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The Pyramid: And Four Other Kurt Wallander Mysteries Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,830 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This collection of five stories traces the growth of Swedish Inspector Kurt Wallander into a first-rate detective, from rookie cop to young father to middle-aged divorcé, illuminating new facets of a now-canonical character.
In “Wallander’s First Case,” the twenty-one-year-old patrolman’s first homicide case involves his next-door neighbor, seemingly dead by his own hand. Wallander is a young father confronting an unexpected threat on Christmas Eve in “The Man with the Mask.” In “The Man on the Beach,” he is on the brink of middle age and troubled by a distant wife as he unravels why a lonely man was poisoned. Newly separated in “The Death of the Photographer,” he investigates the murder of the local photographer and discovers some well concealed secrets. In “The Pyramid” he is the veteran detective uncovering connections between a downed plane and the assassination of two elderly sisters. Over the course of these five stories, Wallander comes into his own as a murder detective, defined by his simultaneously methodical and instinctive work, even as he finds himself increasingly haunted from witnessing the worst aspects of an atomized society.
Written from the unique perspective of an author looking back upon his own creation to discover his origins, these mysteries are vintage Mankell and essential reading for all Wallander fans. The Pyramid is a wonderful display of Mankell’s virtuosic powers as an acknowledged master of the police procedural.
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"A prequel to the Kurt Wallander mystery series. Five stories tell about his first cases as a young policeman and as Kurt the young man and Kurt the husband. Glad I read this book before I started on the series as it gives an insight into the troubled relationship between Kurt and his father and his ex-wife and daughter."
— Nancee (4 out of 5 stars)
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“The five stories in this outstanding collection from Mankell provide glimpses into Kurt Wallander’s early life as a policeman as well as paint evocative portraits of contemporary Swedish society…Like the Wallander novels, these stories rank among the finest police procedurals being written today.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Once again, Dick Hill uses his terrific understated style to bring the gloomy and self-doubting police detective Kurt Wallander to life. Hill’s effective timing always matches the action (Wallander in danger!), the emotion (Wallander’s depression about the state of Swedish society) and even the geography (rainy and bleak)…As always, it’s a treat to spend several hours with Mankell, Wallander, and Hill.”
— AudioFile -
“In this retrospective collection, internationally bestselling Swedish mystery author Mankell proves himself a master of the short form…The Wallander series, which Mankell believes should be subtitled ‘novels of Swedish anxiety,’ are essential reading for all crime-fiction fans, and this collection adds an indispensable chapter to the saga.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“The stories are brought to life by veteran audiobook professional Dick Hill, who has narrated over four hundred audiobooks and is the winner of three Audie Awards. He is justly famous for his use of accents and characterization. His rendering of female characters is a notably special. This is recommended to fans of Kurt Wallander in particular and police procedurals in general.”
— SoundCommentary.com
Awards
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SoundCommentary.com’s The Best of the Best 2010
The Pyramid Listener Reviews
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" I was disappointed in these stories. I didn't find the writing very good and will probably not read another by Mankell. "
— Dlhmoore, 1/28/2014 -
" After watching a couple of the Wallender series on PBS I decided to dip into the written word and picked up this compendium of short mysteries that all take place before the actual series starts. I got the impression Mankell wrote them to fill in the blanks for curious readers/watchers. The book was enjoyable but I think I like watching this character more than reading about him. The last of the series on on the NYT best seller list which means we must have seen the last of Kurt Wallender. Too bad. Although Swedish, there isn't much that reminds you of any of the Girl books. "
— Kay, 1/22/2014 -
" These stories set up the Wallander personality as they take you through some of his earliest cases. "
— Steve, 1/9/2014 -
" Few short stories showing beginnings of Kurt Wallender's career as a policeman. How Kurt met Mona? And how he was learning police trade. "
— Anna, 12/31/2013 -
" Henning Mankell's Wallander series is now complete. I was heartbroken when it ended, but now I know the back story. Great writer. "
— Ann, 12/30/2013 -
" Weak in spots. "
— Sam, 12/4/2013 -
" Great book - but I need to take a bit of a break from Swedish authors now. "
— Sarah, 12/1/2013 -
" Mankell's writing is slowly paced and his character description sparse, but the stories still manage to come alive. I'm still not sure how he manages that, but it draws me in and is strange in a "the sun is still up at 3 a.m." kind of way. I like it. "
— Tammy, 11/30/2013 -
" Just finished reading it really liked it but I need to take a break from this type of book "
— Marla, 11/23/2013 -
" Probably really a 3.5. Good background to the other stories "
— Margo, 11/19/2013 -
" Great addition to the Wallander series. It helps give background to the rest of the series - not just to the Wallander series, but to Sweden and the changes that have taken place there over the past twenty years. "
— Bill, 11/12/2013 -
" Bought this in Helsinki because I couldn't find it in the states. It is a series of short stories and novellas written after the main books to go back and fiill in information readers wanted to know. Love it! "
— Kay, 11/2/2013 -
" Mankell fills in some of the gaps in his mystery series with these short stories. I hope he continues to write mysteries. "
— Paulette, 11/14/2012 -
" Great to visit Wallender earlier in his life ... Nice companion to all of the other Wallender books. "
— Julie, 9/8/2012 -
" Great to learn the beginings of Kurt Wallander. Gives more depth to his character. Short snippets of past cases. And the main story of The Pyramid. "
— Trey, 8/23/2012 -
" A new author I discovered, Swedish, with all those difficult names and places. A good read. "
— Judy, 5/8/2012 -
" It's good to get to know the past of Kurt Wallander, how he met his wife, why the relationship with his dad was like that... I think, as I am just after reading this, I will reread the other books of the series, cause it's been a long - and I really like the style of Henning Mankell. "
— Gosia, 11/3/2011 -
" Enjoyed getting more background on Detective Kurt Wallender. But didn't get the same depth that you do with the novels. "
— Katie, 9/16/2011 -
" Enjoyed seeing the early side of Wallander. "
— Jessica, 8/13/2011 -
" I only recommend this if you are a fan of the Kurt Wallender mysteries. It is a collection of his cases set up as a prequel to the series. How he became the policeman that he is in series. "
— Debs, 6/19/2011 -
" Good in filling in missing detail on early life of Wallender. As you would expect, excellent pace and detail, typical of Mankell. Satisfying as long short stories, but not as satisfying as his full-length stories. "
— Alfred, 6/9/2011 -
" There is no such thing as too much Kurt Wallander. I love the setting, the imperfect main character, and the detection process. If only he would listen to himself, though, and quit heading off to take in the bad guy on his own. "
— Lena, 5/17/2011 -
" Four short mysteries which added a lot of information about Wallander's early years and then one longer mystery - very good. "
— Maura, 5/15/2011 -
" a decent book about wallander. The main story ("Pyramiden") was a bit lame. "
— Pål, 5/3/2011 -
" A new author I discovered, Swedish, with all those difficult names and places. A good read. "
— Judy, 5/1/2011 -
" OK. Just OK.<br/> Not like the Wallander novels, which are slightly better than OK. "
— Cjl, 4/29/2011 -
" Great ! Really excited to get into this series :) "
— Andrea, 4/12/2011 -
" More thoughtful, introspective, and less sensationalistic than Stieg Larsson. There is a very informative article on Mankell in the current issue of "Entertainment Weekly." I would be particularly interested in the latest (and probably last) Wallender book. "
— Richda, 4/9/2011 -
" Another excellent police procedural by Henning Mankell. This book tells the back story of Wallander and helps fill in some of the details many fans have wondered about. "
— Kevin, 4/8/2011 -
" This book is a prequel, written after most of the Wallander books but taking place before the first one. I loved learning about young Kurt, what happened to his marriage, where he developed some of his quirks. "
— Jen, 4/2/2011 -
" Good read. Worthwhile addition to the Wallander line. "
— John, 3/27/2011 -
" This is a collection of mystery stories introducing Kurt Wallander and his colleagues to his many readers. We learn about his very early days as he decides to join the police force, where he gets his inspiration and training for future cases. "
— Linda, 3/20/2011 -
" This was not as good as his full length novels. "
— Madeline, 2/27/2011
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
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.