Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Vintage Books (2010), 592 pages
Description
In an African convent, four nuns and an unidentified fifth woman are brutally murdered, and the death of the unknown woman is covered up by the local police. A year later in Sweden, Inspector Kurt Wallander is baffled and appalled by two strange murders. Holger Eriksson, a retired car dealer and bird watcher, is impaled on sharpened bamboo poles in a ditch behind his secluded home, while the body of a missing florist is discovered strangled and tied to a tree. The only clues Wallander has to go on are a skull, a diary, and a photo of three men. What ensues is a case that will test Wallander's strength and patience, for in order to solve these murders he will need to uncover their elusive connection to the earlier unsolved murder in Africa of the fifth woman.… (more)
Media reviews
Dieses triste Dasein in dem ewig verregneten Ystad in Schweden verleiht der gesamten Szenerie einen melancholischen Charakter. Keine Zeit zum Leben. Diese Melancholie spürt man deutlich in den mühseligen Ermittlungen, die scheinbar zu keinem Ende führen. Immer wieder Sitzungen,
Show More
Routinegespräche, endlose, kriechende Gedankengänge des Kurt Wallander. Die Ermittlungen rauben ihm den Schlaf, und dem Leser fallen die Augen zu. Jede kleinste Einzelheit wird verfolgt - meist erfolglos. Der Leser weiß es, er sieht zu, wie Kurt Wallander einer falschen Fährte folgt und beobachtet, wie der Täter den nächsten Mord ausklügelt.
Das soll nicht heißen, dass der Roman durchweg langweilig sei. Anfang und Schluss sind brisant. Die Klarheit der Sprache verhüllt nichts. Die Grausamkeiten sind eindringlich beschrieben und der Mörder erschreckt durch seinen Perfektionismus. Außerdem ereignen sich die Morde vor einem Abbild der modernen schwedischen Gesellschaft. Die Reaktion der Bevölkerung und die Frage, warum es so schwer ist in Schweden zu leben, schwingt in vielen Gesprächen mit. Die zunehmende Abstumpfung der Gesellschaft, in der sich jüngere Generationen überflüssig vorkommen, die wachsende Aggressivität und letztlich die Kälte und Härte, die jegliches Empfinden einfriert. Show Less
«Den femte kvinnen» er den sjette romanen med Kurt Wallander i hovedrollen og Mankell er solid som vanlig. 200 sider for solid.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Lman
If I were asked to supply one word, to succinctly define The Fifth Woman, the sixth book in the Kurt Wallander series, I would offer unrelenting; following on, as it does, directly from the traumatic events of the past summer, and even with Kurt’s holiday in Italy providing some respite. With
The book begins ominously - with the inexplicable slaughter of four nuns and a Swedish ‘fifth woman’ by some local men in a northern African country; the subsequent revelation to her daughter of this killing, the cover-up and lack of follow-up by local authorities triggering a devastating response. A year later, a particularly gruesome murder of an elderly, now-retired local car dealer, initially reported missing to Skåne police, and whose body is found by Wallander himself, starts an investigation into, eventually, a string of cruel, seemingly-unprovoked and shocking deaths. At first, with no apparent connection to each other, but with his usual sublime intuition, Kurt Wallander, and his over-worked, under-staffed team slowly, meticulously, assemble the necessary pieces to link each case and ultimately unravel the puzzle behind the darkness of each crime; in order to find the perpetrator, in a desperate bid to stop any further loss of life.
Once more, with this story, the author provides a balance to his characters - at times quite delicate, at other times, almost blunt - thus portraying a team of completely personable players: in their responses, in their actions and reactions, and in their inability, on occasions, to deal with their circumstances with the necessary poise and equilibrium, especially between their personal needs and the demands of their job. What this shows to me is that Kurt and his offsiders are the genuine article, not some made-up literary concoction, but tenacious, determined, hard-working, dedicated police; with an innate sense and ability for their profession, and with such capability and understanding, that they are respected and admired widely by their peers; thus bringing a gritty reality to the book. And with the intelligence to understand what is happening in the progression of their local community and to adapt to, or to change with, the occurrences in the rest of the world. Apart from the intricate, painstaking depth of analysis Henning Mankell supplies within the day-to-day workings of Kurt Wallander and his team, in the fulfilment of their duties to investigate this case, the author, again, demonstrates his acumen in considering the broader picture, especially in regards to his country, Sweden, at this time.
This sixth component of the series is quite a thick book, but reads at a very fast pace, though I was unsurprised at the speed it encourages – the plot actively urging the reader’s desire to reach a conclusion, for the police to catch the culprit, for some understanding of a perplexing, psychotic world. Plus, it is uncanny at how relevant this tale and its background is to today – I was listening to a news report about the present turmoil in the Congo while reading about past events Henning Mankell describes herein, with his usual shrewd social commentary and insight, to exactly the same region. And entwined in all this is the continuing personal saga of Kurt Wallander, and his colleagues, imparting such an idiosyncratic, individual account and hence allowing a continued investment in our inspector, and his whole team, and all their lives, such that we avidly anticipate the next chapter.
And having read more crime genre than ever before, to my mind, Henning Mankell writes a superb, thrilling, edgy tale; comparable, at least, with the best; in truth, better than most.
Show More
this book, Henning Mankell, writing with a no-nonsense, at times almost brusque style, delivers an unrelenting pace of plot by heaping ruthless pressure on an already over-worked police force; and unrelentingly introduces a number of dilemmas, both personal and professional, onto our much admired, though somewhat despondent, police detective. And yet, by using such an uncomplicated, frank writing approach, the reader, despite this feeling of relentless intent, is neither overwhelmed with the harshness, nor overcome with the persistence, but totally absorbed, like our Inspector, with the ensuing events.The book begins ominously - with the inexplicable slaughter of four nuns and a Swedish ‘fifth woman’ by some local men in a northern African country; the subsequent revelation to her daughter of this killing, the cover-up and lack of follow-up by local authorities triggering a devastating response. A year later, a particularly gruesome murder of an elderly, now-retired local car dealer, initially reported missing to Skåne police, and whose body is found by Wallander himself, starts an investigation into, eventually, a string of cruel, seemingly-unprovoked and shocking deaths. At first, with no apparent connection to each other, but with his usual sublime intuition, Kurt Wallander, and his over-worked, under-staffed team slowly, meticulously, assemble the necessary pieces to link each case and ultimately unravel the puzzle behind the darkness of each crime; in order to find the perpetrator, in a desperate bid to stop any further loss of life.
Once more, with this story, the author provides a balance to his characters - at times quite delicate, at other times, almost blunt - thus portraying a team of completely personable players: in their responses, in their actions and reactions, and in their inability, on occasions, to deal with their circumstances with the necessary poise and equilibrium, especially between their personal needs and the demands of their job. What this shows to me is that Kurt and his offsiders are the genuine article, not some made-up literary concoction, but tenacious, determined, hard-working, dedicated police; with an innate sense and ability for their profession, and with such capability and understanding, that they are respected and admired widely by their peers; thus bringing a gritty reality to the book. And with the intelligence to understand what is happening in the progression of their local community and to adapt to, or to change with, the occurrences in the rest of the world. Apart from the intricate, painstaking depth of analysis Henning Mankell supplies within the day-to-day workings of Kurt Wallander and his team, in the fulfilment of their duties to investigate this case, the author, again, demonstrates his acumen in considering the broader picture, especially in regards to his country, Sweden, at this time.
This sixth component of the series is quite a thick book, but reads at a very fast pace, though I was unsurprised at the speed it encourages – the plot actively urging the reader’s desire to reach a conclusion, for the police to catch the culprit, for some understanding of a perplexing, psychotic world. Plus, it is uncanny at how relevant this tale and its background is to today – I was listening to a news report about the present turmoil in the Congo while reading about past events Henning Mankell describes herein, with his usual shrewd social commentary and insight, to exactly the same region. And entwined in all this is the continuing personal saga of Kurt Wallander, and his colleagues, imparting such an idiosyncratic, individual account and hence allowing a continued investment in our inspector, and his whole team, and all their lives, such that we avidly anticipate the next chapter.
And having read more crime genre than ever before, to my mind, Henning Mankell writes a superb, thrilling, edgy tale; comparable, at least, with the best; in truth, better than most.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jeremyfarnumlane
Again, should maybe be more like 3.5 stars; I like Wallander a lot. Kenneth Branagh does a mean impersonation for the BBC, and those are good TV movies, too.
LibraryThing member heidijane
This is a crime thriller, part of the Kurt Wallender series, set in Sweden. Its background is the murder of four nuns and a lay woman in Africa, but it results in a series of horrific murders back in Sweden.
I loved this book! I love crime/mystery/thrillers, I love this sort of thing, and the
I loved this book! I love crime/mystery/thrillers, I love this sort of thing, and the
Show More
setting in Sweden was exotic and different, so very exciting! The main character is very sympathetic, perhaps in some ways a stereotypical hard-working policeman who can't sustain a relationship, but it was different enough that I was able to forgive the author for this. Getting inside the head of the murderer in little snippets throughout the novel also left me feeling intrigued and wanting more. The final thrilling conclusion meant that I carried on reading to the end, way past when I should have gone to sleep, as I was a bit tired the next morning... Never mind, it was worth it! Show Less
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
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
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 -- definitely start with the first one in the series and read them in order.
Show More
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 -- definitely start with the first one in the series and read them in order.
Show Less
LibraryThing member fourbears
A series of horrendous murders takes place and the evidence increasingly points to a woman as the culprit. The detective, Kurt Wallander, is interesting and likable—divorced with a grown daughter, no life but a love interest in the background if he can set aside his work a bit. Lots of
Show More
speculation about how Sweden is going to the dogs. One character opines that it’s because no one darns socks any more—tip of the iceberg sort of thing—and then sits next to a woman on the plane who’s—you guessed it—darning a sock. Show Less
LibraryThing member idiotgirl
Audiobook. Learned of this writer because of the PBS series. Good series. Good book. I'll read more Wallender mysteries. I liked the mix of narrative strands. Occasional focalization on the murderer. Provides an interesting perspective on the investigation--when on track, when not. I was interested
Show More
at the focus on ensemble police work. Not always the case. Often a focus on individualism to the exclusion of others. This still has a 'hero' but the others get their time and help solve the crime. Also a meditation on life in Sweden. That was interesting to me because I don't know that much about Swedish politics--set in the 90s. Would definitely recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
The massacre of 5 women in remote Africa, including a Swedish tourist, triggers a serial killer in Sweden to begin working through a list of 43 targets. The first victim is a retired motor vehicle distributor, unmarried, and interested only in birdwatching and writing poetry about birds. He dies
Kurt Wallander has just returned from a "pilgrimage" to Rome with his father. It is a trip his father has long wanted to do, and Wallander marvels at how it seems to have brought them closer. But his father is 80. Is it too late?
The reader really participates in THE FIFTH WOMAN through two points of view. On the one hand we know who is behind the killings, but not why, because we are there when the killer is unleashed by the news of the death of the Swedish tourist. We are also sitting on Wallander's shoulder as he returns to work from his holiday and gradually falls back into his working routine. In the week he has been away, their new boss Lisa Holgerson has taken over the section, but apart from the suntan he acquired in Rome not much is different. Wallander of course does not know who is behind the killings, and for quite a long period does not realise there is more than one. The discovery of a shrunken African head in the safe of the retired Volvo salesman is a real distraction.
As I listened to this I was struck by the meticulous nature of the way Wallander works. He goes over the evidence again and again. He works with Anne Britt Hoogland to get a different perspective and they constantly sift what they already know, what the forensics will support, and apply theories based on the new knowledge they acquire. And yet at the same time he is intuitive, in a way that few others in his team are. They too are all methodical but they don't have the niggling thoughts and the flashes of intuition that Wallander has. And yet none of this would make sense if he didn't know his case so well.
As with other detectives, Wallander's personal life suffers. The collapse of his first marriage came as a surprise to him. His work is so engrossing that he just doesn't realise he is giving nothing to Mona and their daughter. He enjoys his trip to Rome with his father and means to follow it up with closer contact, but there just isn't time.
This is a terrific novel.
Show More
cruelly in the middle of the night when the bridge he has to cross to get to his bird watch tower collapses.Kurt Wallander has just returned from a "pilgrimage" to Rome with his father. It is a trip his father has long wanted to do, and Wallander marvels at how it seems to have brought them closer. But his father is 80. Is it too late?
The reader really participates in THE FIFTH WOMAN through two points of view. On the one hand we know who is behind the killings, but not why, because we are there when the killer is unleashed by the news of the death of the Swedish tourist. We are also sitting on Wallander's shoulder as he returns to work from his holiday and gradually falls back into his working routine. In the week he has been away, their new boss Lisa Holgerson has taken over the section, but apart from the suntan he acquired in Rome not much is different. Wallander of course does not know who is behind the killings, and for quite a long period does not realise there is more than one. The discovery of a shrunken African head in the safe of the retired Volvo salesman is a real distraction.
As I listened to this I was struck by the meticulous nature of the way Wallander works. He goes over the evidence again and again. He works with Anne Britt Hoogland to get a different perspective and they constantly sift what they already know, what the forensics will support, and apply theories based on the new knowledge they acquire. And yet at the same time he is intuitive, in a way that few others in his team are. They too are all methodical but they don't have the niggling thoughts and the flashes of intuition that Wallander has. And yet none of this would make sense if he didn't know his case so well.
As with other detectives, Wallander's personal life suffers. The collapse of his first marriage came as a surprise to him. His work is so engrossing that he just doesn't realise he is giving nothing to Mona and their daughter. He enjoys his trip to Rome with his father and means to follow it up with closer contact, but there just isn't time.
This is a terrific novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member laphroaig
A workmanlike thriller which takes time to gather pace. Faced with a growing list of particulourly callous murders, Inspector Wallander must understand if, and then how, his victims are connected and what story the murderer is trying to tell him.
Wallander is a likeable detective, doing his best to
The Fifth Woman starts too slowly to really be gripping. That the murderer is a woman is a point of considerable speculation: yet her gender and motivation is relayed at the beginning of the novel, so this feels like time wasted. However, once this is realised the murderer becomes, if anything, even more mysterious - how did she garner her list of victims, when will she stop, and how can she possible be caught? - and it is here that Mankell's matter-of-fact style allows the plot to start unwinding itself and become really gripping.
A good read and it has encouraged me to think of the rest of the Wallander series.
Wallander is a likeable detective, doing his best to
Show More
get to the bottom of gruesome crimes. Practical, sensible and quick to irritate, it is no surprise that the Wallander series is so popular.The Fifth Woman starts too slowly to really be gripping. That the murderer is a woman is a point of considerable speculation: yet her gender and motivation is relayed at the beginning of the novel, so this feels like time wasted. However, once this is realised the murderer becomes, if anything, even more mysterious - how did she garner her list of victims, when will she stop, and how can she possible be caught? - and it is here that Mankell's matter-of-fact style allows the plot to start unwinding itself and become really gripping.
A good read and it has encouraged me to think of the rest of the Wallander series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member annbury
Classic Mankell thriller, with Wallander faced with a series of baffling murders in Sweden, and one (mass murder) in North Africa. In this one, we get more of a feeling for Wallander's psychology than in some of the others, or perhaps our knowledge is simply expanding as the series progresses. In
Show More
any case, this is a profoundly satisfying police procedural, loaded with the atmosphere and characterization one has come to expect from Mankell. Show Less
LibraryThing member KatherineGregg
Another well written piece of crime fiction featuring detective Kurt Wallander. I think that this is my favorite one so far because the series of murders and the psychology behind the killer was interesting. Mankell does a good job developing his characters from book to book. The new female on the
Show More
police force, officer Ann-Britt Hoglund, adds some interest and female perspective to the police investigations. Her relationship with Wallander is good chemistry in a professional way. Can't wait to read the next one! Show Less
LibraryThing member TTAISI-Editor
One of Henning Mankell's best.
LibraryThing member chiara7
Set in Sweden each of his books covers an issue. He develops the plot and his characters are 'real'.
LibraryThing member Ragnell
This book was exquisite. Great plot, great villain, and a great depiction of a hero struggling with grief. I have to read all the others now.
LibraryThing member sianpr
Inspector Kurt Wallander returns from holiday in Rome with his father to a full-scale investigation of a gruesome series of murders. During the investigation his father dies and Wallander starts to ponder whether it's time to leave the police force and set up house with Baiba, his girlfriend, and a
Show More
dog. As the investigation proceeds it seems a woman may be the serial killer. Great read and one of the better Wallander novels to date. Show Less
LibraryThing member Miguelnunonave
Another deliciously dark Swedish mystery. Mankell has a simple yet compelling way of writing, even if the plot is not tremendous. The contrast between the Scandinavian coolness and the sheer horror (though without too much gore) of the murder never fails to impress. Still, I found "Hunde von Riga"
Show More
(I read both in German) better. Show Less
LibraryThing member devenish
Yet another winner in the the Inspector Wallinder series. A series of horrific murders occur throughout the book.It is a tale of revenge taken to the nth degree. Does Wallender discover the culprit ? Of course he does,but it takes rather a long time before he comes to a solution.
LibraryThing member rkreish
I've put off reading The Fifth Woman for some time because I watched the tv adaptation (Kenneth Branagh) a few years ago: I wanted to wait until I forgot enough of the plot to make the reading of the book suspenseful. Needless to say, I enjoyed the book more than the film, and the book had a
Wallander investigates a batch of seemingly unrelated, horribly violent murders in the fall when his father dies, and the crimes and his grief affect him deeply. The investigation is quite long and involved because the police do not have any viable theories of the case for a number of weeks, and that makes for a bit of a slow read in the middle of the story. The conclusion is very brisk, and I'm most impressed with the epilogue which basically involves Wallander reflecting on the crime and himself, which felt like a necessary part of the story because he felt so on edge during the investigation.
This series is one of my favorites, but I've decided to write just a few thoughts about it because it's one I've blogged about before.
Show More
subplot or two that I don't remember in the film, which added extra depth.Wallander investigates a batch of seemingly unrelated, horribly violent murders in the fall when his father dies, and the crimes and his grief affect him deeply. The investigation is quite long and involved because the police do not have any viable theories of the case for a number of weeks, and that makes for a bit of a slow read in the middle of the story. The conclusion is very brisk, and I'm most impressed with the epilogue which basically involves Wallander reflecting on the crime and himself, which felt like a necessary part of the story because he felt so on edge during the investigation.
This series is one of my favorites, but I've decided to write just a few thoughts about it because it's one I've blogged about before.
Show Less
LibraryThing member debs913
Police procedural fans will enjoy this book. Translated from Swedish, the tale follows Detective Kurt Wallander and his team as they pursue and unusual serial killer.
LibraryThing member mldavis2
This is the same high quality we have come to expect from Mankell. My only possible complaint is that the reader is given a bit more help than I felt was necessary. Nevertheless it is a good mystery and worth reading.
LibraryThing member UtopianPessimist
Kurt Wallender is the Swedish detective created by Henning Mankell. All Mankell's books are absorbing.
LibraryThing member JBD1
About on par with the other Wallander mysteries - held my interest well and made for a great summer read.
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Audiobook, #6 in the Wallender series is nearly 15 hours long. It seemed very slow for the first 12 hours, then it got interesting as the parts all fell together. Again, I complain about the American idioms, that the translator probably does not realize are in the speech. The characters are
Show More
extremely well developed; especially Wallender and his work mates. The plot is complex and leads to an exciting conclusion. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
Great ending but a little sloppy in the middle (not analyzing blood for its owner, not seeing who owns Golf's in Skane?). Wallendar ranged from an in control leader of a detective to a crying child in this book. Mankell provides a lot of good nuance for the character but I am not a fan of Kurt's
Show More
extremes. Enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member MsGumby
Another great Wallander, with lots of unexpected plot turns that I won't reveal. A great series that just keeps getting better as you see the characters grow and change. Wallander is compelling because he's so talented as a policeman, and so often clueless in his personal life; yet his attempts to
Show More
reach out to others are always poignant, even when he falls short of his aspirations. Show Less
LibraryThing member DrLed
Synopsis: 'In Africa, four nuns and an unidentified fifth woman are brutally murdered - the death of the nameless woman covered up by the local police. A year later in Sweden, Inspector Kurt Wallander is baffled when a retired car dealer is found impaled and the body of a missing florist is
Review: Although this was an interesting story, it moved slowly - partly because of the Swedish mindset. There seem to be pages of 'what the characters are thinking' that don't add to the story.
Show More
discovered strangled. With only a skull, a diary, and a photo of three men as clues, Wallander will need all of his strength to uncover the reason behind these deaths and their elusive connection to the unsolved murder of the fifth woman.'Review: Although this was an interesting story, it moved slowly - partly because of the Swedish mindset. There seem to be pages of 'what the characters are thinking' that don't add to the story.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Deutscher Krimi Preis (1999)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1996
Physical description
592 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
0099535297 / 9780099535294
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 839.7374 |