English language
Published Feb. 1, 2009 by Vintage.
When Kurt Wallander first appeared, he was a senior police officer, just turned forty, with his life in a mess. His wife had left him, his father barely acknowledged him; he ate badly and drank alone at night. This book chronicles the events that led him to such a place. We see him in the early years, putting in hours on the beat whilst trying to solve a murder off-duty; witness the beginnings of his fragile relationship with Mona, the woman he has his heart set on marrying; and learn the reason behind his difficulties with his father.
Content warning Minor spoilers
For weeks, Wallander has no leads on a case. Then, a chance event, or a dream, leads to a breakthrough. On a whim Wallander decides to confront a suspect without any backup and gets attacked. This happens three or four times in the book and yet I still enjoyed it.
