Die fünfte Frau

Kurt Wallander #6

by Henning Mankell

Wallander, Kriminalkommissar bei der Mordkommission im südschwedischen Ystad, ist ein wohltuend normaler Mann. Er schläft zuwenig und ißt zuviel Fastfood, er ist geschieden, hat Probleme mit seinem Vater, eine erwachsene Tochter und eine Freundin in Riga, er denkt mit Wehmut an die Zeit, in der man die Strümpfe noch stopfte, anstatt sie wegzuwerfen, und er ist zutiefst beunruhigt über die zunehmende Gewalt in seinem Distrikt. Gerade hat er eine Reihe besonders grausamer Morde aufzuklären, bei denen es selbst erfahrenen Polizisten kalt den Rücken hinunterläuft. Einen alten Mann findet man in einer Pfahlgrube aufgespießt, einen anderen halbverhungert, beinahe nackt an einen Baum gebunden und erwürgt. Ein dritter wurde in einem mit Steinen beschwerten Sack in einem See ertränkt. Der eine schrieb Gedichte und war Vogelliebhaber, der andere besaß einen Blumenladen und hatte sich auf Orchideen spezialisiert, der dritte war Forscher an der Universität. Warum verfolgt der Mörder harmlose Bürger mit so brutaler Gewalt? Und warum legt er Wert darauf, dass man die sadistische Grausamkeit seiner Verbrechen sofort bemerkt? Wallanders kluge Devise heißt: "Die Menschen sind selten das, was man von ihnen denkt." Und er macht eine verstörende Entdeckung: Alle Opfer waren selbst rücksichtslose, brutale Männer, die Frauen körperlich und seelisch misshandelten. Wenn aber der Mord die Rache des Opfers an den Mördern und Vergewaltigern ist, muss Wallander sich beeilen, bevor das nächste, noch grausamere Verbrechen geschieht.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Sweden, Detective, Scandinavian Literature

565 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Henning Mankell was an internationally known Swedish crime writer, children's author and playwright. He was best known for his literary character Kurt Wallander.

Mankell split his time between Sweden and Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, Swedish director and daughter of Ingmar Bergman.

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

After spending much of the summer in an exhausting search for a serial killer, Kurt Wallander gets away to Italy on an idyllic vacation with his father. He returns home to Sweden tanned, relaxed and rejuvenated, but that won't last for long. An elderly car dealer, who writes poetry about birds in his spare time, is reported missing. His body is later found impaled on bamboo spikes in a trap that has obviously been deliberately set for him. It took a long time for the victim to die, and it seems apparent that someone was really angry with him.

Wallander and his team begin the investigation, but there are precious few clues to point them in the direction of the killer. In the meantime, another man, this one a florist, goes missing, and it seems clear that a diabolical killer is on the loose. This is especially scary, because serial killers are very rare in Sweden.

Nothing seems to link the victims, and Wallander and his team are pressed to the limit. Before long, everyone is exhausted from the long hours spent on the investigation, and it seems as though every time the slightest hint of a break in the case emerges, they have to go back to square one and rethink the entire thing.

This is a dark, brooding police procedural with a unique and clever antagonist matched against Wallander and his team. It's often said that a crime novel succeeds only to the extent that the villain is a worthy match for the protagonist, and that's certainly the case here. The killer has a long list of potential victims, and Wallander will be sorely tested if he and his team are going to save them. This is another very good entry in the series and should appeal to any fan of Scandinavian mysteries.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fifth Woman, the sixth book in the Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell, seems to me the best and most fully realized novel that I have read in his series thus far. It’s a serial killer book, sigh, but it complicates our view of the actual killings and isn’t just torture for torture’s sake. I’ll try to explain, if I can do so without too many spoilers, but generally we come to sympathize with the killer in some ways when all is revealed. And that implicates us in the violence in some ways that interestingly complicates the story. Can we take the law in our own hands when we feel righteous wrath?

As I have observed with earlier reviews, as I see it Mankell intends to infuse an entertainment genre--detective, thriller, police procedural--with global social issues. In the last book we dealt briefly with sex trafficking, but in this book a range of women’s issues are present throughout. We see a new (female) police chief, we see a young (female) detective of whom the older more traditional males are somewhat jealous. The series takes place in small town, provincial Sweden, which is a country known for a century for its prosperity, tolerance and liberal views of sexuality, but Mankell shows us the ways that Sweden is changing: Less tolerance for refugees, murders of women, racism, and sexism. We who live in small towns or in our heads have to see the world is changing and respond to that, like it or not. Mankell is not a nihlist noir author, he's a humanist.

This book opens with an historical incident, the murder in Africa of four nuns and a fifth woman, a Swedish woman, whose death drives all the crimes committed in the book. Questions about just what it is that women are capable of weave their way through this book: Can women be good detectives? Can they be killers? Are they strong enough ? Do they pack a suitcase differently than men? Do they in general think and act differently than men? And in this (by reputation) tolerant country in 1994, what is the extent of spousal/domestic abuse? If women are victims of crimes, are perpetrators prosecuted? Why do men hurt women, and what does this say about the direction of contemporary society?

There are several brutal crimes in this book that take place mainly against men, actually, with cruel and even seemingly sadistic aspects to them. Why? The book tacks back and forth between Kurt Wallander’s 24/7 intense yet lonely life where he doesn’t abuse people but neglects his family and his would-be lover Byba. He works all the time! He never calls. His first wife left him in part because of these things, and her first husband was also a driven cop; why would Byba agree to marry Wallander? What makes a healthy relationship for cops, or for anyone?

The resolution of this one is troubling but also (somewhat guiltily) satisfying in certain ways. Also one aspect we like is that daughter Linda has expressed interest in becoming a cop! (which if you look at the fact that there is an actual Kurt and Linda Wallander series Mankell wrote, actually happens!). And yes, we find out who the fifth woman is, with historical links between the past and present:

“Society had grown cruel. People who felt they were unwanted or unwelcome in their own country, reacted with aggression. There was no such thing as meaningless violence. Every violent act had a meaning for the person who committed it. Only when you dared accept this truth could you hope to turn society in another direction.”

Vigilante groups, on the rise in the early nineties in Europe, taking the law into their own hands, are seen as on the rise here in Scandinavia, though Mankell makes it clear such groups of individuals have always been part of Sweden, as mercenaries from WWII on. But yes, things are getting more violent in Sweden and in the world generally. What do we do about that? Mankell doesn’t have any easy answers.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a point in The Fifth Woman where I thought, "Christ, Wallander is getting preachy. I wonder if Mankell realizes it?" And then a couple of chapters later it came clear that Mankell did realize what was happening to his Ystad Detective because those closest to Wallander comment on his fondness for lecturing everyone around him about the ills of Sweden and his philosophy of police work. They then prod him to become a lecturer at the local police academy.

A literary snap of the fingers and Mankell makes this new trait of Wallander an acceptable part of his character. At least for me.

As for the rest of the book, it's not the strongest in the series, but it is still a page turner. I powered on late into the night to finish, and it was definitely full of suspence. Wallander himself remains one of my favourite literary detectives. I admire his doggedness, but I love him because of his emotion. He feels, sometimes too intensely to be healthy, but he feels everything, and it dooms him to loneliness. He cannot express his emotions, you see, and so he buries them and works. Works. Works. Works. I find myself caring more about him the longer the series goes on and wanting something good for him in his life. I don't think he's going to get it.

If you're new to Wallander, don't start here because he's changing, and you need to know him before to enjoy the changes. But you should enjoy this book just fine when you reach it.

later: I hadn't seen the sixth episode of the BBC Wallander until last night; I'd been saving it after I finished the book. Since I finished it yesterday I thought I should give it a watch, and it is the first time I was disappointed.

Both the mystery and the emotional core of Kurt Wallander were too distant from Mankell's book. Kurt, in the book, begins to resolve his relationship with his father, taking a week long vacation with his father in Rome, so when his father passes away there is no deep pool of despair for Kurt to dive into. But he dives intot that pool in the book, wandering around like a Basset Hound who can't find his owner.

The mystery gets short shrift too because of Wallander's whiny broodiness. We get none of the killer's POV, which offered some interesting moments in the book. We get too little of the crimes of the abusive men, the victims of the killer, and the crimes we do get are altered in ways that lessen their severity and make the men much easier to feel sorry for.

These aren't the only changes either. Anna-Britt isn't shot, it's Kurt who takes the bullet. Baiba isn't the one Kurt loves, it is a witness for the case named Vanja. His relationship with Linda is short changed. It's just plain bad.

I have serious concerns about this show going forward, and I am bummed because I was looking forward to series 3 becoming available in North America. Huge bummer for me.

[AdultFiction Teton County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia - 4 stars
Since the first of the year, I have been on a Kurt Wallander series binge; this being the sixth that I've read in the series. (I am reading them in order, which isn't necessary since Mankell provides very efficient, two sentence recaps that give the reader all she needs to know to carry on.)With the first 40 pages I thought that this one - The Fifth Woman - just might be the novel that unhooks me from this Swedish crime novel addiction. Alas, I was wrong. I can't quite put my finger on what makes these books so enthralling ... truly the murders investigated by Ystad police officer Kurt Wallander and his team are gruesome, gross, disturbing, all of that ... yet the dialogue is spot-on, the interpersonal relationships effective, and the main character written so convincingly that you have to keep reading. Furthermore, Mankell skillfully builds suspense. Often, like in this book, the reader knows who the killer is from the get-go, perhaps not the full story of who and why and all that, which one might suspect would suck all the suspense out of a book - but no - it's almost better since as the investigation gets closer and closer, the reader can't help but tear through the pages to reach the end. I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes crime fiction. But, be careful, you'll disregard all other commitments and responsibilities once you hit page 75.

[Labijose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Llevaba un par de días leyendo la novela cuando tuve conocimiento del fallecimiento de Henning Mankell. Lo lamenté profundamente, pues aparte de haberle leído con asiduidad, también había escuchado entrevistas que concedió, y siempre demostraba un gran sentido común.
El personaje central del detective Kurt Wallander siempre me ha parecido fascinante. Muestra su naturaleza humana en todas sus entregas, y su forma tanto de pensar como de actuar me resulta familiar y convincente. El escritor no abusa de pasajes escabrosos, como tantos otros autores, y rodea a su personaje de un aura de infelicidad que le hace tremendamente creíble con las circunstancias con las que convive.
La presente novela está llena de giros. Comienza unos años atrás con el asesinato de una mujer sueca en un convento de monjas en África, y con la carta que recibe posteriormente su hija, enviada por una agente que siente remordimientos por no haber podido esclarecer el asesinato, que ha sido silenciado intencionadamente. Con la carta le remite todas las notas halladas en posesión de la víctima. A partir de aquí se suceden todos los hechos que desencadenan en la búsqueda de un supuesto asesino en serie, que elige a sus víctimas de forma que la policía no tiene ni idea de por dónde empezar a investigar.
La trama se desarrolla de forma lenta pero magistral. Wallander, que acaba de pasar unos días de vacaciones con su padre en Roma, y que se siente rejuvenecido por la experiencia, se verá inmerso, sin tiempo a recuperarse del viaje, en una de las más descorazonadoras investigaciones de su vida. Otra gran obra de un gran escritor. Descanse en paz.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time 4 stars

[Hesam · Rating 3 out of 5]

روان و خوشخوان با نقدی بر جامعه سوئد که بر جذابیت های آن اضافه می کند. متاسفانه ترجمه خیلی خوبی ندارد و کمی اذیت می‌کند.

[Viencienta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poco puedo decir a estas alturas de Mankell y de Wallander, otro librazo, no nos descubre nada nuevo, ni es el mejor libro del mundo, pero hasta la fecha, todos los libros de este autor, son de una sencillez pasmosa. La realidad de la manera más sencilla y corriente me sigue deslumbrando. Son personajes de verdad, sin artificios ni inventos más allá de crear una trama que hile y le de cabida a todo.
Me he hecho un poco de lio con los participantes, no con los polis, pero sí con el resto. Al criminal lo cacé nada más asomó el hocico, pero no le resta nada, al contrario, las circunstancias que rodean los asesinatos están vigentes así como el desarrollo y los pensamientos de Wallander sobre la sociedad... Me queda menos Wallander y menos Mankell... o quizá más.

[Maria Altiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εξαιρετικό βιβλίο, το κατατάσσω στα καλύτερα αστυνομικά που έχω διαβάσει. Το θέμα του αρκετά ευαίσθητο, σε σημείο να μπερδέψει τους αναγνώστες, όπως κ τους ήρωες του βιβλίου, για το αν θέλουν να πιαστεί κ να πληρώσει ο δολοφόνος. Βάναυσοι άντρες λοιπόν και κακοποιημένες, εξαφανισμένες ή πιθανώς δολοφονημένες γυναίκες, όπως αναφέρεται στο βιβλίο. Και ένα βήμα πιο πίσω, μια σκιά που παρακολουθεί την πορεία αυτών των γυναικών. Μια σκιά που ίσως ανήκει σε μια γυναίκα. Μια γυναίκα που φαίνεται να έχει τεράστια σωματική ρώμη και μακάβρια φαντασία. Μια γυναίκα τιμωρό!
Διαβάζεται απνευστί και η αφήγηση κυλάει σαν γάργαρο νεράκι. Σασπένς και δράση υπάρχει σε όλη την διάρκεια της αφήγησης που το κάνει ακαταμάχητο. Επίσης οι αναφορές του πόλεμο στο Βελγικό Κονγκό το 1953, αλλά και την δημιουργία πολιτοφυλακής στην σημερινή Σουηδία κ τις αναταραχές που δημιούργησε είναι πάρα πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες.

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

شخصیت اصلی داستان یه کمی با اقایون مشکل داره و اونا رو به طرز فجیعی به قتل میرسونه!
اما چرا؟!
و این«چرایی؟!» حالت معمایی جالب داره و به شخصه من رو ترغیب کرد که تا تهش رو بخونم.
فقط یه کم کشدار بود و میتونست سریعتر جمع شه

[Alla Komarova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Це було занадто довго, нудно і зупинилося на півкроку від графоманії.

[Avid · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fifth Woman starts with a prologue where five women are brutally murdered by some unknown murderers in a remote place in Africa. Four of them are nuns and the fifth woman is a tourist who takes shelter with the nuns. While the nuns' death is acknowledged by the police and government, they hush up the murder of the fifth woman to avoid any political conflicts. The death of the fifth woman would have gone unnoticed if not for a policewoman who investigated this murder and who decides to write a confidential letter to the fifth woman's daughter in Sweden informing her about the tragic incident. This proves to be a turning point in the daughter's life.

The following chapters tell the reader about a series of brutal murders that take place in and around Ystad. Wallander is involved in the investigation and he tries to find the murderer before the person can cause more harm. All through the book, we see a battle of intelligence - the murderer and Wallander try to outdo themselves and prove who is smarter. We all know, every criminal makes a mistake and that is how Wallander solves the case.

The book has a very strong opening. The plot generates an amount of intrigue and dread in the hearts of the reader. The murders are brutal and dreadful, but you can't stop from reading further to know what happens next. The way Mankell ties in different story lines and introduces the twists and turns keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even though the murdered characters are of little use later on, Mankell takes the trouble of giving these characters a personality of their own.

Mankell took a lot of care in developing the plot and the motive behind the murders, but I was let down by how the mystery was solved. Wallander was on the right track all along and one simple mistake from an otherwise meticulous murderer gave the identity away - which is hard to believe. When the murderer escapes from the station, Wallander takes a wild guess about where the murderer might go and it turns out to be true and that is another weak point in the book. Why did the murderer end up going to that place when it was very well known that the place is already known to the police? Mankell also lets a few loose ends flutter and does not tie them up. We never come to know the story behind the severed head found in the first victim's safe. And what about the diary found in the safe? What was the relation between the owner of the diary and the victim? Despite these weak points, the book was a very interesting read.

Unlike the other mystery authors, Mankell gives a human touch to the hero of his books. Wallander is not painted as a dashing, intelligent, flawless man who every woman desires. Instead, he is shown to have problems of his own - a divorce, a daughter who does not really get along well with him and a father who is always complaining that Wallander does not devote enough time to him. Mankell not only focuses on the plot of the book, but cares to touch about other social issues. He brings in debatable issues of citizen militia and mercenaries, but never loses the momentum of the story. He even gives us a glimpse of the woes of a working mother - how difficult it is to balance a profession and family when there is no support around. This particularly touched my heart because I am a working mother myself.

This book is the tenth in the Wallander series. I read the first one and jumped straight to 10th, but it no way affected the pleasure I had in reading the book. Strong plot, interesting characters and a deep insight into the investigative procedure make this book a highly readable one.

This book qualifies for Nordic Challange 2011 and 2nds Challenge 2011 .

[Mike Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘It occurred to Wallender that no matter when death comes, it disrupts everything. Death always arrives at the wrong time - something is left undone.’

I always feel sad at the end of a Wallender. Not just by the content but the fact that the books are finite and one day I will be reading the last one. Well ok I read the actual last book recently. But was happy to understand that I had not finished all the intervening works.

This book was an absolute cracker. A great police procedural work. I remember the first murder in the tv series of the book but fortunately little else.

Kurt’s relationship with his father has always been strained. But the trip they were to make to Rome alluded to in the last book came off.

Great story that starts with Congo mercenaries and finishes in a bird watching tower in Ystad. Loved it.

[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Οπως παντα αψογος ο καλυτερος για μενα συγγραφεας αστυνομικης λογοτεχνιας ...

[Parisa Bookworm · Rating 1 out of 5]

اصلا خوشم نیومد
خیلی کش می داد الکی
مثلا والندر شب خوابید
والندر صبح بعد بیدار شد
والندر فلان صبحونه را خورد
والندر رفت اداره
.
.
.
و همین طور تا آخر که دوباره می خوابید
بعدم اینکه آدم از قاتل اصلا بدش نمی اومد
تشویقشم میکرد
و اصلا دوست نداشت دستگیر شه
اصلا کتاب خوبی نبود
به هیچ کس توصیه نمی شود

[Marisa Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Muy fan de la narración pausada y reiterativa de Mankell.

Quería empezar a leer la serie del inspector Wallander desde el principio, pero esta novela fue la que saqué aleatoriamente de mi estantería para participar en el ... Reto 7 del PopSugar 2020: El primer libro que toques de tu biblioteca, estantería o colección con los ojos cerrados

[Alejandra Arévalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tengo muchos sentimientos encontrados con esta historia. Pero me gustó. O sea, probablemente hay sesgos de género pero sí me llega mucho cuando toca estos temas Mankell. Es un señoro muy agradable que realmente lo intentó. En esta entrega el detective Kurt Wallander se enfrenta a la violencia de género en todo su esplendor y sobre todo a esa fantasía que muchas tenemos de venganza. ¿será que es posible que una mujer vengativa pueda ser un monstruo o simplemente una víctima más del sistema en el que nos movemos?

[Jens Kreet · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Die fünfte Frau" war der erste Roman von Henning Mankell, den ich gelesen habe. Ich hatte schon erheblich viel von diesem Autor gehört, eine meiner Tanten ist ein großer Fan von ihm.

Der Autor verwendet einen eigenen Stil. So weiß di*er Leser*in anders als di*er Ermittler*in recht früh, wer di*er Mörder*in ist und was das Motiv. Da kann man sich schon nicht mehr überraschen lassen. Meiner Ansicht nach ist diese Herangehensweise problematisch, erstens wegen dem Wissensvorsprung des*r Leser*in und dem damit zu früh aufgelösten Rätsel, aber auch deswegen, weil das Hin- und Her-Überlegen des Kommissars und seiner Kolleg*innen, ob es denn nun wirklich eine Frau gewesen sein konnte, total nervt, zumal es in Endlosschleife wiederholt wird.

Es ist nicht realistisch, dass Polizist*innen in Mordfällen in den 1990er Jahren an einer Frau als Täterin und einem moralischen Tatmotiv so sehr gezweifelt hätten. Echte Polizist*innen würden rational an sowas herangehen und alles grundsätzlich für möglich halten. Was Kurt Wallander dann tut, es bleibt ihm ja nichts anderes übrig.

Dann hat mir noch eins nicht gefallen: Mankell schreibt philosophisch über politische Veränderungen in der Gesellschaft. Die sich allerdings nur deswegen ereignen, weil in der Welt, in der das Buch spielt, ständig neue Morde geschehen. Seine politischen Schlussfolgerungen haben also keinen realen Hintergrund in der echten Welt. Sie können aber laufende Debatten anfachen, ob es zu viel Kriminalität gebe und ob die Polizei die Bevölkerung gut genug schützt. Daher ich fand ich diese Stellen überhaupt nicht hilfreich.

So viel zur Kritik am Autor. Ich habe auch noch eine Kritik an der Übersetzung. Schuldbewusst wird es ja bereits angekündigt: Man meint, nicht nur den Text übersetzen zu müssen, sondern auch die Umgangsformen der Menschen untereinander. So wird also in der deutschen Übersetzung nicht nur gesiezt, sondern permanent mit Familiennamen um sich geschmissen, in einem Land, in dem ich beim Einchecken an der Hotelrezeption "Jens" genannt wurde. Das verdirbt einem das Schweden-Flair des Romans, das es reichlich gibt und zu meiner übergroßen Freude sogar in den Eisenbahnen des Landes, die ich kürzlich sehr genau kennen lernen durfte auf meiner Interrail-Tour.

Soweit zu den Sachen, die mir nicht gefallen haben. Was hat mir gefallen? Die Story ist hervorragend und detailgenau konstruiert. Die Mordopfer sind richtig interessante Typen, gut komponierte Antagonisten, was auch für die Mörderin gilt. Alle unsympathisch, aber ich will doch immer noch genauer wissen, wie die gelebt haben und was sie für kriminelle Taten begangen haben. Ich fand die Figuren der zweiten Reihe, die von den Opfern ermordeten bzw. anderswie schlecht behandelten Frauen super-interessant. Ich fand die Polizist*innen gut gezeichnet. Der Charakter des Protagonisten bleibt blass, aber das ist vielleicht gar nicht so schlecht, schließlich braucht er die Kapazität, um in jeder Episode der Reihe über sich hinauswachsen zu können.

Mankell schafft es schließlich in der zweiten Hälfte, den Roman so spannend zu machen, dass ich durch die Seiten nur so fliege und es nicht rechtzeitig ins Schlafzimmer schaffe, sodass Schlafentzug am heutigen Tag meine Strafe werden sollte. Ich habe sie mit Fassung ertragen.

Der Roman ist ein guter. Stärker gekürzt, weniger pseudopolitisch und näher am schwedischen Original, hätte er das Potenzial gehabt, ein sehr guter Roman zu werden.

[Vesela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Това е първата книга от Хенинг Манкел, която попада в ръцете ми. Признавам, с нея авторът успя доста високо да вдигне летвата в представите ми за това що е то истински добър трилър - жанр, за който често си мисля, че едва ли има вече нещо, с което да ме изненада или впечатли. Но животът винаги опровергава максимите, които съзнанието ни поставя.
Книгата започва с бруталното убийство на четири монахини в отдалечен манастир в Африка и на случайна шведска туристка, потърсила подслон при тях - петата жертва.
Няколко месеца по-късно, в Швеция, започва серия от убийства в и около района на Юстад. Убийства, които шокират полицията с своята жестокост и детайлно планиране. Привидно жертвите нямат нищо общо по между си.
Първата жертва - самотен стар ерген - бивш търговец на коли, живеещ в имение с подходящото име "Усамотение", който е страстен любител на птиците и любител-поет, пишещ стихове, посветени единствено на птиците, е намерен мъртъв близо до дома си. Странното в случая е, че мъжът е паднал в дълбок ров и се е набол върху предварително заложени от убиеца заострени бамбукови пръти - по подобие на начина, по който ловците правят своите капани за диви зверове. Мистерията се заплита още повече, когато разследващите откриват в сейфа на убития мумифицирана човешка глава и шокиращ дневник на неизвестен мъж, сражавал се като наемник в африканска гражданска война.
С намирането на втория труп нещата стават още по-озадачаващи... Кой и поради каква причина би убил скромен собственик на цветарски магазин и страстен любител на орхидеите точно преди отпътуването му на фото-сафари за орхидеи в Кения?
Нищо не е такова, каквото изглежда. Манкел умело води повествуванието до неочакваната развръзка като пралелно с криминалната нишка изгражда образа на главния герой - инспектор Валандер. Хареса ми представянето на героя в чисто човешка светлина - не като някакъв супер-герой, а като човек със своите особености и недостатъци, със своите собствени проблеми за решаване - сложните отношенията с баща му, проблемите около развода му, трудностите в общуването с дъщеря му.
Препоръчвам тази книга на любителите на жанра. Мисля, че няма да има разочаровани - тя предлага всичко, което можем да желаем от подобен вид четиво - интересна интрига, добре изградени характери, напрежение до самия край. Скандинавски съспенс от най-висока класа.

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Er wordt een lichaam gevonden in een greppel, gespietst op bamboestaken. En niet lang daarna wordt een ander lichaam gevonden, vastgebonden aan een boom in een bos en gewurgd. Deze zaken, die ogenschijnlijk niets met elkaar gemeen hebben, blijken toch het werk te zijn van dezelfde seriemoordenaar. Maar het duurt lang eer Wallander en zijn team de link kunnen leggen. Het zijn dan ook zeer vreemde zaken en de motieven zijn ver te zoeken. Het wordt nog intenser als Wallander er van overtuigd raakt dat de dader een vrouw is. Wat zal er nog allemaal gebeuren voordat de dader gevat kan worden?
Ik vond het een spannend verhaal, met tussendoor fijne informatie over het privéleven van Wallander en de andere politiemensen.
Het enige waar ik me wat aan ergerde was de constante updates over het weerbericht, soms wel meermalen per dag in het verhaal. Eens je daar op begint te letten, is dit echt wel overdreven.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

These hold depth of characters, especially Wallander and his workmates. Often times his Dad or Linda, his daughter, are studied. And this one like most of the others has a distinct perp- not just a facade of evil- but we get depths of the thoughts and perceptions for the crimes. It's appreciated that they are not just cartoon bad guys or simple heroes. Neither.

Yet I find all of these overlong with the Swedish disaffection and superfluous information of placings and situations for procedure. And it all continually morose and of course, closely fatalistic. So it becomes after the first half, oftentimes a tedious reading experience. Especially, as in this one, when you have guessed most of the onus for the crime and who is initiating.

This Fifth Woman also holds some horrific torture and cruel lingering physical injury toward death- done purposely with revenge an aspect. So it became off putting in the copy of that mind. For me, it did.

Wallander turns a page in life after losing his parent- and recognizes more and more of their similarities.

My own opinion only- but I think these Wallander make much better film pieces than they make book reads. Kenneth Branagh in the last episode of Season 4 was one of the best acted scenarios I've ever seen. It affected me to long memory. Maybe because I've seen so many friends' reactions to their own dementia? But his portrayal was authentic and awesome. Both. That made me cry. It was powerful.

Having so many books piling up, I think I'll only try the short story Wallander collection, not the full boat novels. They're too redundant and slow, even with their inclusive Swedish windows.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who watch Wallender may have discovered all this, but this is my first experience. Wonderful, sad, thoughtful book, a mystery in which all but the culprit's name is clear early on; solving the mystery means Wallender delves deeper and deeper into human motivation and bitterness. We watch him patiently sift through facts, weigh remembered conversations, think about centuries of human history, ponder the nature of evil and hurt, till he comes to a solution that leaves one more numb than satisfied. I have never been to Sweden, but the western society reflected here bears little resemblance to America, making it possible to draw conclusions about civilization in both great nations. Mystery writing at its best.

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τελείωσε και η Πέμπτη Γυναίκα-είχε αρκετά σημεία που υπερ-ανέλυε τις σκέψεις του επιθεωρητή και έτεινε στην πολυλογία,ΟΜΩΣ,σε καμία περίπτωση δεν ήταν δυσάρεστη αυτή η κατάσταση.Απολαυστικό από την πρώτη ως την τελευταία σελίδα.
5⭐

[Zoran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uh. kako ovo oceniti?
Od prethodnih bolja, a opet nije za četiri zvezdice. Krajnje je vreme da GR uvede pola zvezdice za ocenu.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is definitely a page turner but not as good as previous Wallender novels. The seemingly endless philosophizing about the ills of Swedish society and how everything is expensive could have been omitted. I did like how he said Swedish society was failing because no one could darn socks and then he is sitting beside someone on a plane darning a sock. That was amusing.

The plot of a serial killing woman is good and the suspense kept up throughout. The gruesome murders of deserving victims is imaginative. It is a bit to tidy ending with the murderer. The best bits are the police procedures and the gritty awful Swedish weather helps give atmosphere to the whole story.


One day I will have to watch the tv series. I am reluctant as usually they are done so badly.

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fifth book in the Swedish detective series, starts with the discovery of a emaciated strangled male corpse… and a few days later another male corpse is found under even more bizarre circumstances. As Wallander and co. investigate it begins to become apparent that the murdered men have something in common despite first observations saying contrary. Not as good as the other books in the series, but still worth a read for Wallander fans.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this the 6th book of the Wallander series, our hero has just returned to Ystad from Rome with his ailing father as the story opens, and it seems he is just in time to get to work on an incredibly brutal crime. A man is found impaled on sharpened sticks in a pit. As usual in a Mankell novel, this is just the tip of the iceberg and the beginning of a number of cruel and torturous murders. While Wallander's style is to thoroughly examine every aspect of these crimes, there is a move afoot among some of the public to form a citizens' militia, making the job of the police even harder and putting them under a great deal of pressure to catch the murderer. But these are no ordinary crimes and their perpetrator no ordinary murderer -- and Wallander and his team have their work cut out for them.

Mankell's excellent writing will keep you reading until the end. In his hands, Wallander becomes quite real, and you can clearly see that he is a flawed but steady individual, an excellent investigator and a workaholic, who is always pushing his team to work harder. Mankell's plotting is exquisite and believable, and the author manages to capture the nuances of a disgruntled public and a Sweden that is changing rapidly and not always for the better.

The Wallander series overall is excellent; one of the best out there. I would highly recommend this book (as well as the series) to anyone who enjoys great crime writing in general and Scandinavian mystery novels in particular. Do not let this book be your introduction to Kurt Wallander -- defintely start with the first one in the series and read them in order.

[Marcelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Kind of tedious, is how I would describe this book. The climactic segment was very good, and almost worth the wait (but not quite). The lead detective character, Wallander, was hard to like: at times obnoxious and bullying, and then whiny and sullen at other times. Domestic violence was the background theme of the story and Wallender himself was not unfamiliar with dishing it out. I liked that his own experiences bothered him but it didn't help in the likability department. Also, the author makes it known from the beginning that a woman is the antagonist, so I don't think what I'm going to say next will spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read this, but feel free to stop reading now......

I found it unlikely that a modern-day police detective with years of experience would be incredulous at the mere idea that a woman could be involved with a violent crime that wasn't a crime of passion or self-defense. I know it's not common, but please. The book has dozens of sentences that are variations of, "It's unthinkable that a woman would be capable of such calculated violence". Pretty much every single character says this, and multiple times. Tedious.

Also, the editing wasn't that great (for example, a couple times they misspelled Wallender as "Walland"), and it makes me think that the translation might not be that great either.

I thought there was a lot of potential with the material, but too much time was wasted rehashing certain themes while other more rather interesting ones were barely touched on.

[Rohit Enghakat · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Henning Mankell and I am not impressed. Whether I would read another Mankell ? Yes I would. Kurt Wallander is interesting considering that it is one the most popular Nordic detective around. The series shows some promise.

This book is set in cold and wet Sweden, as I am given to understand most of Mankell's books are. The hunt is on for a serial killer who is on a killing spree of old gentlemen. There were some characters or instances placed in the book which did not seem to have any connection to the ongoing plot and neither could I comprehend their role. The book started off smoothly with the tension building up, plots thicken leading to the elusive killer and finally the climax is sort of a slight letdown.

I took a long time to finish off this. But did I enjoy the book ? Yes. I will try one more Mankell given the choice.

[Marius van Blerck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wallander - our favourite Introspective Detective: This book was enjoyable but overly repetitive. I like the way Henning Mankell adds a different dimension to the police investigation genre, and the setting in Sweden makes a change for the usual US / UK locales. The story itself is intelligent and well-constructed, and moves at a goodish medium-pace. One minor irritant is Mankell’s tendency to have the characters sum up the same facts at regular intervals – it seems he assumes that his readers have short memories and he needs to jog them as much as possible. Some jogging is not a bad thing, but his editor needs to snip a little.