Search - The Dogs of Riga (Kurt Wallander, Bk 2)

Not nearly as compelling as Mankell's first book "Faceless Killers." An average read. Wallander's self-doubts can slow the story. Can easily skip to book three, "The White Lioness."

His stories have elements of Swedish current events. Here we have Sweden 1991 feeling the changes of a post-Soviet world with the three Baltic States looking to become autonomous. There exists a tension as Latvia on the Baltic Sea fights to separate itself from Russian influence, unfortunately, criminal elements are already moving into fill the power vacuum. Kurt Wallander goes to Riga on assignment and finds himself in the middle of this confusing mix.

I enjoy the Kurt Wallander character, but I did find this book lacking a bit in the flow of the plot and the logical progressions. It may have a lot to do with the translation. The characters were not defined well enough to make their actions and feelings realistic.

#2 in the Inspector Wallander series set in Ystad, Sweden, though the translation order is really screwed up, so I've been reading this series sort of out of order. Two dead bodies, shot through the heart, are washed up in a life raft not far from Ystad, and Wallander is put in charge of the investigation. Eventually the trail leads to Riga, Latvia, with one of their policemen coming to Ystad to assist with the case. When Major Lieba is brutally murdered on his first day back in Latvia, Wallander is sent to investigate any possible connection to their case and ends up in the midst of a full-blown political intrigue.

It took me awhile to get through this book; not that I didn’t like it, because I did, but sometimes the melancholy Wallander can be a bit overwhelming. Made me want to fly him off to the Caribbean for some sunshine while force-feeding him Prozac! LOL Still, a very interesting book where much of the action takes place in a country (Latvia) that I know little about, and as I say, anytime you can learn something while reading for pleasure, it's always a bonus!

I liked it very much. Mankell is aweseom.

Two bodies wash up on the Swedish shore, victims of grisly torture & cold execution. Detective Kurt Wallander has no witnesses, no motives & no crime scene. After the victims are traced to Latvia, he thinks the Latvian police will take over but suddenly he is called to Riga & is plunged into an alien world where shadows are everywhere & everyone is being watched as the old regime will do anything to stay in power. The wrting is spare, characterization is deft & suspense overwhelming.