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The Return: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery Audiobook, by Håkan Nesser Play Audiobook Sample

The Return: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery Audiobook

The Return: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery Audiobook, by Håkan Nesser Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Simon Vance Publisher: Highbridge Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 4.83 hours at 1.5x Speed 3.63 hours at 2.0x Speed Series: The Inspector Van Veeteren Mysteries Release Date: June 2011 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781611742749

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

44

Longest Chapter Length:

20:12 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

03:54 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

09:56 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

7

Other Audiobooks Written by Håkan Nesser: > View All...

Publisher Description

While on a field trip through the woods on the outskirts of Behren, a young girl stumbles upon a decomposing body wrapped in a carpet and lying in a ditch. The body has no hands, feet, or head, but this was not the work of wild animals. A brutal killer is on the loose—but who is the victim? From the hospital bed where he is recovering from surgery, Chief Inspector Van Veeteren begins to piece together the fragmentary clues that involve a nun who hides a secret, a crippled woman, the murders of two other women, and a former track star who served two sentences for murder and has been missing since the date of his return to society. No one is who they appear to be, and a sleepy village finds itself reopening cases long considered closed. With the assistance of his colleagues, Van Veeteren faces the prospect of taking the law into his own hands in the face of a flawed system of justice.

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"A page turner in the Chandler mode. The main investigator is largely absent due to injury for the first 2/3 of the read, hence he lacked a bit of development. This is one of a series of "An Inspecot Van Veeteren Mysteries" and I'll probably pick up a few more."

— Garland (4 out of 5 stars)

Awards

  • A Folio Prize Shortlist Selection

The Return Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 3.4210526315789473 out of 53.4210526315789473 out of 53.4210526315789473 out of 53.4210526315789473 out of 53.4210526315789473 out of 5 (3.42)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 12
3 Stars: 4
2 Stars: 2
1 Stars: 1
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I picked this up years ago in Stockholm because it was one of the few book I saw written by a Swede, but translated into English. I found the pacing slow, the murder unremarkable and the characters forgettable. "

    — Andrew, 2/18/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " "Journalists are like cow shit, Reinhart used to say. I'm not especially keen on the stuff as such, but I understand that it has its uses" (103). "

    — Katherine, 2/9/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Entertaining. Quirky. Good read. A chief inspector who follows his own intuition to solve cases. Van Veeteren. The New York Times writes, "Nesser has a penetrating eye for the skull beneath the skin." "

    — Mary, 2/6/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I enjoy the Inspector Van Veeteren series, good mystery reads. Interesting location in Sweden. Not a flashy hero, but imminently likeable. "

    — Barrie, 2/2/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " 4+ actually - one of the best so far. The dry humor is getting better & better. "

    — Barbara, 1/29/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Not as good as previous two books in the series. Still a good read but not gripping like the last ones. I didn't really care about the murder victim and why they were investigating for so long. Seemed a little unreal. "

    — Cathy, 1/29/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Good author; fun mystery. "

    — Rob, 1/25/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Another excellent Swedish detective novel featuring Inspector Van Veeteren. "

    — Ann, 1/19/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " What is it with these Scandanavian crime writers? This was the second third book I've read by Nesser, and I'm enjoying his style. "

    — False, 12/31/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I found this dull and barely managed to finish. In the "Swedish Detective Novel" genre, I greatly prefer Henning Mankell. "

    — Tom, 12/13/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Another Nesser that I enjoyed. They are entertaining, well written, good plots, not always well edited. Some words seem to not be well translated. "

    — Jacquelinelborda, 12/2/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " (Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery, No. 3) "

    — Sheila, 5/24/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Loved this book. I wish it was a longer read. A great murder mystery if you like reading them :) "

    — Erin, 5/9/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Good murder mystery. I almost didn't figure it out. 3 murders, years apart -- narrative kept jumping backward & forward between 1994 and 1993, 1981, or 1962 so I did catch on pretty quick who the murder was but not what his name was. "

    — Tes, 1/19/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I continue to enjoy these books. Things do get a bit muddled here and there but the characters grow on me. "

    — Greg, 7/13/2012
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I'm still enjoying the swedish crime novel. In this one, man becomes murderer b/c wife stops having sex with him. Hmmm, seems understandable, no? "

    — Heyhansen, 11/27/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Great idea for a mystery, but I just didn't "get it". Perhaps I can blame it on the translation? "

    — Pam, 11/21/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Probably the weakest Van Veeteran book. "

    — Christa, 9/30/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " This is a terrific book. I very much like Van Veeteren and the ending of this one is just so good. "

    — Joan, 6/9/2011

About Håkan Nesser

Håkan Nesser was awarded the 1993 Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy Prize for new authors for Mind’s Eye; he received the best novel award in 1994 for Borkmann’s Point and in 1996 for Woman with Birthmark. In 1999 he was awarded the Crime Writers of Scandanavia’s Glass Key Award for the best crime novel of the year for Carambole. Nesser lives in Sweden and London.

About Simon Vance

Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.