Prompted by the suspicious death of an old friend who had recently sought his help, Inspector Kurt Wallander returns to work after a lengthy period of sick leave.

Set in Sweden, against a background of gloomy winter weather and workplace tension, the plot and the collection of evidence alternately gather pace and slow down to build tension and provide time to get to know the characters.

This is not just a whodunit, it’s also a whydunit, woven into a tale of big business, corruption, dogged detective work and the personal life of Wallander.

Verdict: “Du har sett tv-programmet, nu är det dags att läsa boken’ (You’ve seen the TV programme, now read the book). I haven’t seen the Swedish or the English language versions of Wallander on TV so can’t make a comparison, however I can say this is a well written (and translated) crime story. Wonderfully atmospheric and similar in style to the “Dragon Tattoo” series but, dare I say it, more enjoyable. A satisfactory and complex plot and well rounded characters make me want to read more of Mankell’s books – now *****