Occasionally when I am not ready with a new post I looked to reviews I have written but not posted to date. This post was written almost 14 years ago. I miss Henning Mankell. He died just over 6 years ago. Kurt Wallender has an enduring quality and I expect will be read long into the future.****
14. - 424.) Firewall by Henning Mankell – Kurt Wallander faces a baffling set of circumstances in an apparently random attack on a taxi driver by two uncaring teenage girls, the subsequent escape and bizarre death of one of the girls and the apparent sudden death by natural causes of a computer genius. As the investigation unfolds Wallander faces personal internal investigation for slapping the girl who was attacking her mother when they lie about the fight between mother and daughter. The examination of the death of the computer consultant leads to a computer with extremely high firewalls. Robert Ludlum’s early books were great at setting up credible conspiracies. Mankell skilfully creates a shadowy conspiracy that is set on some devastating attack on world finances. The story reaches down into Angola where the conspiracy has its headquarters. Wallander is almost killed. A young Swedish hacker vigourously attacks the firewalls. Can Wallander stay alive and solve the mystery? Will he quit the police in frustration? It was very well done but not his best. It required the suspension of belief of a great conspiracy. (I could never understand why the conspirators had not simply taken away the computer at the heart of the investigation when they learned of the police interest.) Hardcover. (Mar. 31/08)\
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Mankell, Henning – (2003) - Faceless Killers; (2004) - The Dogs of Riga; (2005) - The White Lioness; (2006) – Sidetracked (Best fiction of 2006); (2006) - The Fifth Woman; (2007) - One Step Behind (3rd best Fiction of 2007); (2008) – Firewall; (2009) - Before the Frost; (2010) - The Pyramid; (2012) - The Troubled Man
Kurt Wallender is definitely an enduring character in crime fiction, Bill. And, although I think some books are better than others (I'd guess that's the case in most series), it's a consistently well-written series, in my opinion. It's nice to be reminded of it, and it's a nice invitation to re-read some of them.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Sorry I have not responded sooner. Mankell was a gifted storyteller and I wish the series would have continued with Kurt and his daughter, Linda.
DeleteThis entry made me think of other mystery authors I've enjoyed who we've lost and their future books along with them - Suzanne North, Sue Grafton, Lyn Hamilton come to mind.
ReplyDeleteAnthony: Thanks for the comment. I remember reading after Irish poet Seamus Heaney died that Ireland, a land of 20,000 poets, is down a poet. Saskatchewan is down an author with Suzanne's passing. I had not realized she was gone. We are missing a fine author
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