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Copy/paste the text below into your blog. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39793.Before_the_Frost?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Before the Frost" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1169315338m/39793.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39793.Before_the_Frost?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Before the Frost</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22339.Henning_Mankell">Henning Mankell</a><br/><br/> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5577487?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a> rating: 4 of 5 stars<br/><i>before the frost</i>, the eighth book in swedish author henning mankell's kurt wallander mystery series, is a flawed novel, but an engaging one nonetheless. the characters (for the most part) are likeable, if a little lost in the translation sometimes, and the setting (a town on the southern tip of the swedish peninsula) is chillingly atmospheric in the same kind of way that the film <i>insomnia</i> is, cold, windswept, and barren-feeling, even in the middle of the forest. <br/> <br/>dealing with a christian cult/sect intent on bringing about a new kingdom for god on earth through martyrdom and sacrifice, the story at times feels like it's digging for profundity, beginning as it does with the jonestown massacre and (sort of) ending with the events of september 11, 2001. it doesn't really succeed in the way it feels like it wants to, but it still draws some excellent parallels between religious fanatacism of all types. <br/> <br/>of the eight books, this is the first to introduce kurt's daughter linda. while she does here serve as the main character, keeping the "jumping in halfway through" feeling to a minimum, there were still plenty of times, where i felt like i was being asked to understand things about the characters that i could have no way, as a "n00b" of understanding. aside from the series aspect, part of this could certainly have to do with the fact that in a novel originally written in swedish, for (presumptiously) a swedish audience, i'm just not picking up on something culturally. <br/> <br/>my other (and probably biggest complaint) is that the book, while mostly fast paced, has trouble keeping that feeling going, particularly when dealing with the more procedural aspects of the police-work invovled in moving the story forward. also, with such a brisk pace, it feels like it's always building towards something bigger and bigger, so that the culmination of everything ultimately lets down. <br/> <br/>i hate to end this on a negative note, as the book is and deserves better than that (i'll probably be going back and visiting some of mankell's other books now), so let me just add this to help convey the feeling of the book overall. i spent my time this evening reading the last 110 pages or so listening to nine inch nails's (it's gramatically correct, damnit! the only name that you leave the "s" off of is "jesus") instrumental album <i>ghosts i-iv</i>, and the two go very nicely together. <br/> <br/>there. i feel awkward about how this is ending. actually, i feel kind of awkward about the whole review, but that's that. i'm done for now. let it be awkward! <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/312795?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>