''The Dogs of Riga'' ( sv, Hundarna i Riga) is a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

detective

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

Henning Mankell Henning Georg Mankell (; 3February 19485October 2015) was a Swedish crime writer, children's author, and dramatist, best known for a series of mystery novels starring his most noted creation, Inspector Kurt Wallander. He also wrote a number ...

, set in Riga, the capital of Latvia. It is the second book of the

Kurt Wallander Kurt Wallander () is a fictional Swedish police inspector created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell (1948 – 2015). He is the protagonist of many thriller/mystery novels set in and around the town of Ystad, south-east of the city of M ...

series, and was translated into English by

Laurie Thompson Laurie Thompson (26 February 1938 – 8 June 2015) was a British academic and translator, noted for his translations of Swedish literature into English. Thompson was born in York, England, and lived in northern Sweden for a few years. He was t ...

. The book was a finalist for the

Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller The ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller, established in 2000, is a category of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Since 1980, the ''Los Angeles Times'' has awarded a set of annual book prizes. The Prizes currently have nine c ...

Plot

A lifeboat floats ashore at the coast of Skåne. Inside are two dead men who've been murdered. Policeman Kurt Wallander is assigned to the case. The men are identified with the help of the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

in Latvia. One of their officers, Detective Liepa, travels to Sweden to assist the investigation, but when he returns to his home country he is mysteriously murdered. Kurt flies to Riga to find out why and is drawn into complex conspiracy.

Adaptation

The novel was adapted into a theatrical film by Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Television in 1995. Wallander is played by

Rolf Lassgård Rolf Holger Lassgård (born 29 March 1955) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his many roles in crime dramas. Life and career Lassgård was born in Östersund, Jämtland. A keen amateur ice hockey player in his youth, he also joined theatre te ...

. The film was directed by Per Berglund and released in the United States as ''The Hounds of Riga''. The novel also serves as the basis for an episode in the third season of the British production of '' Wallander'' starring

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

as the title character, and guest starring Søren Malling, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, and

Anamaria Marinca Anamaria Marinca (born 1 April 1978) is a Romanian actress. She made her screen debut with the Channel 4 film ''Sex Traffic'', for which she won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. Marinca is also known for her performance in ...

References

External links

IMDB entry for The Dogs of Riga
- 1995 adaptation * - 2012 adaption {{DEFAULTSORT:Dogs of Riga, The 1992 Swedish novels Novels by Henning Mankell Wallander Novels set in Latvia Ordfront books