"Faceless Killers" by Henning Mankell

Novel, 1991

In many ways, this is as formulaic a detective book as you could hope for; what sets it aside is the gloomy unrelenting atmosphere and sense of things breaking, from anti-hero Wallander's appalling diet, to the sense of a terrifying new world of race and other savage crimes to the bleak weather. Even the coffee's cold most of the time. The odd happier incident ensures the book isn't an outright mire, but there's a distinct lack of celebration in this compelling read which is all too often quashed by humanity.