Nothing is as it seems, and all good things come to an end. And so, the time has come to bid adieu to Kurt Wallander. But not before he undertakes a deeply introspective journey at the behest of his daughter, Linda, who has just made him a grandfather (although she and the baby’s father have not yet decided to marry). It appears that her putative father-in-law, a retired naval commander, has disappeared, and she and her significant other, the man’s son, ask Wallander to try to find out what happened. Is he the victim of foul play?
Wallander has vacation time available and undertakes to investigate, but not before the missing man’s wife is found dead, perhaps murdered. Wallander muddles along, picking up all kinds of extraneous information, misleading clues, and, perhaps just as important, discerning more about himself as he more frequently suffers from lapses of memory.
The author is well-known for his ability to address significant political themes in his novels. And this last Wallander novel is no exception, delving deeply into the Cold War, and Sweden’s “neutrality” policy. I found the novel somewhat slow reading and difficult, and wonder if it is the writing or the translation. Nevertheless, it is a touching look at “the great detective,” and is recommended.
