Faceless Killers
Encyclopedia
Faceless Killers is a crime novel by Swedish
writer Henning Mankell
, and the first in his acclaimed Wallander
series. The English translation by Steven T. Murray
was published in 1997
.
In 1992, Faceless Killers won the first ever Glass Key award
, given to crime writers from the Nordic countries
.
, an old man, Johannes Lovgren is tortured to death and his wife Maria savagely beaten and left for dead with a noose around her neck. Inspector Kurt Wallander, a forty-two-year-old Ystad
police detective, and his team – Rydberg, an aging detective with a rheumatism; Martinsson, a 29-year-old rookie; Naslund, a thirty-year veteran; Svedberg, a balding, forty-something-year-old detective; Hansson; and Peters – are put on the case. Maria Lovgren is taken to a hospital, but dies anyway. Her last word: "foreign".
Rydberg has been examining the noose around Mrs Lovgren's neck and "has never seen one like it before". He thinks that Mrs Lovgren's last word is accurate, and that the murderers are foreign. But his conclusion leads to several racially-motivated attacks after the information is leaked to the press.
The story focuses on Sweden's liberal
attitude regarding immigration
, and explores themes of racism
and national identity
.
in 1994. Wallander is played by Rolf Lassgård
. Faceless Killers has also been adapted into a 90-minute television episode for the BBC
's Wallander series starring Kenneth Branagh
as Wallander. It was first broadcast on 3 January 2010.
The novel has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 7, read by English actor David Warner
, who plays Wallander's father in the British television adaptation of Wallander.
Fredrik Gunnarsson
who played Svartman in the Swedish TV series
had a cameo in this episode.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
writer Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell is a Swedish crime writer, children's author, leftist activist and dramatist, best known for a series of mystery novels starring his most famous creation, Inspector Kurt Wallander.-Life and career:...
, and the first in his acclaimed Wallander
Kurt Wallander
Kurt Wallander is a fictional character created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell. The protagonist of several mystery novels, set in and around the town of Ystad, 60 km south-east of the city of Malmö, in the southern province of Skåne...
series. The English translation by Steven T. Murray
Steven T. Murray
Steven T. Murray is an American translator from Swedish, German, Danish, and Norwegian. He has worked under the pseudonyms Reg Keeland and McKinley Burnett when edited into UK English...
was published in 1997
1997 in literature
The year 1997 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Clancy signs a book deal with Pearson Custom Publishing and Penguin Putnam Inc. , giving him US$50 million for the world-English rights to two new books . A second agreement gives him another US$25 million for a...
.
In 1992, Faceless Killers won the first ever Glass Key award
Glass key award
The Glass Key award is a literature award given annually to a crime novel by an author from the Nordic countries.The award, named after the novel The Glass Key by American crime writer Dashiell Hammett, is a real glass key given every year by the members of the Crime Writers of Scandinavia to a...
, given to crime writers from the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
.
Synopsis
Inside an almost isolated Skåne farmhouse in LunnarpLunnarp
Lunnarp is a locality situated in Tomelilla Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 343 inhabitants in 2005....
, an old man, Johannes Lovgren is tortured to death and his wife Maria savagely beaten and left for dead with a noose around her neck. Inspector Kurt Wallander, a forty-two-year-old Ystad
Ystad
Ystad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
police detective, and his team – Rydberg, an aging detective with a rheumatism; Martinsson, a 29-year-old rookie; Naslund, a thirty-year veteran; Svedberg, a balding, forty-something-year-old detective; Hansson; and Peters – are put on the case. Maria Lovgren is taken to a hospital, but dies anyway. Her last word: "foreign".
Rydberg has been examining the noose around Mrs Lovgren's neck and "has never seen one like it before". He thinks that Mrs Lovgren's last word is accurate, and that the murderers are foreign. But his conclusion leads to several racially-motivated attacks after the information is leaked to the press.
The story focuses on Sweden's liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
attitude regarding immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, and explores themes of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and national identity
National identity
National identity is the person's identity and sense of belonging to one state or to one nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one's citizenship status....
.
Adaptations
The novel was adapted into a four-episode television miniseries by Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges TelevisionSveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
in 1994. Wallander is played by Rolf Lassgård
Rolf Lassgård
Rolf Lassgård is a Swedish actor.-Biography:A keen amateur ice hockey player in his youth, Lassgård also joined theatre teacher Ingemar Lind's Institute for the Performing Arts in the village of Storhögen outside Östersund. He then attended the Stage School in Malmö from 1975-78...
. Faceless Killers has also been adapted into a 90-minute television episode for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Wallander series starring Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
as Wallander. It was first broadcast on 3 January 2010.
The novel has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 7, read by English actor David Warner
David Warner (actor)
David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
, who plays Wallander's father in the British television adaptation of Wallander.
Fredrik Gunnarsson
Fredrik Gunnarsson
Fredrik Gunnarsson is a Swedish actor. He is best known for playing the character Svartman in a series of television films based on the Kurt Wallander novels by Henning Mankell...
who played Svartman in the Swedish TV series
Wallander (Swedish TV series)
Wallander is a Swedish television series adapted from Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels and starring Krister Henriksson in the title role. The 1st series of 13 films were produced in 2005 and 2006, with one taken directly from a novel and the remainder with new storylines suggested by Mankell...
had a cameo in this episode.
External links
- Podcast of Henning Mankell talking about Faceless Killers on the BBC's World Book ClubWorld Book ClubWorld Book Club is a radio programme on the BBC World Service. Each edition of the programme, which is broadcast on the first Saturday of the month with repeats into the following Monday, features a famous author discussing one of his or her books, often the most well-known one, with the public...
- A review