Short description
The second book in the popular series takes Inspector Kurt Wallander to Riga, Latvia, to investigate the murder of two Eastern European criminals. There he finds himself plunged into an alien world where shadows are everywhere, everything is watched, and old regimes will do anything to stay alive.
Review
A tale rich in gritty local culture. . . . The plot is satisfyingly seamy, Wallander is, as always, discombobulated and astute. - Los Angeles Times
Apart from his uncommon skill at devising dense, mulilayered plots, Mankell's forte is matching mood to setting and subject. - The New York Times Book Review
The writing is spare, the characterization deft, the atmosphere strong and the suspense overwhelming. - Times Literary Supplement
A gripping, thoughtful police procedural that engages from the first page. - Irish Independent