I had never heard of Henning Mankel when I was given a book of his, whilst in France. I had just started a 9 month trip and I had not bought any novels with me. Considering the free time I had, and the fact that I was travelling in countries where finding books in English meant visiting cities, I was pretty silly.

However, I started to read Before the Frost. It took me a while to get into it, as I hadn't read any fiction for some time. But after just a chapter or two I was hooked.

Mankel writes in Swedish, his native language, and I was intrigued that the book had been translated. I guess my fascination came mainly form the fact that I was travelling in foreign lands, where I spoke little of the native language.

The story also moves between several countries, those around Sweden, including Denmark. My geography is good, but not that good. Included in the front of the novel is a hand drawn map, which proved a great resource whilst reading the story.

The story revolves around a police inspector, and his daughter who is about to join the force. They uncover the activities of several people.

It's a good book, recommended!