Review: Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

The good

• A reasonably entertaining detective story with police work that feels somewhat realistic and some moderately satisfying deductions and reveals.

• The protagonist, Kurt Wallander, is fairly bit cliche (lone white male, drinks too much, never sleeps, etc.), but it still somehow works. Something about his refusal to give up and personality is just enough to keep you reading.

• Reasonable writing, plotting, and pacing.

The not so good

• The final reveal is pretty disappointing. It almost seems to go against the broader narrative of the story.

• The action scenes are a bit lame. It’s mostly Wallander bumping into things and hurting himself. Maybe that’s part of his charm?

Rating: 3.5 stars