Cliffhangers Crime Fiction
Books and videos for  mystery mavens
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Kurt Wallander Mysteries
by Henning Mankell
Police Procedural Series Set in Sweden
Above, top row, left to right:  
Ystad, Sweden coast; Cop in Ystad
Bottom row, left to right:  Farm country in Ystad; Town center, Ystad
Ystad, Sweden Coast
Ystad, Sweden Cop
Ystad, Sweden farm country
Ystad, Sweden town center
The Pyramid (2008, Detective Wallander #1) by Henning Mankell
The Dogs of Riga (2001, Detective Wallander #3) by Henning Mankell
The Fifth Woman (2000, Detective Wallander #7) by  Henning Mankell
 Sidetracked (1999, Detective Wallander #6) by  Henning Mankell
One Step Behind (2002, Detective Wallander #8) by  Henning Mankell
Firewall (2002, Detective Wallander #9) by  Henning Mankell
The Man Who Smiled (2005, Detective Wallander #5) by Henning Mankell
Before the Frost (2005, Detective Wallander #10) by Henning Mankell
 The White Lioness (1998, Detective Wallander #4) by  Henning Mankell
 Faceless Killers (1997, Detective Wallander #2) by  Henning Mankell
Video Recommendation
There is an excellent adaptation of this book series for Swedish TV:  TV Series: Wallander (Swedish with English subtitles, 2005- )

Of all the video versions, I think this does the best job portraying Kurt Wallander. Plus: good stories. Minus: subtitles.
Art by JM Coleman
Series Review
Swedish Everyman Wins World's Heart
Kurt Wallander, hero of the 12 novels in the Kurt Wallander Mystery Series, is one of the all-time great police detectives and the books in this series, which is set in Ystad, Sweden, are international bestsellers. Kurt is also one of the all-time great worriers. He worries about his car, his health, his father, his daughter, the dog he wants but doesn't have, the apartment he may one day leave for a house he doesn't have, the woman who may not marry him, the job on the police force that he has but may not really want. To distract himself from his worries, Wallander works. He and his team investigate dark, complex crimes that shock and scare them with their senselessness and their violence.

Highly recommended! Especially to fans of police procedurals, Scandinavian Crime, and great detectives

GREAT series. The mysteries are absorbing and original. I fell in love with Kurt over time. At the beginning of the first book, he was irritating. By the end I was quite fond of him. Much of the charm of this series is in Kurt's interactions with his team and with the other people who make vital contributions to the success of the Ystad police force.

Series Guide
Save The Pyramid (#1) and An Event in Autumn (#11) until you're hooked on the series. Other than that, every book (except maybe The White Lioness (#4) is a winner. Read Before the Frost (#10) before you read The Troubled Man (#12), which is one of the all-time great series finales. I have a particular fondness for The Dogs of Riga (#3).

Book Summaries and Reviews
Below, books in this crime series in reverse order. Dates refer to publication in the US in English; #s refer to series order.

*****
The Troubled Man (2011, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #12)
Translated into English by  Laurie Thompson
WINNER! Crimezone award for best thriller

The search for a missing naval officer reveals Cold War hijinks with disturbing links to current events. Wallander's family life takes a remarkable turn. He struggles with his health. Series finale.
Emotionally intense.  I burst into tears at the ending. Best series finale ever.
No Scandinavian Crime fan should miss this. Those new to Wallander should read Before the Frost (#10) first.< BUY >


***
An Event in Autumn (2014, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #11)
Translated into English by  Laurie Thompson

Wallander finally finds the perfect country house only to discover a skeletal hand in the back garden.
Originally written as a short story, this is more of a mood piece than a mystery. I prefer the BBC TV adaptation of this story starring Kenneth Branagh to the print version.
Book includes a fascinating afterward in which Mankell tells us a lot about how he created and sustained this series over the course of 12 books. <BUY >


*****
Before the Frost (2005, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #10)
Translated into English by  Ebba Segerberg

Wallander and his daughter work a case together.
Terrific mystery and wonderful deepening of the Wallanders' father-daughter relationship.
Highly recommended to all mystery fans. <BUY >
Don't forget to check out the BBC TV adaptation of this story starring Kenneth Branagh. There is also a terrific adaptation made for Swedish TV (English subtitles)


*****
Firewall (2002, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #9)
Translated into English by  Ebba Segerberg

Wallander senses that three seemingly random deaths are connected to an imminent terrorist attack on Sweden's digital infrastructure.
An unconventional, truly scary search for a terrorist. Couldn't put it down. <BUY>
The BBC TV adaptation of this story starring Kenneth Branagh is also first rate.


****
One Step Behind (2002, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #8)
Translated into English by Ebba Segerberg
WINNER! Corine Literary Prize

A police officer on Wallander's team is murdered. The only clue is a snapshot of three young people at a Midsummer's Eve party.
Such a sad story! Kurt learns how little he knows about his colleagues. Heartbreaking. <BUY>
There are two filmed versions of this story: one from BBC TV starring Kenneth Branagh and another in Swedish with English subtitles.


*****
The Fifth Woman (2000, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #7)
Translated into English by Steven T. Murray

An unsolved murder in Africa holds the essential clue to the identity of a torturer/ murderer on the rampage in Sweden.
Kurt hunts the perpetrator of several spectacularly cruel and public murders as Ystad tips into a death spiral of vigilante violence.
Absolutely absorbing. All crime novel fans should try this one.<BUY>
And check out the BBC TV adaptation of the story starring Kenneth Branagh.


*****
Sidetracked (1999, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #6)
Translated into English by Steven T. Murray
WINNER! Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year

A retired minister of justice, an art dealer and a thief are murdered--and scalped.
Read it.
Right now. <BUY>
There's a BBC TV adaptation starring Kenneth Branagh but this one really didn't work for me.


*****
The Man Who Smiled (2005, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #5)
Translated into English by  Laurie Thompson

On the verge of resigning from the police force, Wallander takes one last case: investigating the unexplained deaths of a friend and his father.
Intense and disturbing investigation leads to a criminal who is truly above the law.
Don't miss it! <BUY>
And don't forget to check out the BBC TV adaptation of this story starring Kenneth Branagh.


***
The White Lioness (1998, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #4)
Translated into English by Laurie Thompson

Wallander tangles with the South African secret service and a former KGB agent.
Not my favorite. Somewhat less original than Mankell's usual. <BUY>


*****
The Dogs of Riga (2001, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #3)
Translated into English by  Laurie Thompson

Wallander follows the trail of a murder to Riga, Latvia and becomes embroiled in that country's political turmoil.
One of my faves. Kurt follows the evidence into the black hole that is the justice system in Riga, Latvia. (And he falls in love.) <BUY>
BBC TV did its usual meticulous job adapting this story for television. Starring Kenneth Branagh.


****
Faceless Killers (1997, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #2)
Translated into English by Steven T. Murray
WINNER! Glass Key award for the best Nordic crime novel  WINNER! Swedish Crime Writers' Academy, Best Swedish Crime Novel Award

Grotesque murder of an elderly couple may have a racial motive.
Absorbing investigations into appalling crimes. Wallander is an engaging, if unlikable, character. He gets more sympathetic as the series goes on. <BUY>
Be sure to check out the fantastic BBC TV adaptation of this story starring Kenneth Branagh.


***
The Pyramid (2008, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #1)
Translated into English by Laurie Thompson and  Ebba Segerberg

Adventures of the Young Wallander. Five stories give the backstory fans will be fascinated to learn: Wallander's first case, the story of his marriage and divorce, etc.
A must-read for fans. <BUY>

An Event in Autumn (2014, Kurt Wallander Mystery Books #11)
The Troubled Man (2011, Detective Wallander  #11)  by  Henning Mankell
Album: Click on an image to find a book that will take you there.