Z-Machine Matter

I was first introduced to Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander series of novels when I worked for MySQL and was traveling frequently to Sweden on business.  I was looking for an author that would give me a better understanding of the Scandinavian psyche.  I'm not sure that Henning Mankell's outlook on Swedish society is completely accurate, but his books are brilliant nonetheless.

There are a dozen books in the series.  Each book centers around a fairly brutal crime or series of crimes and the mid-40's out-of-shape Kurt Wallander who investigates the case.  I have read about half of the series so far, with a couple of more titles sitting in my closet waiting until my next trip to Europe.  Each one has been a tense, dark and intriguing book.  That said, you might not want to read all of them back to back, lest you end up as depressed as the main character.

There's also Swedish television and film versions of these books and a recent BBC series starring Kenneth Brannagh. 

• Amazon: Henning Mankell, The Dogs of Riga, The Man Who Smiled, One Step Behind, The White Lioness