The Dogs of Riga: Kurt Wallander [Kindle Edition]

In The Dogs of Riga, Mankell sets out to explore the explosive political situation of the former Soviet Republic Latvia in the beginning 1990s.
Still, the political scales are in full swerve and political power has to be distributed among Communist hardliners versus advocates of Latvian independence from Moscow.

Inspector Wallander comes into the play investigating a seemingly unimportant murder of two Baltic citizens who have drifted towards the Swedish coast in a boat. He is helped by the Riga Police Major Karlis Liepa, a chain smoker whom Wallander comes to like.

Soon after Liepas short visit to Ystad has come to an end, Wallander is informed about the murder of his colleague in Riga. Liepa's wife, unknown to Wallander, implores him to cast light on the case.

Wallander travels to Riga and is soon drawn into the both diffuse as well as confusing political situation of Latvia. It is getting ever clearer that Liepas death is linked to the fact that he did not wish to cover up corruption of the Latvia police corps and thus had to be sacrificed.

Wallander's task is supremely aggravated by the fact that his knight moves have to be executed in darkness for the official police hierarchy must not know of his plans. Wallander, again, commits dreadful errors which on several occasions nearly kill him off; but there is something to stay alive for...the energetic widow of Major Liepa, Baiba by name.

Again, as in the case of The White Lioness, Mankell focuses societal actors and the social and political situation of a newly liberated country which has to find political peace.

To my mind, a good piece of work, carefully researched!

This 1991 thriller is situated in Ystad, Sweden and Riga, Latvia just before the end of the SU. This 2nd of 10 police procedurals about chief inspector Kurt Wallander (KW) finds the hero in poor shape: only 43 and overweight, left by his wife, mourning for his dead mentor. Has little contact with his daughter who studies in Stockholm, plays cards with his quirky father once a week. Sleeps badly, is prone to stress, thinks he has heart trouble and about leaving the force (he applies for a security job in a factory).
Then one day, a rubber boat with 2 dead men lands on a beach near Ystad and a classical police procedural begins. This is the most satisfying part of the book. They turn out to be criminals from Latvia, executed and left to be discovered as a warning to others. The breakthrough and much additional background comes from a Latvian police major sent to Sweden to identify the bodies and help repatriate their remains. KW hopes he will take the murder case with him as well... But he likes the Latvian, whose English is even poorer than his own. One night, while killing a bottle of J&B, KW learns about the links between drug dealing mafia-type gangs, the political elite and the KGB. And what it means for Latvia, which yearns for independence.
Alas. Two events scupper KW's hope. First, the rubber boat disappears from the basement of the police station. No breakage, keys were used. Earlier, details of the murder investigation were leaked to the media: the Ystad police force has a mole... Next, he learns his Latvian police friend was beaten to death on the day he arrived home. Now the police in Riga requests KW's presence to help them investigate his murder. Its investigation disgusts KW because of its sloppiness. After lots of intrigue, KW and his dead friend's superiors part company, leaving KW with a feeling of failure and a yearning to help the widow of his dead friend. KW is in love with her...
In Sjöwall & Wahlöö's second book about Martin Beck, the hero was sent to Budapest. In this second book about KW, his creator sent him behind the Iron Curtain too. Coincidence? Both heroes come across as helpless. But KW returns to Latvia in a clandestine manner, aided by the Latvian diaspora. During his infiltration many good and bad people are killed.
The book has several issues: too much introspection, too long and slow moving, and too many loose ends. The killers of the two men in a rubber boat are not found. Neither are the mole or spy inside KW's police station. Etcetera. And did he get the factory job? Stupid question!

Years ago, I listened to the earbook. Dogs of Riga at that time forced my decission to travel once to Riga. So did I last week. Besides; i bought this edition of the story to memorize story's details.
To my opinion, this Mankell story is his most multifaceted one. To some extend, he seems to be inspired by cold war- la Carré crime. Maybe it is a bit stereotype, going to Riga and reading this book. But it might tell you more of historical mental heritage in Riga and Latvia than traveler's guides.
Still to mention: the translation should be revised into an english that is no noticeable as translated english.
But don't hesitate: go to Riga. Read this book.