Ein Kurt-Wallander-Krimi, Folge 3: Hunde von Riga

Geschrieben von Henning Mankell

Erzählt von Ulrich Pleitgen

Kurt Wallander ist 44 Jahre alt und verliebt sich bei Ermittlungen in Riga in Baiba.&Es war der 12. Februar 1991. Hauptkommissar Kurt Wallander saß in seinem Büro im Polizeipräsidium von Ystad und gähnte&Ein grausamer Mordfall führt Wallander nach Riga, in ein Land im Umbruch. Dort kommt er einem teuflischen Komplott auf die Spur und lernt Baiba Liepa kennen, seit langem die erste Frau, für die er eine tiefe Liebe empfindet.

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Hörbuch Hamburg Audio
• Erscheinungsdatum: 21. März 2014
• ISBN: 9783844902266

Rezensionen für Ein Kurt-Wallander-Krimi, Folge 3

[ashergabbay · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

This is my second Henning Mankell book, after "Faceless Killers", and I didn't like it as much."The Dogs of Riga" is the second Inspector Wallander crime thriller. This time the Swedish detective tries to solve the mystery of the two bodies of young, well-dressed Eastern Europeans found accidentally on a drifting lifeboat.The investigation leads to Latvia. A colleague from Latvian police comes to Sweden to help, and upon his return to Riga is murdered. It is now Wallander's turn to travel, to Riga, to try to find out what happened. He is sucked into the underground revolutionary struggle (the story takes place shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union) and his quest stretches well beyond the initial scope. He meets, and kind of falls in love, with his Latvian colleague's widow, who tells him her husband was murdered by the forces that be, due to his uncovering of corruption.The story line is much too broad and it seems Henning tried to reach too far. At times the things Wallander does or thinks (for he does a lot of thinking in this book) seem somewhat unreal and out of place for a Swedish police officer. The book ends somewhat predictably, which is always a bad sign for a crime thriller.Wallander also drinks much less coffee than he does in the first novel. Perhaps a bit more caffeine would have focused Henning better when writing this novel.

[jbreedlove_6 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

A very good read and better than his Faceless Killers, He writes well wih only occassional lapses or droaning on. Good full characters and twist at the end. Also a good description of te Baltics in the arly 1990's.

[cherylefisher · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I HAVE READ QUITE A FEW BOOKS TRANSLATED FROM SCANDANAVIAN AUTHORS. MANKELL IS ONE OF THE BEST.

[rainpebble_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell; (5*)This story is a dark & suspenseful mystery, like all of the other Wallander police procedurals. I have read 5 of them thus far & this remains my favorite of them all. I loved & creeped out to this novel.The Dogs of Riga is not your run of the mill crime drama. This story takes in international crime & criminals involved in dangerous & deadly pursuits in which Inspector Kurt Wallander finds himself literally locked in the very mmidst. Though the story and related characters are very interesting, it seemed another, creative way to delve further into understanding Wallander himself. This is the second of the Wallander series & for me the basic combination of a meticulous, thorough, creative, & highly organized criminal investigator who is also an awkward, insecure, and sensitive man is what I find most compelling and what stays on my mind after finishing each of these novels.This one I found to be the best of the lot, so far but the entire series has enveloped me.

[jbd1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

About on par with the first in the series. A good, fast, atmospheric mystery.

[chrisconway_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This is my first Henning Mankell novel. The novel is a cross between mystery and international spy thriller. On the printed page, Detective Kurt Wallander is much more appealing to me than in Kenneth Branagh's TV version. He's much warmer. The writing is sharp, there are many memorable passages. I want to read more Wallander novels.

[thornton37814 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Two bodies have washed ashore the Swedish shore in a lifeboat. They realize that the murder did not take place in Sweden and are happy to hand off the investigation to the Latvian police when it is discovered the men were Latvian criminals. When the Latvian officer is murdered shortly after returning to his country, Kurt Wallander is sent to Latvia to help investigate. He's drawn into an investigation where he quickly realizes that one of the officers with whom he is working is corrupt -- but which one is it? Wallander cannot trust anyone and does not speak the language. This was my first Kurt Wallander mystery. He's a likeable detective, but he's definitely flawed, mainly because of his lack of experience. I'm definitely interested in reading the earlier installment of the series and future installments to see how his investigative skills strengthen as he gains more experience.

[sumariotter · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I am really liking this series. Endearing detective, enjoyable writing style somehow old-fashioned...I wish Wallender would give his poor detective a little happiness. I enjoy the social and political commentary in these mysteries, and in this one, learning something about the Baltic states. I'm looking forward to reading all of his mysteries.

[ctpress_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

This is the second of the Wallander-novels - and my first Wallander, so I can't compare it to the others in the series - but I really enjoyed this detective. At least in [The Dogs of Riga] Wallander is surprisingly vulnerable - with chest pains and bowel problems - a distaste for police work and a misanthropic nature. And the case he's thrown into gets him quickly out of his comfort zone - a trip to Riga where he's powerless most of the time and has to rely on his instinct rather than facts. It's not even the case that drives him at last but a vague love for a women he hardly knows. And when hailed as a sharp detective he brushes it of because he feels like a complete failure.I like the mood of despair and disillusionment that pervades the novel. The case itself adds to the feeling of uncertainty and a life filled with grey areas - police corruption and political instability where one does not know whom the enemy is. I want to spend more time with Wallander. No doubt about it.

[victortrevor · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

More of a thriller than a crime novel, and a rather unlikely plot, to boot.

[saroz_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

"The second mystery in the Kurt Wallander series improves upon the first in almost every way. This time, the mystery - or rather, the *true* mystery, after the initial scenario proves something of a red herring - is actually tense and fairly gripping. Never mind that the narrative device which sends Wallander to Latvia doesn't really hold up to scrutiny; the entire exercise of the novel is to show the central character, already familiar to us from the first book, as a fish out of water in both a location and judicial system he finds completely foreign.And as such, the novel works great. Wallander is a paunchy, depressive, overwhelmed man stuck (to all intents and purposes) in an Eastern European thriller film, complete with political intrigue and a widowed damsel in distress. The hoops he has to jump through to get to the bottom of it all form the real excitement of the story. The climax, when it comes, feels a little bit pat, and it's never entirely explained *why* Wallander falls in love with the Latvian widow to begin with (unless he's simply desperate), but it's still a large step up from the slow-slow-quick-quick pacing we saw in ""Faceless Killers."" I'm certainly looking forward to starting the third installment in the series very soon. "

[katherinegregg · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I enjoyed reading this second book in the Kurt Wallander series. The book is set in Sweden and Latvia during 1991 when the fate of the Baltic countries was still unknown. The Latvia Mankell writes about is corrupt and struggling between the old guard and new independence from Russia. The story line is interesting and fast paced. I really like how the author brings to life the physical attributes of the location. His settings tend to be dark and cold.

[finxy · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I was looking forward to reading this one because it hadn't been adapted for Kenneth Brannagh's Wallander TV series, which I've been a fan of. I suppose I should have wondered instead why they'd skipped it. This one starts off ok, with an intriguing mystery of suited men, dead of gunshot wounds, adrift in a dinghy. There's some interesting hangovers from Faceless Killers, not least Wallander's former confidant, the deceased detective Rydberg haunting his decision making. Mankell tries to establish two of the underused characters from the first book, Martinsson and Svedberg, and Wallander is having more health problems but before we can relax into the investigation he introduces a twist and Wallander ends up going solo for some extended cloak and daggering in Riga, Latvia. It's very much a book nailed into 1991, in that transitional period between the Baltic state's break with Russia and eventual adoption into the EU. Descriptively there's hardly anything beyond generic urban areas with brief statements of being in the countryside. Wallander voices Mankell's philosophical musings about national identity interspersed with dollops of canine symbolism. Let's face it Wallander isn't James Bond. In fact he's probably more in line with Michael Crawford's Condorman. I look forward to reading the next book in the series which hopefully will have Wallander, shouting at his subordinates, stuffing down cold pizza and struggling with his personal life in Sweden - where he belongs.

[gypsysmom_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I watched the Wallander TV series last winter and this book was the subject of one of the programs. Of course I didn't remember how it worked out so the ending was as much as a surprise as it would normally be. I do remember that I was somewhat confused by the time Wallander spent in Latvia when I watched the video. The book makes that much clearer. One of the reasons why the book is always better than the film.It is late fall 1991. An inflatable life raft washes up on the shore near Ystad where Kurt Wallander is a detective. In it are two bodies and it doesn't take too long to ascertain they were murdered. When Interpol is contacted they soon identify the two men as being Latvian. A Latvian police officer, Major Liepa, comes over to Sweden to help with the investigation. Since it is obvious that any crimes involved occurred outside of Sweden Liepa soon takes over the investigation and returns to Latvia. Just after his return Liepa is murdered and Wallander is asked to come to Riga to help with the investigation. What he discovers while he is there is that Latvia is still a country under the control of Moscow. Wallander is convinced that Liepa was killed because he was investigating the ties between organized crime and the powers that be, including people in the police. One, or possibly both, of Liepa's superiors is involved but Wallander can't decide which. He believes Liepa would have kept a file about his investigation but even Liepa's wife doesn't know where it could be. It takes a surreptitious return to Riga plus nights and days on the run for Wallander to meet up again with Liepa's wife.Wallander is the polar opposite of an American police detective. He carries no weapon, he continnually has doubts about his detecting, his aged father harangues him about his decision to enter the police force and he suffers from a multitude of physical problems including a boil on his butt. And you can't help but love him because he is so very human.It was a little strange to read a book set in 1991 and realize how the world has changed. The Baltic countries are now tourist destinations but in 1991 they were grey, depressed and depressing. On the other hand, I read this at the time that Russia invaded the Crimea so anything is possible.

[drfp_1 · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Very much a product of its times and not nearly as good as the first Wallender novel (which was itself only "good").After the rather down-to-earth "Faceless Killers" Mankell decides to throw Wallender into post Cold War conspiracies and all manner of international high jinks. Suffice to say I thought all this totally unrealistic and something very out of character for the rather stoic Wallender.So unbelievable that I couldn't enjoy it. I hope Wallender gets involved in something more low key next time around.

[sarah1e · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I really enjoyed this. My entire Wallander exposure to this point has been through Kenneth Branagh, so the book presented the case differently and brought a new Swedish mystery experience for me. Wallander is so complex, and I appreciate that this book offered more in terms of character development than I expected. Characterization and atmosphere overshadow the mystery itself, but Wallander's dedication to solving the crime was moving.

[annbury_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

The second in the Wallander series, and one of the best. This one, set in 1991, takes Wallander to Riga in Latvia, just as the Soviet Union is collapsing. It is a depressing and dysfunctional mileau; Wallander can't rely on the police being "the good guys", and has to cooperate with political dissidents. He also finds himself attracted to one of the Latvian underground. A terrific mystery, and a very solid novel.

[jimrbrown · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I have previously read Faceless Killers and enjoyed it immensely. I also enjoyed the TV series, both the English one with Kenneth Branagh, and the Swedish version. This second book in the Wallander series is not a traditional detective story as Wallander gets caught up in the 1991 Latvian revolution and corruption in high places. It left me a bit cold and I'm afraid bored at times in the second half of the book. I will continue to read Mankell's books but for me he has slipped below fellow Scandinavian/Nordic writers Nesser and Indridason with this book.

[vancouverdeb · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book in the Kurt Wallender series by Henning Mankell.While I enjoyed the first novel, Faceless Murder, I found that The Dogs of Riga was even more engaging. Henning Mankell does an excellent job of setting up a dark and dreary feeling to the story. As Wallender must travel to Latvia in this particular book, the atmosphere was especially chilling. I found this book to have even more of a political slant to it than Mankell's first book. In took on more of the tone of a political thriller. I could not turn the pages fast enough, and look forward to the next in the series. This is a well written book that will engage the reader looking for something beyond the usual .

[stuart10er_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Good strong writing - however, a little dated at this point as it was originally written in 1991 at the fall of the USSR and set in the almost post-Soviet Latvia. At that time, so little was known about these Baltic countries - but now they don't seem quite so mysterious. However, still very strong book. A lifeboat with two dead bodies washes ashore in Sweden and it ultimately linked back to Latvia. Wallander is invited to Riga to help investiage multiple murders and is wrapped up in violence and political mayhem.

[devenish_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

For me this is the best so far of the Wallander series,not least because it involves not only Sweden but Latvia too. The vulnerable and fragile Wallander becomes embroiled in a case which is much more complicated and indeed dangerous that at first envisaged.Much of the story takes place in Latvia and our detective makes several bad mistakes before the end.He also becomes involved with a Latvian woman who is mentioned in some of the other books of the series.

[mldavis2 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Second in the Wallander series, this one is interesting. I found the ending a bit contrived, but what isn't in crime fiction that requires a few red herrings? There is tension, suspense and a bit of analysis. The writing is good but perhaps suffers a bit from translation from Swedish in being a bit simple at times. But it's a good read and a bit different from some of the more typical efforts.

[msgumby · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Another great Wallander mystery. This one takes place partly in Latvia, a country I know nothing about, so that was particularly interesting. This series is completely addicting!

[bami210 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

It was just okay and I didn't care for the abrupt ending. However, it is a series and I'm going to try another to see if it's better.

[billpilgrim_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This is detective story featuring a Kurt Wallender. First of the Wallenderthat I have read, although I have greatly enjoyed the BBC movies based on the books that I have seen on DVD. I saw the movie based on this book, but that did not diminish my enjoyment of the book.

[hanneri_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Many of the themes of The Dogs of Riga are applicable to most countries going through social transition; there are dogs in every instance. Dogs as recurrent symbols in the book are emblematic of the collective, blind forces of those in power who sick their shadowy minions on every freedom leaning individual in society. In Dogs of Riga this metaphor would apply to the corrupt state police as well as the transglobal drug lords who are in cahoots with them. There are two sets of dogs but a third is possibly alluded to as well; the population has itself taken on a instinctual response due to its hunger and abuse. Kurt Wallander becomes embroiled in international politics after an apparent accidental discovery of a life raft with two dead men, lying curled and frozen dressed post-mortumly in suits. Uncovering the likely source of the raft the Baltic state of Latvia (Capitial: Riga) brings about Wallander's collaboration with the Riga police Inspector Liepa. Liepa's style of investigation while vastly different from that of Western forces nevertheless has integrity, even an unexpected spiritual depth. In an unanticipated turn of events Wallander finds himself involved in an ever expansive investigation that threatens his own self-understanding and his very life. He takes on the pseudo role of a unwitting, "not up to speed" revolutionary – a seeker after truth and transparency in a clandestine environment. The book was an inspiring read, full of humaneness with enough complexity to keep the pages turning fast and furious. It forces the reader to consider the lot of those less free than themselves and reveals the true complexity of our "world of fear and widows", as Wallander describes it.

[h_d_3 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I really really really really really dislike detective novels or thrillers and whatnot. Or maybe I just dislike the idea, because it occurs to me I read quite a few Montalbanos...

Anyway! I'm not sure how I ended up watching Wallander, but I did (it probably had something to do with Kenneth Branagh, whose work I enjoy a great deal). I was hooked immediately. Those wide shots of fields and bleak landscape, the colours ranging from bright to bleached were enough to keep watching, but then there's Kurt Wallander too, a train wreck of a character. He's smart, sympathetic, a good cop, a good man and rather messed up because of all these attributes. I'd never seen a TV cop walking around with so much angst before; it was riveting.

I really had to pick up the source material and see how much of it was script, direction and acting choices and how much of it was canon. Both are different, but not a great deal. Wallander's opera-loving side is something more confined to the books, which is understandable since opera and detective are equal to Morse on British telly. The books (of which I've read only two as yet), are somewhat grittier, not afraid to show Wallander in a less than heroic light.

What I'm attracted to in both TV and book Wallander is that he's an infinitely likable character. He's a good policeman, but mostly a good person, both reflective and contemplative, qualities that take him beyond the line of duty and result in his bad health and relations.

The Dogs of Riga was only a slog of a read when it was about the crime, something I always find the least interesting in these kinds of books, but where the attention turns to the turning of Wallander's cogs and wheels, it's always gripping and fascinating. Having said that, big freaking kudos to Mankell because this doesn't feel like some little pulp mystery. Changing politics in Europe are the backdrop of this novel's crime and they turn out to be a much more frightening villain than you might expect.

It has to be said, very expertly written.

[sherri68-1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

The second book in the Wallander series. Somewhat of a mystery, more of a crime thriller. I have mixed feelings about Kurt Wallander, but he seems to be growing on me....

[pidgeon92_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Better than the first, but the storyline didn't really grab me.

[rodrichards_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I liked this even better than the first Wallander mystery (Faceless Killers). Mankell combines world politics, existential meanderings, family dysfunction, evocative descriptions, and ill-fated romance into a gripping mystery and a solid novel...I'll read more.