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|summary= ''Italian Shoes'' may well lack the technical brilliance of ''Depths'' but for me it's the best of Mankell's work. Difficult themes – aging ageing and death – are dealt with sensitively and back lit by the bleak settings of the Stockholm archipelago and northern Sweden. The writing is elegant and Laurie Thompson's translation as brilliant as ever. Add to this a thought-provoking and intriguing story and it really is difficult to ask for more. Highly recommended.

We have another anti-hero in Welin and whilst the book has the familiar themes of estrangement and isolation, the overt violence of ''Depths'' has gone, to be replaced by redemption and a glimmer of hope. It's another journey into the heart of a man and an examination of aging ageing and death – those which come suddenly and without warning and those which are long-heralded and perhaps greeted with relief. The book lacks a towering female character such as Sara Fredrika in ''Depths'', but Harriet and the other women who come into Welin's life are vital – despite the fact that one is terminally ill – and contribute greatly to the uplifting feeling that the book gave me. I finished the book with a feeling of hope that there was a better future ahead – which is rather unusual With Mankell's books.

''Italian Shoes'' may well lack the technical brilliance of ''Depths'' but for me it's the best of Mankell's work. Difficult themes – aging ageing and death – are dealt with sensitively and back lit by the bleak settings of the Stockholm archipelago and northern Sweden. The writing is elegant and Laurie Thompson's translation as brilliant as ever. Add to this a thought-provoking and intriguing story and it really is difficult to ask for more.