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Sleuthing Detective Novels

Nancy Brown
Children’s Programming

I have stumbled into the genre of European police procedural mysteries. It is a dark, complex and interesting land. Here dwell some gruff yet compassionate detectives, whose personal lives are a wreck due to their all-encompassing work.

My path to these books was the library’s DVD collection of “Rebus.” These programs, starring John Hannah, dramatize three “Rebus” novels by Ian Rankin. Detective Inspector Rebus lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Some of the book titles include: “Black and Blue,” “Resurrection Men,” and “Fleshmarket Alley.”

Rebus’ work takes him to all aspects of society, from the lands of the gentry to the alleys of the sleazy part of town. Often in trouble with superiors for sidestepping the “rules and regs,” Rebus is still the one called to the scene of a challenging crime. He works from long years of experience and from his uncanny instincts about human behavior. The obligatory sidekick, Siobhan, is female. Occasionally, attractions rise to the surface between them, but they remain working friends.

Another European detective is Kurt Wallender. This Swedish character is somewhat gloomy and offbeat like Rebus, but more thoughtful and philosophical. Henning Mankell, the author, sometimes weaves contemporary social issues into the series. “Faceless Killers” deals with the resentment of some Swedes about immigrants from other parts of the world, and also with the murder of a rural elderly couple.

Other Kurt Wallender titles include “The Man Who Smiled” and “Sidetracked.” We have two Wallender books in Spanish: “La Leona Blanca” and “Pisando los Talones.” Mankell also has a young adult novel called, “ Secrets in the Fire ,” about a child’s injuries from a land mine in Mozambique.

Hickory Public Library resources can be found at www.hickorygov.com/library/ or at our two locations: Patrick Beaver Memorial Library, 375 3rd Street NE and Ridgeview Branch Library, 706 1st Street SW.