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The Fifth Woman: A Kurt Wallander Mystery Audiobook
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(4.00) - 7,494 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In an African convent, four nuns and an unidentified fifth woman are brutally murdered, and the death of the unknown woman is covered up by the local police. A year later in Sweden, Inspector Kurt Wallander is baffled and appalled by two strange murders. Holger Eriksson, a retired car dealer and bird watcher, is impaled on sharpened bamboo poles in a ditch behind his secluded home, while the body of a missing florist is discovered strangled and tied to a tree. The only clues Wallander has to go on are a skull, a diary, and a photo of three men. What ensues is a case that will test Wallander’s strength and patience, for in order to solve these murders he will need to uncover their elusive connection to the earlier unsolved murder in Africa of the fifth woman.
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"I like any good detective story which relies on intelligence and investigation rather than the lucky break and except for one coincidental meeting in the hospital between the killer and a police relative, there were none of the usual happy accidents that you find in bad detective novels. This one kept me engrossed for a week while I was travelling and I look forward to the opportunity of reading more books by this author."
— Dennis (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Captures listeners with a suspenseful plot and an evocative setting…Hill’s narration lends suspense, humor, and terrific character delineation of Wallander and his cohorts.”
— AudioFile -
“[The Fifth Woman’s] intricate plotting, chilling psychological divination, and thrilling police procedural are all seamlessly translated...Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“Achieves a deeply satisfying density of plot and characterization.”
— Baltimore Sun -
“A marvelously told mystery…You can’t put it down, but you won’t want to finish it either.”
— Austin American-Statesman -
“A scary and cunning tale…Here is a police procedural in which the main procedure is thought.”
— Rocky Mountain News
The Fifth Woman Listener Reviews
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adrian reynolds, 2/15/2015
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" This and 'One Step Behind' are clearly the best in the Wallander series by Henning Mankell ('the lord of European crime fiction'). Another killer is on the loose but this time there's a slight twist.... "
— Alex, 2/20/2014 -
" This is a complex story and it is very well plotted and told. I found the characters believable and I thought that Wallander was a well-developed and credible policeman. The narrative did not jump around too much, in the way that some crime books do. The atmosphere was quite intense, but there was not so much gory detail as to be off-putting. Mankell is more concerned about showing how upsetting police work is to the people who are doing it - he doesn't seem to want to upset his readers in a gratuitous way. Overall, I think this book ticks all the boxes for anyone interested in the crime genre. "
— Kathy, 1/29/2014 -
" Another good book about Wallander, but towards the end there were way too many names. I got confused and only read on looking forward to an exciting end. However, it never came. The end wasn't as epic as some of his other books (particularly Silkeridderen), but still a good read which got me through the hottest summer days I can remember "
— PÃ¥l, 1/27/2014 -
" Lots of red herrings here, but a really good story nonetheless. "
— Ellen, 1/21/2014 -
" Of all the books in the series, I believe this was the best one so far. "
— Maureen, 1/17/2014 -
" This is the best Mankell yet! "
— Natasha, 1/13/2014 -
" Mankell's writing gets better with each book in this series. "
— Laura, 1/8/2014 -
" Compelling and very Swedish. But sad and upsetting. "
— Debra, 12/23/2013 -
" Great book with a good treatment of women and violence. "
— Mariana, 12/10/2013 -
" Also saw the PBS movie with Kenneth Branagh which was very close to the book (though British!). "
— Anita, 12/7/2013 -
" I love the mundane details included in this series. I definitely recommend reading them in order to gain insight into Wallander's character. "
— Meredith, 12/3/2013 -
" It was the second book of Mr Mankell that came to my hands. And a;though it was about 600 pages, it really captured me. A wonderfully worked mystery with suspense till the end. "
— Theodora, 10/26/2013 -
" See review for "White Lioness" "
— Mark, 10/18/2013 -
" This was my first Kurt Wallander novel. It was a pretty good mystery and it was well written so it read smoothly. Not a whole lot of action. Sorta laid back like Inspector Wexford. "
— Temple, 7/2/2013 -
" Wallander continues to have a rough life as crime becomes more intense in Sweden. "
— Karen, 6/22/2013 -
" Best Wallander since the first one. Definite return to form after the weak Sidetracked. "
— Martin, 1/27/2013 -
" Those Scandinavians certainly know how to write mysteries--dark, character-laden mysteries. I remember watching the Wallender series on PBS, and now I'm glad to read the books. "
— Pam, 10/19/2012 -
" Great stuff! Keeps you on the edge of your seat, keeps it believable, and weaves relevant societal issues into the story line. "
— James, 10/8/2012 -
" This is one of the best mysteries I've read. "
— Fiona, 2/28/2012 -
" first Mankell read "
— Dewayne, 10/1/2011 -
" Dark and grim. Minutely detailed. "
— Trina, 9/24/2011 -
" Of the three Wallander books I've read this has by far been my favorite. "
— Jennifer, 5/18/2011 -
" Getting to the end of the series. Two more to go. I've truly enjoyed these mysteries. "
— False, 5/10/2011 -
" I love the mundane details included in this series. I definitely recommend reading them in order to gain insight into Wallander's character. "
— Meredith, 5/1/2011 -
" I like this series. It also gives a sense of the country... how different the north is from the south, how climate and geography influence the people. "
— Marilyn, 4/28/2011 -
" Lots of red herrings here, but a really good story nonetheless. "
— Ellen, 4/22/2011 -
" Fantastic rainy day mystery read "
— Susan, 4/13/2011 -
" Dark and grim. Minutely detailed. "
— Trina, 4/7/2011 -
" Henning Mankell just gets better, and Kurt Wallender ages just is dis-gracefully as I. Mankell's interweaving of stories based in Africa and Sweden is well done. "
— Pamela, 3/30/2011 -
" Very engaging. I like Mankell's books more than his short stories. Some of the plot twists seemed highly unlikely, but that didn't really bother me. "
— Ian, 3/26/2011 -
" Great stuff! Keeps you on the edge of your seat, keeps it believable, and weaves relevant societal issues into the story line. "
— James, 3/23/2011 -
" Page turner mystery from before the DNA era. "
— Kathychristoffel, 3/18/2011 -
" Another great swedish detective mystery! "
— Kathie, 3/9/2011 -
" Convoluted, twists and turns on every page until Kurt solves the crime. Mankell really keeps your attention. Even though I had seen this on Masterpiece I still couldn't remember how it came out. "
— Agnes, 2/25/2011
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 Dick Hill
Dick Hill, named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, is one of the most awarded narrators in the business, having earned several Audie Awards and thirty-four AudioFile Earphones Awards. In addition to narrating, he has both acted in and written for the theater.