I really loved the Wallander novers, so when I saw this Mankell book on a shelf in an airport bookstore, I decided to grab it. Ultimately, it wasn't as satisfying a read as I'd hoped. The main reason for that is that this isn't one book it's three books that desperately try to meet each other and, when they finally meet, don't do so convincingly.

The first storyline is that of a horrific murder in Northern Sweden. That opening third is stunning, gripping and very powerful. At the end of that third, we sense that there's a historical connection and a Chinese connection.

From there we move into the second storyline, the trials and tribulations of a band of Chinese brothers in the XIXth century. Interesting, though less gripping, and more importantly in such stark contrast that it feels like literally starting a new book afresh. While the connection with the first storyline is laid out flat, it's tenuous at best, and when resolved, not very strong.

The third storyline is about Chinese party politics and the relations between a brother and sister who are both high ranking officials in the party with widely diverging views on what the future of China on the world scene should be. It's well written and convincing to a degree, but again the connections between that storyline and the first are far-fetched.

The resolution of the book, where all three storylines meet is really where it fails. It's sad in a sense because you could imagine at least two of these making really interesting novels of their own, but Mankell here in my opinion has tried to cram too much into a single crime story.

Ultimately it's not a bad read, it's just not a very good one.