Faceless Killers: A Mystery

By Henning Mankell

First in the Kurt Wallander series.

It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn’t present enough problems for the Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman’s last word is foreign, leaving the police the 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 peaked his interest, in this case, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the already tense situation explodes, but soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to solve.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The New Press
• Release date: May 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9781595586100

Reviews for Faceless Killers

[jbreedlove_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not as dense as Dragon Tatoo or as vivid as Burkes Robicheaux novels but still a good read and a sympathetic detective. I will try another one.

[phillipfrey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have read a number of Henning Mankell's books, all featuring Inspector Kurt Wallander. Each had not disappointed me. All I would like to say about this one is that you cannot go wrong if you like crime stories. I have also watched the excellent Swedish series, which has English subtitles. As a note of interest, Henning Mankell was not only a novelist. He was a produced playwright and screenwriter, married to Ingmar Bergman's daughter. His passing was a mighty blow to me.

[dorie.craig · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Set in a small town in Sweden, this book is about police inspector Kurt Wallander. Wallander is a middle-aged man whose wife has recently left him, and is estranged from his daughter. He visits his elderly, frequently confused father and develops an interest in a newly arrived prosecutor who is married with children. The story is solid, and the police investigation is detailed and convincing. Wallender is often miserable being alone and is heading toward alcoholism. I really liked the character of Rhyberg, the steady second-man to Wallander. I'll have to see if he is in subsequent books in the series. Although I was often taken out of the story due to the awkwardness of the translation, I really enjoyed this novel and think it was well-written. I cared about the characters and followed the murder investigation right along with the police officers. Three and a half stars.

[christina_e_mitchell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ugh, hmpf, hmmm! My aunt completely held out on me! I found this book on her bookshelf! I had been looking for a used copy of it for a couple of months now! How insensitive and cruel!

This was the first in the Wallander series. I fell for the complete mess of a detective following the Masterpiece Mystery showing of the series based on the books, and starring Kenneth Branagh. I have vowed to read the entire series. Having my favorite author/commentator/smart-ass Sarah Vowell endorse reading the books fortified my position. Is the writing the best in the world? No. Mankell will not win a Pulitzer Prize for the books. However, they are an enjoyable diversion for a...say...wintery and overly busy holiday season (?). Something cozy to snuggle up with while you claim some quiet "me" time (?). Just sayin'. Don't forget the cognac.

[vivienner_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first in the series, this is a good introduction to Kurt Wallender, a middle-aged Swedish detective whose life is beginning to fall apart: his wife has left him, he is turning to alcohol for comfort, he appears to have a dysfunctional relationship with his daughter, and his father is beginning to suffer from senility. Although there is much going wrong in his life, he's not broken but quite capable of handling the job, even a tough one such as this. In this story Swedish policy on immigrants and refugees plays a part when a brutal double murder is thought to have been committed by "foreigners", indicating a group in transition that makes them practically untraceable. Although the book was published in 1991, similar immigration issues still exist in many European countries to the present day. A well-written mystery that portrayed a complicated, engaging character as well as the country. I enjoyed this better than any other Scandi crime novel I've tried so far. Apart from one or two minor anomalies that indicated this was not the original language, the translation was good. Recommended.

[brucemmoyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For some reason, it seems like Swedish writers believe it to be essential to the story to go into detail the names of the streets and towns, mostly unpronounceable,as if the reader cares which street they turned onto from which street when it has no bearing at all on the story. A small criticism but one I also found in my favorite Girl with Dragon Tattoo series. This is a great tale about solving a murder where very few things are as they appear. The story deals with an honest but personally flawed detective and his men as they fumble their way to resolution. The writer skillfully portrays the bleak Swedish winter and the atmosphere existing in rural Sweden. I enjoyed it and believe most anyone will find much to like

[carol420 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this sounded familiar but I knew I had never the book...but I did see the DVD. The book and the DVD are very much in agreement with one another. We first meet Kurt Wallander on the case of a murdered farmer and his wife in the dead of the night in a small Swedish village. Kurt Wallander is very distracted as he is dealing with a lot of personal issues involving his family, but he still doggedly pursues the killer or killers responsible for these violent deaths. I found this a bit hard to hold any interest until I became used to Wallander's dark, melancholy moods. It was a good story even though it was slow in parts.

[utopianpessimist · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kurt Wallender is the Swedish detective created by Henning Mankell. All Mankell's books are absorbing.

[tmtrvlr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After watching 4 seasons of Wallander on Netflix, I was left wanting more. I decided to pick up a couple of Kurt Wallander mystery books by Swedish author Henning Mankell that have been translated from the Swedish by Steven T. Murray.When an elderly farm couple is brutally murdered with no obvious reason, Wallander and his team have few clues to solve this crime. The character of Wallander is a complicated character that can be unpredictable. He is far from being the perfect police inspector, but he is dogged in tracking down the criminals. Faceless killers is a constantly progressing police procedural with a satisfying ending. I am looking forward to the second book I purchased by Henning Mankel, The Pyramid.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in the famous Wallander series. It's set in Sweden, which made it a perfect choice to read during a recent trip to nearby Iceland. The novel is much more about detective Wallander than the mystery itself, but a friend had warned me about that, so that helped set my expectations in the right place. He's a typical detective in so many ways, self-destructive, with a single narrow-minded focus on the case at hand. I love some of the supporting characters at his office, particularly his good friend Rydberg an older detective. The case in this one follows the murder of an elderly couple living in the countryside. Even though the novel is more than 25 years old, it delves into the controversy of immigration and refugees and so it felt quite timely.BOTTOM LINE: I definitely liked this one enough to continue the series. If you read it, just be prepared for the fact that it's much more about developing Wallander's character than the mystery itself and so it's not a fast-paced thriller.

[honeysucklepie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not sure I can finish this one. I was hoping to get a richer understanding of Wallander, since I really like the Swedish TV series. Unfortunately, it is a pretty bland book, and the only thing carrying me is the mental images if the TV show. If I didn't have that, I'd really hate it. Erghhh!
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managed to finish this... Maybe something is lost in the translation? I didn't come away with any respect or excitement for the written Wallander mystery. I was thankful to be done with it.
Not sure what to make of Wallander's thoughts and feeling towards women. Is this really how a man thinks? Or is it just a pastiche?
I'll stick to the TV series, but not the BBC remake.

[gingercrinkle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Found this a bit dull, but the first in the series, so perhaps Mankell warms to his task and the later books will improve.

[dreamweaver529 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two elderly farmers are murdered in rural Sweden. The acting Chief of Police, Kurt Wallander, takes on the case.All and all, a well written mystery. It developers well and natural. Wallander isn't a perfect or horrible person. I did have some trouble with the names, as some of the last names sounded similar, and being Swedish, were not easy for me to differentiate. Also, as it was set (and written) over two decades again and I have no frame of reference for the buying power of the krona, the money was a little hard to put into context.I'm not sure I'll continue the series. But if you enjoy good mysteries with interesting characters, I'd say it's worth the time.

[veracite · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Wallander novels require a break to get your joie de vivre back.

[nmele_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dour Swedish detective solves brutal crime--sounds so-so, but this first book in a series is quite absorbing.

[leslie398 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the view of Swedish immigration & racism in this first Wallender mystery more than I liked Wallender himself. I don't care for mysteries which focus on the detective's private life (as many contemporary mystery novels do), so all the stuff about his wife, daughter, and father just stuck me as whingeing. I don't want to read about the detective's dreams and especially not about his sexual fantasies - I want to read about the investigation!.

That said, the mystery was well done and even though I had seen the Kenneth Branagh PBS dramatization, I didn't remember who did it. However, if I want to read a Swedish police procedural mystery in the future, I will pick a Martin Beck over a Wallender.

[jamesmscott-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Brisk pace. Filled with leads and dead ends that ring true for a crime as this with no witnesses. Wallander is certainly a man of very real weaknesses and flaws, which I can imagine is an appeal to the series. I'm not a frequent reader of police procedurals, but I suspect I'll come back to visit Wallander's icy jurisdiction.

[scoutj_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not bad, but I don't know that it was as good as Stieg Larsson, to which it is usually compared. The Kurt Wallander series predates the Millennium Trilogy significantly, and may suffer from it a bit in that regard in that it seems a bit dated. A few too many red herrings as well. Certainly want to read a few more before passing final judgement, which in itself, is a good sign.

[msgumby · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Wallander book, and it's terrific. The writing is spare but somehow really descriptive, and it seems like a really honest account of how police work happens. I also really liked the characters around the main character, such as his grumpy father who's been painting the same picture over and over for fifty years. I think that, unlike some series, this series really does have to be read in order, because I'm some pages into the second book and the crime in the first book is discussed, including who did it. So keep that in mind--but this doesn't in any way detract from this excellent series. Long live Scandinavian crime novels!

[mochimama · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not sure I can finish this one. I was hoping to get a richer understanding of Wallander, since I really like the Swedish TV series. Unfortunately, it is a pretty bland book, and the only thing carrying me is the mental images if the TV show. If I didn't have that, I'd really hate it. Erghhh!
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managed to finish this... Maybe something is lost in the translation? I didn't come away with any respect or excitement for the written Wallander mystery. I was thankful to be done with it.
Not sure what to make of Wallander's thoughts and feeling towards women. Is this really how a man thinks? Or is it just a pastiche?
I'll stick to the TV series, but not the BBC remake.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Police procedural set in Sweden, in some ways even more depressing than the Sjowall-Wahloo series, but very well written and I will probably read more of Mankell's books, just maybe not in February!

[pidgeon92_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good. Hoping the writing gets better further on in the series.

[h_d_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The one and only reason I picked up this book was the BBC drama Wallander. I loved the show and I loved Kenneth Branagh’s portrayal of a rather troubled and depressed character whose personal life is in the dumps due to the fact that his professional life seems to dictate all his actions and choices. The show was impressive I decided to read the novel and though I expected to be disappointed, because I’m not much into crime drama, I was actually very pleasantly surprised. The novel has plot and grit as well as an immensely compelling protagonist. I probably wanted less crimey-wimey stuff and more character reflection, but that’s nothing to do with the book itself. I still much prefer the television version, but I think I’ll happily read a few more Wallander novels.

[sensitivemuse · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is definitely different from the police novels I've read in the past. The majority of the ones I've read had been rather fast paced filled with lots of intrigue and twists that I'm racing through the novel at an alarming rate. This one was very different. It wasn't fast paced but it was steady and although a little slow at times, it actually got me interested as the criminal investigation went on. It was a gradual procedure, and not one that would take overnight to solve. It had its exciting moments, but moments where you had to sit down and reflect as to what was going on, and it was a much different kind of police procedural novel I have ever seen so far. It was a good balance of careful analysis and examination mixed with intrigue and action. The plot did a good job of drawing you into the crime and having you also reflect and examine on how to solve it. I felt just as frustrated like Kurt was feeling when it felt as if he kept on reaching dead ends and cold trails that would lead nowhere in solving the crime.The thing I liked the most was the character in Kurt Wallander. He's very real and three dimensional. He had his own issues to solve and it involved a total different story arc on its own aside from the murder case so you're not entirely focused on the mystery. You also got to see the "human" side of Kurt as well which I enjoyed and very much liked. It gave the story a much more realistic feeling to it and not something sensation or "Hollywood" about the entire plot. Kurt had his own faults too and so did his colleagues. I also liked how the story also focused on the secondary characters as well (especially his partner Rydberg, who also has major problems of his own). It was great to see realistic almost "fleshy" characters in the book.I guess what I didn't really like was I'm not used to this style of writing, so I was really expecting this big flash bang sensational ending where I would be left speechless. This book isn't meant to be that way. The case was closed, and solved and that was that. No big gunfight. No SWAT team. No hostages. No Channel 6 news helicopters flying overhead (har har). It was simple, clean cut, and done. Then again the entire book was like that; clean and to the point. It was like one giant puzzle being put together and having the satisfaction of having it completed on time. Nothing celebratory or excitement just job done, go home and relax. I suppose that's how it's really done and if so, then it's another good job at keeping the story realistic.Would I read the books following this? sure, why not? it's a short read and I don't regret picking this book up. Although it's not exciting as I hoped it would be, it held my attention enough to keep me going, as I was curious as to who did it and why. Secrets were exposed, and closure was met, and all loose ends were tied. It was well done and complete. Overall, don't be looking for grand excitement in this one. Just a good realistic police detective novel. It's realistic, and interesting as it takes you along a journey through Sweden and their way of life. It's definitely worth giving it a try if you're up for something mellow and a more on the serious side of the police force.

[joshberg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Smooth noir detective fiction exploring anti-immigrant feelings in Sweden, this is the first of Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels from the series that would later inspire the BBC series Wallander. The opera-loving detective is an appealing underdog, bad at just about every part of his life except his job: he's gloomy, drinks too much, weighs too much, has troubled family relationships, dreads the Swedish winter, and frets over his country falling apart. Ultimately, though, his courage and unwavering insistence on justice make him worthy of our care and attention. Though the novel's moments of high drama are limited, Faceless Killers is a likeable, realistic, understated police procedural.

[mldavis2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First in the Wallander series. One of the best that got Mankell launched as a respected writer of crime mysteries.

[devenish_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having just read the latest Wallander from the library and greatly enjoyed it,I now read the first of the series.'Faceless Killers' I found slightly disappointing,but I suppose that as it was the first,I must not be too critical. It certainly sets the scene of Wallander's depressing life in his depressing country with his depressing family and colleagues. As for the crime it concerns the double murder of an old couple who lived in an remote farmhouse. They were brutally done to death after being tortured. A vital question is left unanswered at the end of the book,which left me rather unsatisfied.Hope for an improvement in book two.

[kellifrobinson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Because I watched the Wallander PBS series prior to reading this book, I was stuck with the image of Kenneth Branagh as Wallander. That's not a bad thing but probably impacted my opinion of that character. Mankell does an excellent job developing Wallander as an immensely flawed police detective and his story really helped glue this mystery together for me. I was not, however, as intrigued by the mystery itself and I found myself a little disappointed as the book came to an end. The story had not stayed with me from the PBS series (possibly a forewarning that the book may not engage me). I do plan to continue the series as I'm curious about Wallander and his future.

[rodrichards_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Heard these were coming up on Masterpiece Mystery, so thought I would check them out. Interesting to read about the "refugee" controversy in Sweden, following behind a well-drawn character in the person of police inspector Kurt Wallander. Also get a taste of the complications of his family life...Dark (as one might guess from the title) but I liked it.

[m4marya · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I blame the book Well of Lost Plots for not being into this short tale. In Well of Lost Plots the stereotypical divorced, drinking, insomniac detective is much mocked. The lead character in this book fits the bill. Perhaps when I have distanced myself from the other book I will be able to return and enjoy this one.