The Troubled Man

A Kurt Wallander Mystery

By: Henning Mankell, Laurie Thompson - translator

Narrated by: Robin Sachs

The much-anticipated return of Henning Mankell’s brilliant, brooding detective, Kurt Wallander.

On a winter day in 2008, Håkan von Enke, a retired high-ranking naval officer, vanishes during his daily walk in a forest near Stockholm. The investigation into his disappearance falls under the jurisdiction of the Stockholm police. It has nothing to do with Wallander - officially. But von Enke is his daughter’s future father-in-law. And so, with his inimitable disregard for normal procedure, Wallander is soon interfering in matters that are not his responsibility, making promises he won’t keep, telling lies when it suits him - and getting results. But the results hint at elaborate Cold War espionage activities that seem inextricably confounding, even to Wallander, who, in any case, is troubled in more personal ways as well. Negligent of his health, he’s become convinced that, having turned 60, he is on the threshold of senility. Desperate to live up to the hope that a new granddaughter represents, he is continually haunted by his past. And looking toward the future with profound uncertainty, he will have no choice but to come face-to-face with his most intractable adversary: Himself.

More mayhem? Listen to all of our Kurt Wallander mysteries.©2011 Henning Mankell (P)2011 Random House

Fine finish to this character

I am a fan of Henning Mankell's books, particularly the Kurt Wallander Mysteries. This story is a fine finish. The evolvement of this character is what makes the series so dear. Sad to finish, but a good read. Would be better to read earlier books first.

A strong subplot in this book

Overall, I liked this book. The main plot was entertaining and kept me guessing. I liked how it turned out. The subplot, which had the most impact, left me feeling sad and dissatisfied.

Long and introspective book.

If you could sum up The Troubled Man in three words, what would they be?

This book was great although it is very long and very dark and very introspective - not unusual for Henning Mankell books but don't read it if you are down. The narrator did a fine job of being Kurt Wallander, even against the great BBC and Public TV series that are beloved.

A Must Read for male Boomers

Well written. Probably the best of the series (I've read them all). At last, a great narrator. Male Boomers: you are not alone. Walk and ponder with Kurt Wallander. It is an illuminating stroll.

Depressing.

Great detective plot, which kept one guessing nicely, but the backdrop of the slowly declining detective which starts early and is relentless is very grinding. The author clearly wanted to get a message across. The book needed editing. We don't need to know the dogs every movement or mood, or every cup of coffee (that's common to many of the Scandinavian detective series it seems!).

A favorite Henning Mankell

Would you listen to The Troubled Man again? Why?

Enjoyed Mankell's writing, as always, and Robin Sachs did a terrific job. I'll be looking for more books narrated by him.

Which character – as performed by Robin Sachs – was your favorite?

Wallender

Any additional comments?

Loved with relationship between Wallender and his daughter.

Lost in Translation

Kurt Wallender is 60 and a grandfather. He's looking for his in-laws-to-be who disappeared a few weeks after a mysterious discussion on Soviet submarines in Swedish waters in the 1980's. This intriguing story is weighed down by a rough or too-literal translation. I've listened to other Wallender books, and don't remember the language being this primitive. Just isn't great writing. Doesn't mean the book isn't worth listening to, just means the dull language detracts from it.

Great yet looooong winded

I love all of his other books, however, this one just went on and on. Not my favorite but listenable. Great narrative! Interesting plot. It felt that the time span in which the story was told was way too long. A shorter more crisp plot would have kept my interest. What I liked most was the way the author let us to the final discovery. I truly enjoyed this part of the plot. It seems this is the last of the Wallander series and I was sad the way it ended. I like to think of a lead character still being there for us ! Maybe it is just a fantasy, but hey, these novels have been a great escape for me!!!

"Somebody is not telling me the truth ..."

Scandinavian gloom reaches its fascinating apogee with this series of detective novels by Henning Mankell, of which The Troubled Man would appear to be the last. Kurt Wallender, the middle-aged police detective and anti-hero of the series, is a divorced, lonely, rather unhappy man, who happens to have a real talent for sniffing out the truth behind complicated criminal cases. Two television series (one English, starring Kenneth Branagh, and the other Swedish which is far more authentic if you can get your head around Swedish with subtitles - I swear you begin to understand the language more and more!) have been made about these books. The stories are centred around the town of Ystad on the southern tip of Sweden and the characters always seem to be hopping over to nearby Copenhagen for some R&R, possibly for relief from the rather earnest nature of rural Sweden. The plots are interesting because they bring in issues such as refugee-smuggling and the sometimes difficult relations between Sweden and its Baltic neighbours. The country's neutral role during WWII and it's ambivalent relationship to NATO also come under inspection. Wallender has a daughter Linda who has become involved with a young financier (working in Copenhagen, naturally!) whose parents suddenly disappear one after the other. The father was a former naval officer and submarine commander who was concerned with several (actual) Soviet submarine incursions into Swedish territorial waters during the early 1980s. There is more than a hint of political intrigue tying in to the pro-American attitudes of the Swedish military and its open distaste for the Social Democrat prime minister Olof Palme, who was assassinated on a Stockholm street in 1986, a crime which has never been solved to this day. Wallender, plagued by his failed marriage, dental problems, and his growing fear of death as he passes the 60 mark finds himself leaving his dog with his neighbours more and more ("Are you sure you don't want to sell him?") as he travels to Riga, Berlin and various parts of Sweden in an attempt to unravel the puzzle. There are times when one feels like giving him a good swift kick but his obduracy and dogged unrelenting approach to the problem elicit reluctant admiration. What really happened? Read (or listen to) the book!

another winner

I wonder if Henning Mankell is writing about himself in this story? Maybe. This one was different in that Inspector Kurt Wallander has turned 60 and is questioning his own life as he transitions from middle to old age. I'm the same age and the observations he makes are interesting. It was a good detective story as well. In the end, I've enjoyed all of the Wallander stories I've listened to.