes criminals become fascinated by the police officers on their case and may even make them an active part of their plan. However, Linda should already know this because she was captured as a hostage in a previous book.