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Before the Frost: A Kurt and Linda Wallander Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 3,753 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In this latest atmospheric thriller, Kurt Wallander and his daughter, Linda, join forces to search for a religious fanatic on a murder spree.
Just graduated from the police academy, Linda Wallander returns to Skåne to join the police force, and she already shows all the hallmarks of her father—the maverick approach, the flaring temper. Before she even starts work she becomes embroiled in the case of her childhood friend, Anna, who has inexplicably disappeared. As the case that her father is working on dovetails with her own, something far more dangerous than either could have imagined begins to emerge. They soon find themselves forced to confront a group of extremists bent on punishing the world’s sinners.
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"I do love a Henning Mankell novel, and this one lived up to expectations. The first of the novels featuring Linda Wallander as lead character, she is about to start on her new career as a policewoman and finds herself involved in a case that almost puts paid to her plans. It was a great novel, and although I've seen this adapted for tv, it was long enough ago for me to have forgotten most of the plot. As a friend of mine has written in her review, you do have to suspend belief somewhat as one of the characters has survived the Jamestown mass suicide, but as I wasn't around when that happened, by belief was merrily suspended :)"
— Rachel (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“An arresting story by an arresting writer…[Mankell] understands and probes the underside of everyday living in an elegant and artful way…He is able to look loneliness square in the eye. The result is writing that walks a line between ephemeral and everlasting.”
— Washington Post -
“Few of this genre’s writers—few of any genre’s writers—have been able to balance the ordinary and the grotesque with such literary dash and page-turning brio…Mankell’s atmospherics…give you metaphysical goose bumps.”
— Boston Herald -
“Powerful…Thoroughly engaging…Amazingly human characters…It’s a testament to Mankell’s skill with plot that the story gets more and more urgent as he transforms a series of small mysteries into a much larger thriller…Mankell [is] a master storyteller.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“I salivate with anticipation at the prospect of more from the pen of Mankell, for he is one of the finest of his genre—a Scandinavian Ian Rankin with a passion for exploring the dark side of human nature…Mankell builds the tension with care and, as ever, his characters are cleverly rounded…A masterpiece of atmospheric creation.”
— Glasgow Herald -
“Cassandra Campbell’s performance is an excellent fit for Swedish mystery master Henning Mankell’s brooding, complex characters. Through subtle vocal shifts, Campbell captures the love and antagonism between father and daughter, the confusion of affections and jealousies between friends, the grim Swedish landscape, and the depressive personalities inhabiting Mankell’s world.”
— AudioFile -
“Cassandra Campbell…renders the non-stop action and the angst of father and daughter believable.”
— SoundCommentary.com
Before the Frost Listener Reviews
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" Not as bad as Man from Beijing. Not as good as Pyramid or Faceless. Between a 2-3 for me.... "
— T., 2/16/2014 -
" I don't read many crime novels. But I read anything by Mankell for he is amazing and transcends the genre. "
— Lars, 2/10/2014 -
" Love those gloomy Swedes! "
— Kathy, 2/9/2014 -
" Another Swedish author series. "
— Jeanne, 1/24/2014 -
" The best thing about Before the Frost by Henning Mankell is the way in which he describes the relationship between Detective Kurt Wallander and his daughter, the eager police rookie, Linda. The plot however drags on a bit and the musings and thoughts of the antagonist become dreary and too detailed near the end. "
— Edda, 1/18/2014 -
" A first fully involving his Kurt Wallender daughter Linda. Another difficult to put down, although I'll admit that I listened to this one rather than read, I keep finding chores to do so I could keep on listening, good thing there's lot of leaves to rake. "
— Cherie, 1/11/2014 -
" This was an enjoyable read and had some interesting elements, but when it comes down to it, Linda Wallander is a less compelling lead character than Kurt Wallander. "
— Christy, 1/6/2014 -
" Interesting to read Linda's point of view; I enjoyed getting the perspective of a woman, and a younger, less jaded police officer. But at times it felt like she wasn't really the main character, but provided a tool to look at Kurt from a different angle. "
— Sara, 12/27/2013 -
" Not my favorite. I had a hard time caring about the main characters or the mystery. The passage at the very beginning about a man escaping from a cult leader who has just forced his entire congregation to drink cyanide was fascinating, but then it took a long time for the narrative to return to him. "
— Lindsay, 11/29/2013 -
" I'm a devoted Henning Mankell fan. English translation is excellent. "
— Ray, 10/31/2013 -
" I love the characters in the Kurt Wallander series but the subject matter, generally serial killers, can get to be a little bit creepy. "
— Liz, 8/5/2013 -
" The second English language copy of this book was sent to me by Plum-Crazy. For my review of this book, please look at the Dutch version. "
— BoekenTrol, 7/16/2013 -
" Gripping read! "
— Vidhya, 5/31/2013 -
" I like a mystery every once in awhile. This was contemporary in that it includes religious fanatics and a daughter/dad relationship. A high school student recommended this book to me. She said a friend of hers was reading it for a class at Washington University. "
— Patricia, 5/29/2013 -
" This book introduces Kurt Wallander's daughter Linda as a police officer. She is obviously much like her father and that promises many more good reads! "
— Wilma, 4/2/2013 -
" Kijk, dat is een mooie titel voor deze tijd van t jaar. (Weer een Wallander) De TV film ook gezien maar het was heel naar om dat in beelden te zien en de sfeer was ook heel anders dan in het boek, veel onplezieriger "
— Dymphie, 10/20/2012 -
" Psychochristian theme too creepy for me. But not a bad read "
— Billymojo, 9/29/2012 -
" I should stop first watch then read stuff :) I am losing the whole thrill.I watched both original swedish and later-british version.wallander is always extra-ordinary and surprising you. "
— eyupcan, 5/17/2012 -
" Wallander and daughter....interesting! "
— Karen, 4/30/2012 -
" These books definitely hold your attention and it's not over until you're done reading it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with an ant-climatic ending. "
— Johanna, 3/11/2012 -
" This started out amazing, and I was totally hooked for about the first 3rd of it. Then it slowed down and started going in circles, and you could see where the story was headed, but it refused to just get to that point! It was consumed via audio and the reader was excellent though. "
— Kim, 4/30/2011 -
" I have become a Henning Mankell fan and this book was no disappointment. An interesting plot line with great characters. "
— Marcia, 4/27/2011 -
" I enjoy this book. A good suspense novel. "
— Wendy, 4/15/2011 -
" typical Scandinavian noir...with a somewhat difficult to follow plot, but who does not like a challenge? "
— Anne, 3/29/2011 -
" His books are too depressive for me - but my father for example loves them... "
— Annika, 3/22/2011 -
" Mystery, not really my thing, but it was a good story. Also a good Swedish thriller reminder... "
— Rachel, 3/14/2011 -
" Henning Mankell has now added my favorite detective Wallander's daughter into the police mix. What a great well put together story. Loved it! "
— Madeline, 2/23/2011 -
" Good book! Time to go to the library and get another book by Mankell. "
— Sue, 2/20/2011 -
" Wallender's daughter is instrumental in solving several murders in this book. Call it coincidental that Linda was reigniting a friendship with a friend from childhood, the daughter of a man who had left his family 20 years ago. Was he dead or .......? "
— Pam, 2/17/2011 -
" I'm a devoted Henning Mankell fan. English translation is excellent. "
— Ray, 1/24/2011 -
" Scandanavian mystery of cults and some family disfunction that somehow works. Good CD. "
— Janet, 1/21/2011
About Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell (1948–2015) was Sweden’s most-read author worldwide. His novels, which include the bestselling Kurt Wallander mysteries, have been translated into thirty-seven languages with more than thirty million copies in print worldwide. He has received the Crime Writers’ Association’s Macallan Gold Dagger and the German Tolerance Prize and has been a three-time finalist for the Los Angeles Times Mystery/Thriller Book Prize.
About Cassandra Campbell
Cassandra Campbell has won multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and the prestigious Odyssey Award for narration. She was been named a “Best Voice” by AudioFile magazine and in 2018 was inducted in Audible’s inaugural Narrator Hall of Fame.