Faceless Killers is a crime novel by Swedish author Henning Mankell. It was first published in 1991 and is the first book in the popular Kurt Wallander series. The novel introduces readers to Kurt Wallander, a detective with the Ystad Police Department in southern Sweden.

The story begins with the brutal murder of an elderly couple, Johannes and Maria Lövgren, who are found savagely beaten in their farmhouse. The killer has left no clues and the motive for the crime is unclear. Wallander is called in to lead the investigation and soon finds himself struggling to make progress in a case that seems to be going nowhere.

As the investigation progresses, Wallander discovers that the Lövgrens had been threatened with violence by a group of immigrants in the weeks leading up to their deaths. This leads him to suspect that the killers may be part of Sweden’s growing anti-immigrant movement.

With the help of his colleagues and some clever detective work, Wallander begins to piece together the clues and eventually identifies the killer. However, the case takes a toll on Wallander, both professionally and personally, as he struggles to come to terms with the brutality of the crime and the harsh realities of life in modern Sweden.

Faceless Killers is a gripping crime novel that explores issues of race, immigration, and the changing social landscape of Sweden in the early 1990s. Mankell’s writing is atmospheric and evocative, and his characterizations of Wallander and the other members of the police force are nuanced and realistic.

This is one of my favorite mystery novels of all time and I highly recommend it. You can get a copy from Amazon here.