Faceless Killers

Cover via Amazon

Title: Faceless Killers
Author: Henning Mankell
ISBN13: 9781400031573
Source: Library Copy
Rating: 1 out of 5

Synopsis from Goodreads: It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn’t present enough problems for the Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman’s last word is foreign, leaving the police the one tangible clue they have–and in the process, the match that could inflame Sweden’s already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments.

Unlike the situation with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the beautiful but married young prosecutor who has piqued his interest, in this case, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the already tense situation explodes, but soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to solve.

My Review:

I already wrote about how uninteresting  I found this book to be. Now that I have finished reading it, I feel it was a total waste of time.

Maybe it was the translation? I don’t know. It lacked suspense and urgency, the characters were dull and the plot was boring and poorly written. I don’t know why it was put in the thriller genre. It is neither psychological nor political.

When I read a mystery book, I expect the murderer to be a complex character with enough motive to execute a cold-blooded murder. The murderer’s character should at least be discussed, outlined, debated and focused on to solve the crime. It was surprisingly missing in this book.

The police officers were predictable. Kurt Wallander himself is a bit of a complex character but is not developed enough. I think with more description and emotion the book could have been better. I mean why is he so popular? His colleagues detective Rydberg and Boman were more interesting comparatively. They were at least doing things and were on the right track.

I also expected to read about Ystad’s landscape, scenery, surrounding, which makes the setting of this novel. Unfortunately, there is none, except the repetitive ”the wind was blowing”.

Do the next books in the series get better? I don’t know. I might give Wallander another chance but not anytime soon.

I had no motivation to go on reading this book but I thought it might grown on me and there would eventually be something startling or maybe there was something I am missing but really the book was quite forgettable.

Promise Not To Tell

Cover of Promise Not to Tell: A Novel

Title: Promise Not To Tell
Author: Jennifer McMahon
ISBN: 0752882988
Source: Library Copy
Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: Kate Cypher, a nurse working in Seattle, receives a call from her old friends, who tell her that her mother’s health is deteriorating. Back home in rural Vermont, her mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Kate reluctantly returns home to confront the situation with her mother who doesn’t want to be put up in a home. There are other issues waiting for her. Kate’s best friend from school, Del Griswold, was murdered 31 years earlier and the killer was never found. When Kate returns home, there is another murder that is frighteningly similar to her friend’s. Is this just a coincidence or is it the same killer who murdered Del? What really happened the day Del was murdered?

My Review:

To say I enjoyed Promise Not To Tell would be an understatement. This fast paced gripping novel never has a dull moment. The foreshadowing, the increasing anticipation only added to the thrilling suspense without giving away too much. I have read books which were frustrating when the author reveal’s too much and it ruins the book due to poor placement.

This page turner was a little bit creepy, not to scary but definitely spooky. It is not a full-blown horror novel but the entire time I was reading it, I felt a chill running down my spine as the writing is so hauntingly beautiful.

This book alternates between flashbacks and present and both the timelines are perfectly merged. I never felt confused about the time period I was reading. This is a story about Kate and Del and their unexpected friendship and what happens when you deny it to be part of a popular group and hurt the one true friend along the way – a story about family, friendships, devotion and betrayal.

McMahon has done a brilliant job portraying school children. As much as we like to think of kids and angels, they can be incredibly cruel. The rare friendship between Kate and Del is beautifully written. The author shows the extent to which children can be cruel and what happens when you are at the receiving end of taunting and bullying at the hands of your friendship.

It is rare for me to find books that I like so much, apart from Agatha Christie’s and this is one such book that kept coming back at me after I was done reading it. Highly recommended!

A Moment Of Silence

Title: A Moment Of Silence: Or, the Observations of Miss Dido Kent
Author: Anna Dean
ISBN: 0749079940
Source: Library Copy
Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Miss Dido Kent is 28 and unmarried and hence heading towards spinsterhood. Her beloved niece Catherine sends her word that Catherine’s new fiance, Richard Montague, has upset her. Dido rushes to her niece’s help to Bellfield Hall, home of the Montague family. She discovers that Richard has secretly broken off the engagement without any proper reason and since then disappeared. Then, a dead body of a woman is discovered in the garden. Are these incidences related? Dido wants to find out.

My Review:

Given my love for Agatha Christie, more so for Miss Marple, I was really looking forward to this addition to the ranks of worth female sleuths. I wasn’t disappointed. Dido is smart, resourceful and very sure of herself. She is extremely pleased with herself when she deduces something about the mystery. Her letters to her sister are very amusing and she doesn’t mind blowing her own trumpet. Her cleverness and show-off only add to her character, gives it more spunk and personality.

She does a great job of making people confide in her to solve the mysteries. She is no Miss Marple who relied on human psychology. Dido here gathers so much information and confidences of the residents of Bellfield Hall that by the end of the novel it is very easy for her to figure out what the whole matter is.

There twists and turns, the mystery is puzzling and leaves you guessing at every turn of events. The conclusion is happily surprising. Dido is a fun character. The novel is well written and clever. It ends on such a note that I am hoping there is much more to happen in Dido’ life. This is a first in the series and I am looking forward to read more.