One Step Behind

This book kept me hooked from the beginning. I did read the Kurt Wallander books out of order, which I don't recommend but that's just me. The book doesn't give away past plots which is great when reading out of order. The story line was great and the detective finding out he has a medical illness, which I have the same diagnosis was something relatable. Great story, a wonderful author and the translation was great.

This is my fifth Mankell krimi and I rate it at least as highly as Brannvegg and Danselærerens tilbakekomst. Mankell creates the usual tangled web of mystery, but this time without providing a portrait of the murderer until the end. More murders were committed in this novel than are committed on average in Sweden in a year, expressing Mankell's negative outlook for the future of that society. And for those who think that the ending flops, I recommend reading Hannah Arendt's conclusions about her interviews in 'Eichmann in Jerusalem', about the banality of some psychopathic criminals.

I had two books on a short trip this weekend and had to choose between Michael Connelly [a personal favorite] and this unknown writer whose book I just picked up by chance.I chose this book over the latest Connelly;after the first two pages I just couldn't put it down. The hero, Kurt Wallender, is like Harry Bosch but, if you can believe it, even more realsitically detailed. The plot literally grinds away at you --for me, I found the suspense at times almost intolerable. It took awhile to get used to the Swedish names and locales but within a few hours I was completely hooked to the point that I got up this morning at 4:00 AM unable to sleep due to the intricacies of the plot and my tie to the characters. This is just a smashing thriller superior to anything I have read by Connelly, James Lee Burke or Michael Malone, my favorites.

This is my fourth Kurt Wallender mystery. I am now reading my fifth and last of Mankell's translated works: White Lioness. The story is full of twists and turns as you would normally expect of a well crafted mystery novel. What comes as a surprise in this as well as the other of Mankell's Wallender mysteries is the character development of Mankell's chief protagonist: Kurt Wallender. It is a real treat to read an effective combination of police procedural and character development. Mankell pays attention not only to the Wallender character but he also attends to the development of the other characters who appear in the books. In this book, there is a believable and particularly evil villain who challenges your imagination. The only part of the book that I did not like, had to do with the introduction of a new character, the prosecuting attorney, who distracts from the intent of the story. Mankell also captures the wonderful sensitivity of Sweden and often highlights those things about Swedish people which make them so people-centered. I recommend this book to you and look forward to the translation of more of them.

This is the best in Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander series to date. While five of his mysteries have been translated, it is not necessary to read them in order. But anyone who begins with "One Step Behind" will surely want to double back to the previous four volumes. (Although only a real die-hard fan will enjoy "The White Lioness.")Mankell is the best mystery writer writing today. Here's why:1. The mystery itself is riveting, and the book revolves around that plot. We solve the crime with the team at the Ystad police station. There are no weird or eccentrically-contrived characters as in so many mysteries today. The writing is clean and controlled.2. Every minor character, every cameo, is a perfect little portrait. There are no "flat" characters. 3. This is not the Sweden of clogs and girls with long blonde braids. This is a society in disintegration where the criminal element threatens to take over. Wallander's comments on the state of Swedish society today are right on target.4. In sum, we care about Wallander and the characters who revolve around him in the police station and elsewhere. These people are real. They are our neighbors and friends-- people we know in the U.S. or wherever we live.For a suspenseful mystery, no one is writing this well today. I am a 40-something woman. Today my friend, an 80-something man, said to me: I can never thank you enough for recommending "One Step Behind." I can't put it down!That says it all.