The Fifth Woman was hailed by the Baltimore Sun as "a police procedural worthy of comparison with Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö’s memorable Martin Beck series [that] achieves a deeply satisfying density of plot and characterization." In a starred review, Library Journal praised The Fifth Woman’s "intricate plotting, chilling psychological divination, and thrilling police procedural...all seamlessly translated." A disturbing tale of a serial killer out for revenge, the story begins with four nuns and an unidentified fifth woman found with their throats slit in a convent in Africa. In Sweden, a birdwatcher is skewered to death after falling into a pit of carefully sharpened bamboo poles. Wallander must figure out the connection between the victims that will identify the killer and put a stop to the gruesome body count. The Fifth Woman further ensures Wallander’s place among modern mystery’s unforgettable detectives, "solidly in the tradition of tough, brilliant, but oh so vulnerable coppers" (Kirkus Reviews).