What Book to Read?

Sue Grafton might be sticking with Kinsey Milhone for the full twenty six books in her alphabet series, but Henning Mankell has deserted his dour Swedish detective, Kurt Wallander, at least for the time being. The Man from Beijing features Birgitta Roslin, an equally dour Swedish judge. Mankell also diverges from his usual practice by including a long historical section about two Chinese brothers that may or may not establish a motive for the terrible crime with which the story begins.

I don’t want say what happens so I won’t go into detail, but I don’t think the experiment works. As well as the judge and the historical characters, a photographer, the police, and a several present day Chinese characters take turns in carrying the story. The photographer dies, the police follow a false lead, the Chinese brothers suffer exploitation and brutality in America and the modern day Chinese characters engage in ideological debates about the future of China. There is of course a link, but it often feels tenuous, especially in the sections dealing with modern day China. It feels at times like several mini stories inadequately joined together, like beads on too thin a string.

The circumstances involving each of these players in the story is dealt with in considerable detail. Yet too often this detail leads no where. For example, the initial police investigation is dealt with at some length, but this part of the story simply ends, and the next we hear, they are following a lead the reader knows to be false. There are questions raised by the initial investigation and the convenient false lead that are simply never answered. The Chinese brothers have a terrible time in America, but does it have to be recounted at such detail? Even with the detail, there remains a big question about whether their suffering is a credible motive for mass murder nearly 150 years later. In terms of the story, there needs to be tension between the two main present day Chinese characters, but does it have to be pursued at such length, particularly when details about how each of them actually operates in their society – and, to a degree, in the story- are not addressed? And how could the crime have been planned and carried out? For example, how would you smuggle a Japanese sword into Sweden? I don’t know if it is despite the detail or because of it that so many questions are left unanswered.

The theme of judicial action versus personal vengeance is at the heart of the book. Brigitta has sworn to act as an honest and sincere judge, and tries always to do the right thing, but she is concerned about justice in Sweden. ‘How had things been allowed to lapse to such an extent that the very basis of democracy was being threatened by a lame judicial system?’ she wonders. But the judicial system in China is presented as far more barbaric, so the reader has to wonder about hand-wringing on the part of the Swedes. Furthermore, the resolution of story raises a question about where Mankell stands on the issue of vengeance.

There are some good things in the story. Mankell is excellent at invoking the sombre cold of the Swedish landscape, and the anxiety and disillusionment some Swedes feel at the direction their society seems to be moving in. There are some interesting insights into the issues of friendship and middle age. There are also moments of high suspense.

But overall, I think he should stick with Kurt Wallendar.