A disillusioned Inspector Kurt Wallander is thrown back into the fray as both hunter and hunted in this fourth adventure from Sweden’s master of crime and mystery.
Crestfallen, dejected, and spiraling into an alcohol-fuelled depression after killing a man in the line of duty, Inspector Wallander had made up his mind to quit the police force for good. But when an old acquaintance, a solicitor, seeks Wallander’s help and later turns up dead, Wallander realizes that he was wrong not to listen. Warily, he returns to work to head the case. A rookie female detective has joined the force in his absence, and he adopts the role of mentor to her as they fight to unravel the mystery—but the same merciless individuals responsible for the murders are closing in.
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"Best so far in the series. One of the things I enjoy most about the way these books are written is that the characters are described as real people you can picture as people you could actually meet in life. They make decisions, they perform actions, and they make mistakes just like real people do. In my opinion this style of writing makes the story so much more honest and enjoyable. There are no super heroes, just people like you and me. My thanks to the author for a great story."
— Ed (5 out of 5 stars)
“Dick Hill’s performance is a prime example of art that is so finely crafted that it draws no attention to itself. Hill rattles off Swedish character and place names as naturally as a native speaker, and he’s beautifully understated as the gloomy Wallander…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile“An exquisitely plotted search for motive and evidence. Dark and moody, this is crime fiction of the highest order.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“An essential purchase for mystery collections.”
— Library Journal“Compelling…skillfully plotted and suspenseful…A thriller for the thinking reader.”
" A good mystery and not to graphic so I'll have nightmares. It did get a little complicated at one point but the author does a good job of repeating histories, characters, etc to keep you in the know. I'd like to try one of his other novels. "
— Jenny, 2/15/2014" Enjoyed this much more than white lioness "
— Ann, 2/12/2014" Another winner from Mankell -- It got stuck to my hands - i couldn't put it down "
— Justin, 2/11/2014" I like this series. I plan to get the DVDs starring Kenneth Brannaugh as Wallander. "
— Marilyn, 2/3/2014" This is the last of the Kurt Wallander novels to be translated into English, mainly because of lobbying by English speaking fans, and I think I understand why: it's weaker than the others, though still enjoyable. "
— Mark, 1/18/2014" It is a good story, but a bit slow at times and the ending was a bit of a let down for me. On the other hand, I thought the psychological element was quite good. All in all, a nice read but nothing too special. "
— Ariska, 12/18/2013" Been really enjoying this series. Interesting characters and plot twists, Wallander is very human. "
— Irene, 12/3/2013" Not sure I will continue this series - just a little too downbeat "
— Sharon, 11/28/2013" Wallander decides to go back to being a cop when an old friend is murdered. Wallander tracks his man down, a mega-rich Swede that lives in a nearby castle estate. As always the characters are great. The ending has a lot more action than many of Mankell's novels. "
— Bill, 11/14/2013" An enjoyable read, though I thought there were loose ends left at the end. Still, I'll continue with the series. "
— JDK1962, 11/10/2013" I am a Kurt Wallander fan from way back. A very good read that keeps you on your toes :-) "
— Barbs, 8/30/2013" Not my favorite Mankell, but as well set-up as always. I would recommend Before the Frost, but it's a much later book so read some of the older ones first! "
— Hannah, 7/26/2013" I just love the Kurt Wallander series. Mankell makes his characters so real and likeably flawed. His murder mysteries are interesting and complex. "
— Kathleen, 7/23/2013" While I enjoyed it, it was hard to believe that such experienced police officers missed such obvious lines of enquiry. I also thought that the antagonist's profile was very underdeveloped. More lightweight than the other Mankell's I have read. "
— Teryl, 6/27/2013" This is my favorite Wallander novel so far. It's full of methodical police work, and it doesn't have the kind of ridiculous, globe-trotting plot I disliked in some of the earlier books. For me, these books are all about character, and this one brings Wallander to life best. "
— J.D., 5/28/2013" Another great Kurt Wallander mystery "
— Gary, 5/1/2013" good mystery. but it's one from the Masterpiece Theater Wallender series. Don 't read it if you have seen the episode. If you haven't seen the series, I recommend the book to any mystery lover. "
— Donalee, 12/2/2012" Typical Mankell. Murder with a twist of politics. "
— Ken, 10/16/2012" Not my favorite of his, but worth the time. Poor Wallander. It's confusing that they've been translating the series out of order. "
— Charlotte, 8/1/2012" Listened to this audiobook - funny to hear the narrator mispronouncing Swedish words but it was well done. I enjoyed this one more than the last Wallander and the last few suspenseful chapters were fun. "
— Bitty, 7/31/2012" How can sweden be getting so bad? is the question that Wallander continues to ask. There is one man who represents what people can and will do for money. Disgusting! "
— Chelsea, 4/16/2012" Far improvement over his last novel. "
— Laura, 2/25/2012" Not quite as good as One Step Behind but still a good read. "
— Nancy, 7/22/2011" I don't want to spoil this, but when a man shows up, and he's smiling, you better watch out for him.<br/> "
— Steev, 5/5/2011" Another good installment in the series. "
— Pamela, 3/31/2011" Broody & slow, liked the TV version with Kenneth Branagh better "
— Helen, 3/31/2011" Much richer than the TV show - it explains things I didn't quite get in the TV show.<br/>Wallander is such a flawed individual, but you have to love him. "
— Beth, 3/6/2011" I liked it more than the others... "
— Daniel, 2/25/2011" Another Kurt Wallander, policeman,story. Mankell writes a great story with many twists and turns as Wallander investigates deaths which eventually end up being tied to a global enterprise and even body-part selling "
— Florence, 2/20/2011" Not the best of the Mankells I've read, but that may have had a lot to do with the awful narration. "
— Tom, 2/19/2011" good story, great build up <br/>found it anti climatic at the end.. "
— Karen, 2/17/2011" Great read, confirms that the first time a person kills another person is devastating. "
— Mariana, 2/15/2011" I think this is the best one of Mankell's that I've read so far. And that is saying something... "
— Kristin, 2/13/2011Henning 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.
Laural Merlington is an audiobook narrator with over two hundred titles to her credit and a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, she teaches college in her home state of Michigan.