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The Return of the Dancing Master Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,643 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When retired policeman Herbert Molin is found brutally slaughtered on his remote farm in the northern forests of Sweden, police find strange tracks in the snow, as if someone had been practicing the tango. Stefan Lindman, a young police officer recently diagnosed with mouth cancer, decides to investigate the murder of his former colleague but is soon enmeshed in a mystifying case with no witnesses and no apparent motives. Terrified of the disease that could take his life, Lindman becomes more and more reckless as he unearths the chilling links between Molin’s death and an underground neo-Nazi network that runs further and deeper than he could ever have imagined.
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"This is one of Mankell's earlier novels and another highly engaging mystery. As usual, his characters are well drawn and likable, even if troubled in varying ways. This story has twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. He does an effective job of putting you into the scene with his descriptions of the landscape and weather. The story touches on the lesser known history of Swedish Nazis during WWII and raised questions about the current state of the Nazi party in Sweden. Great book."
— Barb (4 out of 5 stars)
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“The characters drawn by Henning Mankell are so real you can hear them breathe…Gardner’s performance transcends the dreary, sunless Swedish landscape, bringing just the right tone to Mankell’s gritty police procedural. Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“Violence strikes with quick and shocking ferocity…The story has a density that demands—and rewards—intellectual movement.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Delightfully morbid.”
— The Guardian (London) -
“Mankell weaves a mournful spell through all his mysteries by adopting a calm, dispassionate tone that artfully underlines an abiding humanism for psychic as well as physical suffering…Sends a shiver down the spine.”
— Boston Globe -
“Irrestible…[Mankell] is a master at constructing gripping, intricately plotted police procedurals with a strong dose of social commentary…The appeal…[is] the sheer brutal imaginativeness of the crimes.”
— Business Week -
“As always, Mankell tells somber, deeply pessimistic stories about widespread hatred lurking below the multicultural surface, but at the same time, he never fails to find a rich vein of humanity deep within the perpetually furrowed brows of his troubled cops.”
— Booklist
Awards
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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Chosen as a 2009 AudioFile Best Voicefor Mysteries
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Winner of the Gumshoe Award for Best European Crime Novel
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Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller
The Return of the Dancing Master Listener Reviews
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" If you love Wallander you'll definitely love this book, every chapter gives you a new clue and by the end you are still shocked about what happened. Great book, a truly page-turner. "
— Marcelo, 2/12/2014 -
" This plot had great potential. But instead of building momentum it dragged on and on. Maybe it was supposed to reflect the long cold dark winters in Sweden. Or maybe it's just not that good "
— Ciara, 2/12/2014 -
" Mankell's "cases" are always as much about the detective and the other characters as they are about the crimes, bizarre as the crimes often are. Very enjoyable. "
— Jane, 2/10/2014 -
" I found this book easy to read, but really don't see the point. It is too long, highly improbable, and filled with guys who are too angsty to call home and say they miss their wives. Plus it is improbable. Did I already say that? "
— Barksdale, 2/2/2014 -
" I enjoyed this- kinda finding the Scandinavian crime stories quite compelling even though there are many holes in the plots! "
— Lara, 1/25/2014 -
" Plodding. Not up to his usual. The bloody footprints never made sense. "
— Kiwicanteloupe, 1/19/2014 -
" Swedish author and I did this as an audio book. "
— Paula, 1/15/2014 -
" Well constructed storyline, thoroughly convincing characters, plots and sub plots, what else could you ask for? A terrific read that you will not want to put down. My thanks to the author for his work. "
— Ed, 1/11/2014 -
" This was my least favorite of Mankell's books. It just took so long to get to a conclusion. I found it frustrating. "
— Linda, 1/10/2014 -
" Enjoyable mystery with interesting characters. Background story involves Nazism/Fascism in modern-day Sweden. Nothing spectacular--but a good read while studying for the bar. I always enjoy reading Henning Mankell. "
— Norah, 12/3/2013 -
" I loved this book. Good characters, great plot, lots of mystery and intrigue all the way through. And all quite low-key at the same time. Really enjoyed it. In fact I think it's my favourite Mankell to date, which means better than all of the Wallander novels - except maybe Sidetracked. "
— Innes, 12/2/2013
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 Grover Gardner
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.