Before the Frost

A Kurt and Linda Wallander Novel

By: Henning Mankell, Ebba Segerberg - translator

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

In this latest atmospheric thriller, Kurt Wallander and his daughter, Linda, join forces to search for a religious fanatic on a murder spree.

Just graduated from the police academy, Linda Wallander returns to Skane to join the police force, and she already shows all the hallmarks of her father - the maverick approach, the flaring temper. Before she even starts work she becomes embroiled in the case of her childhood friend, Anna, who has inexplicably disappeared.

As the case that her father is working on dovetails with her own, something far more dangerous than either could have imagined begins to emerge. They soon find themselves forced to confront a group of extremists bent on punishing the world's sinners.

More mayhem? Listen to all of our Kurt Wallander mysteries.

©2002 Henning Mankell (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Powerful....Thoroughly engaging....Amazingly human characters....Mankell [is] a master storyteller." ( San Francisco Chronicle)
"Gripping, beautifully orchestrated....Henning Mankell is an addictive writer." ( Los Angeles Times Book Review)

Bad narrator

She made Kurt sound so unlikable. always angry. shifted the focus to Linda but changed his character

New Beginning

Good read detective father and rookie cop daughter work together to solve multiple murders in their service area exciting

Loving Linda

Any additional comments?

I've been waiting a long time to read first Linda Wallander mystery. I've always liked her character, particularly in the BBC version of the Wallander mysteries, and I was worried Henning Mankell's elevating of Linda to a place of prominence would be diminishing for me. That seems paradoxical, I know, but there are some characters who just shouldn't be leads. My fears that Linda was such a character were misplaced.

In fact, having so much prior knowledge of Linda made for a much richer "first novel" for the main character. Mankell wasn't starting from scratch, and neither were we. Her back story was already established in depth, and that story was allowed to form and shape her actions in Before the Frost in ways that loyal readers could trace. That familiarity was actually comforting.

But really, what I loved most about my familiarity with Linda was what that allowed me (and us, I imagine) to see in Kurt Wallander, her father. It's one thing to have fan authors or future authors or even members of an author's family offer different perspectives on a beloved character, but it is something else entirely -- and something entirely superior -- when the original author of a beloved character offers a different perspective on their beloved character through the distinct perspective of another character who we would expect to know them best.

I feel like I know Kurt (and Linda too) better now than I ever have before. I saw more flaws, I saw more blemishes, I saw more reality, and all of these things made me love them more. Both father and daughter are genuine people in my brain now, and it makes me even sadder than I already was that Henning Mankell's struggle with cancer is going to cut short his gift of their lives to us.

I must mention one thing about the audio performance of Cassandra Campbell. As Linda Wallander she was everything I hoped she would be, but as Kurt Wallander she was thoroughly one note, and disappointingly so. Mankell's writing was strong enough to overcome this, but Campbell's unwavering crankiness as Kurt Wallander conjured more than a few sighs from my tired old lungs. Since I am basing my rating on this edition of the book, just know that the stars also reflect Campbell's performance, not just Mankell's writing.

A narrator to be avoided.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend reading the book but not listening to it.

Would you be willing to try another one of Cassandra Campbell’s performances?

Absolutely not. The Linda voice was far too breathy and light and the Kurt voice was always angry. I also am puzzled about why she pronounced names as though they were Russian rather than Swedish. For example, Medburia and Neuburia rather than Medburg and Neuberg.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Perhaps.

Reader is lousy Story is good

This book could have been written more concisely the banter between the father and the daughter was terrible and overdone The story line kept me interested to the end but the narrative was poor

Good story

Great translation, very good narration and as always Henning Mankell has written a very enjoyable story.
Thank all who was involved in this production.

Maybe the best Mankell

The tension between father and daughter and the love underlying it make the well constructed plot progress and engage the listener. The reader did a superhuman job. One of the best Audible books I’ve listened to.

reader makes Wallander sound like neurotic angry

There story is epic Mankell. it is trimmed by the narrator who makes Wallander sound like a neurotic, angry ferret. How unfortunate

Trashes her father

Why would anyone write a book about a daughter who trashes a fictional icon, Kurt Wallander. It is sleazy and cringe worthy.

Disappointed

I’ve enjoyed this series but don’t appreciate the new narrator. She is fine for most voices but I don’t like how she reads Kurt Wollander. I know he is a troubled, angry person but I feel this narration made him angry all the time and I didn’t like the voice used for him at all. Wasn’t too crazy about the story line either but like a book I start reading and find I don’t enjoy, it’s hard for me to stop in the middle. I’ll give one more in the series a try and see how it goes.