The Fifth Woman | Henning Mankell

In this novel by Henning Mankell, Inspector Kurt Wallander is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer who has been brutally murdered seemingly random men. He discovers that what connects these men is that they all have a history of abusing women. Once this connection is made, Wallander realises that his first impressions and assumptions about the killer's identity have been all wrong and finding the fifth woman will solve the puzzle.

Mankell describes the ritualistic murders of three men and the inner struggle that Wallander has in his pursuit of the unlikely suspect. In typical wallander style, rather dark and depressing.

I am very fond of the Wallander series. They're exciting crime thrillers, full of twists and turns that keep you guessing. Wallander himself isn't necessarily a likeable character, but you do have sympathy with him and the struggles he has to face as a Police Inspector in a Sweden that seems to be changing before his very eyes.