Faceless Killers #

Henning Mankell #

August 9, 2024

4/5

I had first read this book for a detective fiction course I had taken in university. I remember enjoying it back then, leading me to reading it again.

It’s a pretty good book, and quite a thoughtful one at that. The main character is certainly quite a complicated figure. There is clear character development throughout the story, which is much appreciated. It makes him feel much more human, particularly in response to the things that happen in the story.

There are many points of note throughout the story that are contemplative. Slight spoilers, but my professor in that detective fiction class posed the question “what does a foreigner look like to you?” in relation to the story of the book. That question, regarding the novel, is posed with respect to Sweden, and is juxtaposed with the immigration crisis. It’s a fascinating thing to consider in that regard, because it highlights your own biases in a fairly consise manner.

Read it!