Before The Frost: Henning Mankell

[poliphilo]

It's a Wallander story, but this time we're seeing things not from Wallander's point of view but from his daughter's. Wallander- viewed from the outside- is fatter, balder and - because we're not getting the self-doubt- more impressive in his single-minded professionalism. He and his daughter shout at one another a lot.

Otherwise Linda is Kurt in a skirt. She conducts herself as he does- running around from place to place, acting without consultation or authority, falling into traps. She's not terribly interesting in herself- and if Mankell was ever thinking to have her replace Kurt as his series detective he was wise to think again.