HAKAN NESSER
Woman With a Birthmark
Chief
Inspector Van Veeeren is not as angst driven as Kurt Wallender and his team seem less burdensome. The cover
blurb claims “he is being favourably compared with Henning Mankell and Stig
Larson” OK so I might be biased but he is nowhere near Larson, not yet anyway,
and for my taste he is nearer Mankell so “favourably compared” is probably a
fare description.
This
is one of those novels than accompanies the Victims, the perpetrator and the
Police, so in some ways you know where it is going. Is it a “crime” novel or a “thriller”?
Typical of “revenge” novels it inspires more empathy with the killer rather
than the victims; no doubt a few more books into the series will encourage more
bonding with the detectives. It does continue my education about Swedish
weather and reinforces my impression of space, meaning I get the feeling that
the population is not as dense as it is in West Yorkshire.
I
did enjoy it and will seek out more from this author; there are at least three
more that have been translated.
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