The Basel Killings – Hansjörg Schneider
A detective in late middle age, doesn’t follow the rules and struggles in his personal life. It’s almost a trope now, and yet Inspector Hunkeler drew me in as a character. There are strong parallels with the late Henning Mankell’s Wallander. While Schneider is 10 years older than Mankell would be, they feel like peers and started their respective detective series within a year of each other in the 90s.
Mankell is probably my favourite writer, though Le Carré is a strong competitor, so I had a bit of trepidation starting this series given the comparisons to Wallander in reviews. There are similarities – addressing social justice issues and the hypocrisy of elites. But those issues are hinted at rather than fully exposed with the white heat of fury that Mankell does. The Swiss setting for Schneider’s writings is a different twist too, and enjoyable for me as I know Switzerland enough to connect most of the references.
Unfortunately the English translations do not start at the beginning of the series so we may be missing some context in Hunkeler’s life and career. Still I was quickly drawn in and enjoyed the book, despite the ending being a little rushed. Not Wallander levels of mastery, but good and I’ve ordered the other translations from the library.
Silver Pebbles – Hansjörg Schneider
The ‘next’ translation in the Inspector Hunkeler series but, according to Wikipedia the first to be originally published. As with the others, quite a short book, which isn’t a problem but means there can’t be the depth otherwise possible. In some ways the plot’s conclusion was a little trite, yet admired how Schneider portrayed the ‘everyday worker’ characters who get caught in his diamond smuggling plot. An enjoyable diversion.
The Murder of Anton Livius – Hansjörg Schneider
Basel, lying right at the border with Switzerland, Germany and the Alsace region of France, has complicated memories of the Second World War. In this novel Schneider pokes at who did what for which side back then, and how many would prefer not to remember. It’s the most satisfying of the three Hunkeler novels translated so far but that may be in part because by know the “Hunkeler-verse” has been filled out a bit more. Given they are all shorter reads worth getting them all in one go.
Jason Kitcat 