It was a crime of senseless assault. On a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse, an elderly farmer was bludgeoned to death, his wife remaining to die with a noose around her throat. As if this didn’t present enough problems for Ystad law enforcement inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman’s last phrase, his just tangible clue, was “international.” If publicized, it could be the match that could inflame Sweden’s already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments.

In this case, unlike the problem with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the young prosecutor that has piqued his curiosity, Wallander discovers a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the currently tense situation explodes-though it should take most of his skill to take action.