One Step Behind

A Kurt Wallander Mystery

By: Henning Mankell

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

On Midsummer's Eve, three role-playing teens dressed in 18th-century garb are shot in a secluded Swedish meadow. When one of Inspector Kurt Wallander's most trusted colleagues, someone whose help he hoped to rely on to solve the crime, also turns up dead, Wallander knows the murders are related. But with his only clue a picture of a woman no one in Sweden seems to know, he can't begin to imagine how.

Reeling from his father's death and facing his own deteriorating health, Wallander tracks the lethal progress of the killer. Locked in a desperate effort to catch him before he strikes again, Wallander always seems to be just one step behind.

Translated from the Swedish by Ebba Segerberg.

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

©1997 by Henning Mankell; 2002 by The New Press (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Satisfying in a way that has less to do with the wonders of forensic science than with the pure pleasure of rational thought." ( New York Times)
"Mankell remains central to the flowering of a new, distinctly darker strain of the European hard-boiled crime novel." ( Booklist)"Sure to please those who like weighty police procedurals....Mankell's writing is deadpan and stark, the plotting meticulous and exacting." ( Publishers Weekly)

Not my favorite

I’ll just say I was glad this was included in my membership and that so didn’t use a credit. Unhappy with the ending and did not keep me guessing.

One of Wallender's Best

I love Wallender so
Much. He is such a considered & many-faceted character. All the many characters are carefully drawn. The details of life make everything so real.

outstanding in all areas, story, narrator, suspens

Would you consider the audio edition of One Step Behind to be better than the print version?

Dick Hill brings alive Kurt Wallander, like not other.. his version, quality of his voice, emotions, even when he "does" a woman , is so compelling.. He brings me hours and hours of entertainment.. love him

What was one of the most memorable moments of One Step Behind?

Kurt in pursuit of killer with a wooden plank in a dark park

Which character – as performed by Dick Hill – was your favorite?

Kurt Wallender

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

every moment with Kurt Wallander's tortured soul as spoken by Dick Hill

Any additional comments?

Will listen to everything every done by Dick Hill.

True Value

The bomb, disregard the slow sizzle at the start. Well thought out, not hokey or too slick. Must be from reality.

Another Excellent Read

Have read all of his 'Wallender' series. Always enthralled by each one. I was so happy to see this one come through. He is never disappointing..

Very Engaging

Was an interesting story, rather disturbing but then it's a murder mystery too. Good narration by Dick Hill.

Ending was too neat and tidy

The villain was not much more than a plot device and lacked depth. Otherwise Vollander's battle with his diet was more interesting...

Way to go Kurt

I feel like Kurt Wallander is an old friend now, as much as he could have a friend. I've listened to all of his books on Audible and enjoyed them all thoroughly. He's roughly the same age as I and the life issues he encounters, the thoughts he has about life are much the same as I and I suspect many others. I googled Skane, Sweden, Wallander's home county, and there was a link saying come visit the setting where the Wallander books took place, that would be fun to do sometime. I hope more Mankell/Wallander books come to Audible!

Definitely Recommend

This was my first listen to a Kurt Wallender mystery, and I enjoyed it so much that I will now be going back and getting them from the beginning. Mankell does a fantastic job with character development, and the reader is really brought into the personal side of all the characters, especially Wallender. The one thing that distinguishes his mystery writing about a police investigation is that he makes it real. There is no sugar coating on the talents of the investigators. They make mistakes, they struggle with dead ends, they break down with fatique and personal issues. They are human. It's great to read about the "cowboy" cops such as Harry Bosch or the super-human heroes such as Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp. But is was refreshing to read a story that had such a strong ring of realism. Mankell created a police mystery story with a different kind of view of real crime solving.

I wondered if some of the questionable decisions were intentional, or if Mankell didn't do exhaustive research, or if the Swedish police just aren't as advanced as the US in terms of forensics (for instance, it this book it took a week just to get a ballistics report back!) But, regardless, I had the feeling that I was in an authentic story, with humans who were not only talented, but also not flawless. It had a refreshing air of realism that made me feel that I was truly getting an undistorted picture of how a murder investigation would progress in real life. Mankell makes Wallender humble, and a strong leader, but also shows his human frailties and I came to truly like the character. Also, I love Dick Hill, always have, and he did not disappoint. He is one of my favorite narrators, and did a fantastic job with all the characters. Listening to him is comfortable.

Don't be reluctant to read this book because it is from a foreign author, in a foreign country. With the exception of a few colloquialisms, there was nothing different than would take place in any city in the US.Loved it!

Another likeable detective

I finished all of the Michael Connelly books and was wondering how I'd get along without Harry Bosch. I have also read a number of Stephen White's books and feared I would soon be without a detective I liked as much as Alan Gregory or Harry Bosch. AND then I discovered (through some really helpful reviews) Kurt Wallander and I"m no longer worried. The narrative is excellent, the reader perfect for the book. I like the kind of low key committed case-solving by Bosch and Connelly without hype or pretension. Like Alan Gregory and Harry Bosch, Kurt Wallander is a real person with strengths, weaknesses, blunders, and and an abolute committment to his job. Henning Mankell is now on my list of really good authors (along with Greg Iles, Michael Connelly, Stephen White, Lee Child) in the Mystery area. I recommend the author highly.