Faceless Killers

Author:  Henning Mankell
Publisher: Vintage Crime, a division of Random House Inc.
Publish Date: 1997 (English translation)
Pages: 280
ISBN No.: 978-1-4000-3157-3
Genre: Crime
Sub Genre: Detective
Summary:   
A senseless violent crime, on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse finds an elderly farmer bludgeoned to death and his wife left to die with a noose around her neck.  If this is didn’t present enough problems for Kurt Wallander the dying woman’s last word is foreign, leaving police one tangible clue they have and in the process, the match that could inflame Sweden’s already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments.  Unlike the situation with his  ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the beautiful but married young prosecutor who has piqued his interest, Wallander finds himself a problem he can handle.  As he becomes obsessed with solving this crime before the already tense situation explodes soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to solve.
Evaluation:  I have read the Stieg Larsson trilogy, Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, which I really enjoyed and searched for a read alike.  In a bookstore in Santa Barbara, California I was referred to the Henning Mankell series involving detective Kurt Wallander.  While it does not quite measure up to the tension and edge of your seat excitement as the Larsen books did, it was still a good mystery read.
Why I Would Include It:
The Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish crime writers have become very popular in the U.S. probably due to the success of the Stieg Larsson trilogy. Therefore, I would include it because as a  librarian whether it is in a readers advisory capacity or reference I would desire to know what the current popular reading trends are and would like to be knowledgeable of same.  As I found out in my site evaluations this is sometimes lacking in reference librarians.
Rating: 4
Read Alikes: 
Henning Mankell's Series of Kurt Wallander Detective/Crime Novels
Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
Headhunters by Joe Nesbo