Henning Mankell's One Step Behind - A Kurt Wallander Mystery

Henning Mankell's One Step Behind follows Detective Kurt Wallander as he attempts to discover the murderer behind the death of three twenty-somethings on Midsummer's Eve. Simultaneously, his colleague Svedberg is murdered. The back of the book/Amazon describes the plot:

"On Midsummer’s Eve, three role-playing teens dressed in eighteenth-century garb are shot in a secluded Swedish meadow. When one of Inspector Kurt Wallander’s most trusted colleagues–someone whose help he hoped to rely on to solve the crime–also turns up dead, Wallander knows the murders are related. But with his only clue a picture of a woman no one in Sweden seems to know, he can’t begin to imagine how. Reeling from his own father’s death and facing his own deteriorating health, Wallander tracks the lethal progress of the killer. Locked in a desperate effort to catch him before he strikes again, Wallander always seems to be just one step behind."

The Wallander series came highly recommended and, in choosing which mystery to focus in on, I chose this one because the plot seemed to hinge on "Midsummer's Eve," a Scandinavian holiday that seems like a great time and another excuse to enjoy company and lots of food (so we should definitely start celebrating it in the U.S. as well). Plus, Midsummer's Eve is the longest day of the year, and I am incredibly excited to experience White Nights (nights when the sun sets only for an hour or two) when I am in Scandinavia.

So, knowing nothing else about the Wallander series, I dove into this book. The prologue (when the first murders occur) is suspenseful and a perfect hook for a mystery. Then the novel's proper chapters began, focusing on Kurt Wallander's life and his inability to stay awake, which I found a bit more, well, nap-inducing.

But, in terms of content, what struck me at first was Wallander's concern with organized crime in Scandinavia, and the griphold it seems to have on Sweden in particular. I know this is a concern in the Millennium Series as well (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc.), so it had me wondering how much of that concern is legitimate and how much of it is created as a plot device? Also, is that concern reflected among American detectives?

The first sign that this novel is not necessarily one that would reach the high school population is the text's focus on the idea that you could spend years and years working with your colleagues and never fully know them or allow them to know you. In a school like MFS, it might be difficult for students to wrap their minds around a world where everybody didn't constantly know everyone else's business. But then again, there could be a real point of connection for students who do feel disconnected.

Still, by the end of the mystery, it became abundantly clear that I would not end up teaching One Step Behind at MFS, and here's why....

***SPOILER ALERT***

It turns out that Wallander's colleague Svedberg (who is murdered just after the murder of the kids in the woods on Midsummer's Eve) was secretly in love with Wallander. He never admitted his feelings and, instead, dated a trans woman in order to fill that void in his life (remember, no one talks about their personal lives at the office, so no one had any idea that Svedberg was gay until one of the friends of the kids who were murdered points it out like it's obvious - yikes). The trans woman, Louise, is a substitute mailman, named Ake, by day and uses the mail in order to plan out murders (which is how she knew the location of the super secret Midsummer's Eve party). She is incredibly angry and bitter about the fact that Svedberg was ashamed to introduce her to any of his colleagues and "refuses to see her," which builds up a lot of animosity. Ultimately, Louise ends up in Wallander's house and is moments away from killing Wallander's daughter, when Wallander figures it all out, runs home, and saves the day.

The plot is juicy, to be sure, and filled with jaw-dropping moments. BUT this idea that queer people, when closeted, can become serial killers and turn their frustrations into violence is not one that sits well with me. Louise's motivation was tragic (and tragically misled), and perhaps could open a door to productive discussion, but I'm afraid that the representation of this trans woman is not what the world needs right now and is certainly not a healthy first exposure (as this character inevitably would be for many of my students) to trans people in literature.

On to the next mystery... Borkmann's Point by Hakan Nesser!

#Mankell #Sweden #Wallander