The Troubled Man

A Kurt Wallander Mystery

By: Henning Mankell, Laurie Thompson - translator

Narrated by: Robin Sachs

Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Saving the best for last

This may indeed be the final book in the Kurt Wallender seriesbut, in my view, Mr Mankell saved the best for last. I was thoroughly entertained by both the clever plot and the exceptional narration of Robin Sachs.

Worth a listen

What made the experience of listening to The Troubled Man the most enjoyable?

This book was a pleasant surprise. I had not read any of this series, but I saw an episode based on the books on PBS. I didn't really like the show at all, but I thought I would give it a try. While Kurt Wallander is definately not my favorite character - too whiney and dramatic for me - I would recommend this book. The plot was good and it was interesting enough to have me looking for an escape to take my MP3 somewhere and get 30 min of listening time.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I wasn't really on the edge of my seat, but it did draw me back, pulling on my emotions of what happened to the missing man and the story of the girl in the home.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Wallander was visiting the home, describing the emotions he was experiencing there.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A suspensful and heart rending story!

Any additional comments?

This was a very enjoyable book.

Blows you away!!

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

Powerful... Provoking... Change!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Of course, as usual Mankell does his best to keep the reader tuned to the slightest hesitancy or breath of each character.

What about Robin Sachs’s performance did you like?

I liked Dick Hill much better. I wonder about the reason for the change. This narrator is okay, but lacks the force and depth of character for Wallander.

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

I can't tell you before you read it!

The best Wallender book

Other than Robin Sachs’ terrible American accent, it was an excellent book and listening experience.

Why do I read these?

Kurt Wallander is a gloomy man and the books are as much about what is going on in his head as they are detective fiction. This one finds Kurt more disturbed and disturbing than usual brooding about his advanced age of 60 and his impending death as a result. As a 68 year old I kept wanting to remind him as his doctor did that 60 is not the end of life! Still, I like the novels and also the BBC series based on the character which captures the spirit of the man as portrayed in these books. The biggest downer of this particular novel is that I suspect that it is the last in the series. Certainly if you have not listened to any of the Wallander novels before, do NOT start with this one.

A final thought. Although the narator Robin Sachs did a fine job and I would not hesitate to listen to other books he reads, I do not agree with the criticism of Dick Hill in this regard. Foreign books do not have to be read with foreign accents and in fact, that can sometimes make then more difficult to follow.

missed the Dick Hill narration

I have to weigh in on the side of Dick Hill, because he's one of my favorite readers and he really did an outstanding job reading the Wallander series - "...with...or...without...the grouse". Robin Sachs does a creditable job, but Hill really had done a perfect job characterizing the mood of the series. And a British accent is not a Scandinavian accent. Neither reader actually pronounces the -berg ending correctly, for example. Listen to those Maj Sjowall-Per Wahloo books to get that right.

The book itself was a dark and brooding end to a dark and brooding series. It was a little less in character than the other more consecutive books in the series, but overall was a good but sad end to the series.

this book gets better every time I read it!!!!!

I read this book twice now and I will read it again this author is amazing!

Ending lacked excitement.

a somewhat engaging story with a cryptic ending. I especially liked the father daughter dialogue.

New narrator

For those who have intended to the rest of this series, the final book is narrated by a new reader. While he does a fine job, he is not quite as expressive as the original reader. Otherwise, the story has the same richly developed plot and character development as the rest of the series.

Wonderful reader and story

This audio book kept us brilliantly entertained on an incredibly long car trip. The miles just flew by as we were lost in this marvelous, albeit sad, story. The writing flows so smoothly, and we never could figure out what came next. We love the Wallander books, but this one, the last of the series, was emotional and heartfelt. Highly recommend.