8. The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell

Category: 50 Books

8. The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell

This is the best book I’ve read so far this year. I know, I’ve only completed 8 of the 14 books I’ve started, but The Man From Beijing was so good I couldn’t put it down. And when I was finished with it I wished I had more of it to read.

This isn’t one of Mankell’s Wallander series. It’s a stand alone. And while it starts in Sweden it’s not just a typical Scandi crime book, it’s more international crime/intrigue than anything else. I loved the main character, Birgitta Roslin, because she’s not a typical crime novel hero. She’s an older woman, a judge, her marriage is failing. She’s not superhuman or good at everything (Lisbeth Salander, anyone?) she’s just normal. The author is so good though, that the character and the book are not boring AT ALL. And that rocks.

Normally I get annoyed when characters jet across the world at a whim to go solve mysteries that they have no business solving, but it seems more plausible when the characters are flying from Sockholm to London. It’s not that far. It’s not like a San Francisco detective flying to London on a whim. I don’t know. It just seems more believeable.

Great book. If you’re not that into police procedurals but still like an exciting crime thriller, I’d recommend this book to you.

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