Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Knopf (2011), Edition: 1st, 384 pages
Description
"A novel in which Kurt Wallander becomes involved in the case of the disappearance of a retired naval officer--who is Wallander's daughter Linda's future father-in-law--which leads him into a story of Cold War espionage. Wallander also confronts his own age and mortality, while welcoming his first granddaughter"--
Media reviews
Henning Mankell has spoken: Detective Chief Inspector Kurt Wallander has solved his last case. Making this news more bitter, the alcoholic, diabetic, antisocial and perpetually dour Swedish detective is at his gloomy best in THE TROUBLED MAN...
Though shivering in the winter of his discontent, Wallander will grip the reader hard. Flawed and occasionally exasperating, he is that rare thing: a true original.
Wallander might be aging, but Mankell is dead on in crafting an intricate plotline equal to the skills and insight of his famous detective. This is essential for fans of the series, and it succeeds as a stand-alone in the crowded field of dark, psychological Scandinavian thrillers.
INSPECTOR KURT WALLANDER made his first appearance in 1991 in Faceless Killers, pursuing the murderers of an elderly farming couple in rural Sweden. Nearly 20 years and nine books later, his creator, Henning Mankell, swears he is poised to finish him off for good.The final Wallander novel, The
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Troubled Man, will highlight his family even more, Mankell promises. Already acquired by British publisher Harvill Secker, and sold to ten other countries, the book opens when Håkan von Enke, a retired high-ranking naval officer, disappears during his daily morning walk in the forest near Stockholm. Von Enke is the father-in-law of Wallander's daughter Linda, who is expecting their grandchild. The story ranges back to the early 1980s, and Cold War rows when Russian submarines probed Swedish waters...But Mankell has not written a Wallander novel for ten years. The Troubled Man, published later this year in Sweden, marks his belated return to the redoubtable detective. "It's the last time," he says. "When you read it, you will understand. It doesn't mean that he dies – he doesn't die – but you will understand it's not possible to write any more about him."
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User reviews
LibraryThing member BDartnall
Once again we get to experience the geographic and atmospheric world of Sweden, and the aging Kurt Wallender's latest detective work. And what a walk through a tangled web: the threatening times of the Cold War era, complete with naval and spy practices of Sweden, Russia, and the U.S., and then the
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disappearance and presumed killing of a retired Swedish naval officer,and even less understandable - the disappearance of his wife. Most distressing, they happen to be his daughter Linda's new in-laws, and Wallender cannot walk away. Wallender is older, and much of the novel is spent with his internal musings about his past, his aging health, the real thoughts of retirement, and coming to terms with two of his most important relationships, two women he loved. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
The final Wallander book, and an excellent end to the series. Gripping from first to last.
LibraryThing member norinrad10
Reading Swedish fiction always requires a bit of adjustment. Life over there is extremely different and at times very dark. This is the last in the Kurt Wallander series and it as much a muse on aging as it is a detective novel. Sure there is a case involving Russian and American spies and
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political events from the 80's but it all takes a back seat to Wallanders ruminations about a life perhaps not quite well spent. He explores exactly what it means to get old. As he says, "Once a man reaches 60 most of his major decisions in life have been made". I'm glad I chose to read this one. It'll will make you think. Show Less
LibraryThing member macabr
THE TROUBLED MAN is the tenth and final book in the Kurt Wallender series. Mankell has allowed Wallender to age, to slide even deeper into the melancholy that made Kurt an unusual protagonist.
Kurt is moving into an uncertain old age. On the day he goes to lunch at a place where he is known well, he
Kurt is nearly sixty when Linda becomes pregnant. The father of her child is Hans von Enke, a banker and the son of a retired submarine commander in the Swedish Navy. Hakan gives himself a seventy-fifth birthday party and takes Wallender aside to tell him a long and confused story about foreign submarines in Swedish waters in the early 1980′s. Hakan is the officer responsible for making the submarine surface but, before the submarine emerges from the deep water, Hakan is given an order to end the activity. He never knows what country has violated Swedish waters but he believes it is the Russians.
A few months later, Hakan Von Enke leaves for his usual daily walk and disappears. His wife, Louise, knows nothing. Hans is convinced his father is alive but has no idea why the family has not heard from him. Then Louise disappars as well and Mankell crosses into Lecarre territory.
I found the beginning of the book slow but once Kurt makes up his mind to use his skills and his contacts to find Hakan the book is more like the Wallender novels readers have come to expect. Wallender is determined to provide answers for Linda and Hans. Hakan’s story about the submarines brings up the political confusion at the end of the Cold War. And then there are the rumors about the very successful Swedish spy who has been giving military secrets to the Russians, a female spy. What has this to do with Hakan?
Writing a review that doesn’t give away the story is difficult. There are many strands to this story and Mankell ties them all together at the end. Mankell treats Wallender with dignity. His health is failing and he has fears about his future. The author leaves no doubt that this is the last Wallender book. Mankell is letting him go. Readers don’t have to do so. After reading the end, I am going to go back to the beginning and meet Kurt Wallender again. He is one of fiction’s greatest characters.
Kurt is moving into an uncertain old age. On the day he goes to lunch at a place where he is known well, he
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makes the mistake that changes his life. He takes his service pistol with him and, inexplicably, leaves it at the restaurant. The owner takes it to the police station and, after, a time Wallender placed on administrative leave, his future unclear.Kurt is nearly sixty when Linda becomes pregnant. The father of her child is Hans von Enke, a banker and the son of a retired submarine commander in the Swedish Navy. Hakan gives himself a seventy-fifth birthday party and takes Wallender aside to tell him a long and confused story about foreign submarines in Swedish waters in the early 1980′s. Hakan is the officer responsible for making the submarine surface but, before the submarine emerges from the deep water, Hakan is given an order to end the activity. He never knows what country has violated Swedish waters but he believes it is the Russians.
A few months later, Hakan Von Enke leaves for his usual daily walk and disappears. His wife, Louise, knows nothing. Hans is convinced his father is alive but has no idea why the family has not heard from him. Then Louise disappars as well and Mankell crosses into Lecarre territory.
I found the beginning of the book slow but once Kurt makes up his mind to use his skills and his contacts to find Hakan the book is more like the Wallender novels readers have come to expect. Wallender is determined to provide answers for Linda and Hans. Hakan’s story about the submarines brings up the political confusion at the end of the Cold War. And then there are the rumors about the very successful Swedish spy who has been giving military secrets to the Russians, a female spy. What has this to do with Hakan?
Writing a review that doesn’t give away the story is difficult. There are many strands to this story and Mankell ties them all together at the end. Mankell treats Wallender with dignity. His health is failing and he has fears about his future. The author leaves no doubt that this is the last Wallender book. Mankell is letting him go. Readers don’t have to do so. After reading the end, I am going to go back to the beginning and meet Kurt Wallender again. He is one of fiction’s greatest characters.
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LibraryThing member etsmith
The last of Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander books. Sigh. I cannot quite accept the end of the series but Mankell leaves no doubt but that it is over. I sank into this book like a warm sleeping bag on a cold night and enjoyed every moment of reading. This is vintage Mankell--full of the 60 year old
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detective's self-doubt, gruff relationships and extraordinary insights into murder and his own troubled mind. The only downside of this book is that it ends, and I will not give away the finality of its ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member Scrabblenut
I lost myself for several days in this book. Kurt Wallander is turning 60 and feeling the effects of aging. His daughter Linda surprises him with the news that she is pregnant, and he becomes a grandfather. Linda's soon to be father-in-law disappears without a trace, and Wallander is drawn in to
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the puzzle of his disappearance. The mystery is very engaging as we follow along with all of Wallander's thoughts as he searches for answers while on vacation from the police force. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Riverwest
As much a review of Wallander's whole career as a new mystery, and I can't imagine that those who haven't read all of the earlier novels will find much in this one. (And I say that as one who has loved most of them.)
LibraryThing member khiemstra631
This was the first Kurt Wallender novel that I have read. Too bad it turned out to be the final one in the series. It is a very dark novel, but perhaps they all are. Kurt does have a grandchild in this book, which adds a little sunshine to its overall moodiness. He investigates a missing persons
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case dealing with the parents of his future son-in-law. Along the way, memory loss causes Wallender problems. The book has some surprising twists and keeps the reader's interest. Overall, it's a somber portrayal of Swedish life. Having visited Sweden, I enjoyed the scenery. Show Less
LibraryThing member magentaflake
This is his final case and the reader gradually realised that Wallander is not a well man. He is diabetic and not takiing care of himself. The story has espionage during the Cold War as its main theme but also touches on his relationship withy his daughter. A really good readand got such a shock
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when I read the last chapter. It is sad that this is the last of Wallander and sad how he ends his days. Show Less
LibraryThing member rsummer
A fitting way to end the stories of Kurt Wallender. I will miss the series very much.
LibraryThing member splinfo
This may be the last in the Kurt Wallander series and one of my favorites. An intriguing work delving into Cold War espionage.
LibraryThing member Laura400
I actually think this was the best Wallander. These always seem to have been written a little awkwardly, which I am not sure is due to a clunky writing style or the problems of translation. And the central mystery is always a little weak on motive, with ends left hanging, but honestly that worked
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perfectly with this story. I enjoyed the Wallander series immensely, and am glad Mankell finished it off so perfectly. What a great accomplishment. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dabble58
A wonderful, thoughtful book, with both a gripping mystery and the sadness of Wallander gradually losing his grip. Made me sad, thoughtful, and utterly absorbed. Wallander is such a thoughtful detective. I love spending time with him.
LibraryThing member willmurdoch
It is sad to say goodbye to Kurt Wallender and the Henning Mankell detective series he appeared in. Its with some grief that I leave his world after 10 years or so of following his life and cases in print. This life was so personal yet wonderfully discreet. I find Wallender the most satisfying
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Scandinavian detective and the books are well plotted and evocative of the southern Swedish landscape. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mijk
It's Wallander by Mankell, nothing less, but nothing more. Except for the puzzling prejudice against Icelanders - did Mankell lose money in their banks' collapse in 2008? It's interesting. Apart from that, nothing to report, just another mystery that isn't really solved, but solves itself, the way
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they most likely are. Show Less
LibraryThing member herschelian
I have read most of the Wallender books by Henning Mankell and liked some more than others. This one struck me as very slow paced - but maybe that was deliberate - and I found it was a bit of a struggle to keep going with it at times. It also made me think of the way Swedes used to be stereotyped
Over the years of reading Mankell's novels I have come to have a view of his political stance, and in this book he seems to be anti-US, which doesn't surprise me.
One thing did strike me as being very accurate - when men suspect they have something wrong with their health they often adopt the ostrich position and do nothing much about it until it is too late.
I didn't realise til I got to the end that this was to be the final Kurt Wallender book.
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as gloomy...Wallender was never a bundle of laughs, but in this book he was really depressed. Given that I am almost the same age as he is made me feel quite low. Over the years of reading Mankell's novels I have come to have a view of his political stance, and in this book he seems to be anti-US, which doesn't surprise me.
One thing did strike me as being very accurate - when men suspect they have something wrong with their health they often adopt the ostrich position and do nothing much about it until it is too late.
I didn't realise til I got to the end that this was to be the final Kurt Wallender book.
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LibraryThing member KatherineGregg
This is the last Wallander book and although I didn't think it was nearly as good as the others, it was nice to have the series neatly wrapped up. Wallander is now 60 and starting to have health problems and to get forgetful. He once again sees the love of his life, a Latvian widow of a police
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officer, before she dies. His daughter Linda, now a police officer, has found a partner named Hans with whom she has a baby. And Wallander solves his last crime which deals with Hans' parents, the Cold War, and spies. I loved the Wallander series and look forward to watching the BBC version on DVD. Show Less
LibraryThing member RDHawk6886
Excellent conclusion to an excellent series. The best part of the Wallander series is the progression of Wallander. I thought the mystery itself was compelling, definitely pulled you and made you want to unravel what was at its core. But more compelling was Wallander as he enters the later chapters
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of his life, his interactions with his daughter and former wife, granddaughter and former lover. For me, Mankell's ending for Wallender was pitch perfect. Someday, I hope to have the leisure to read them all again. Show Less
LibraryThing member amachiski
In my quest to find another Larsson book I have dug into a few Scandinavian crime mysteries. This was my first Wallander novel, and even though it was 10th in a series I found I could still follow the story easily. The plot was intricate and well-crafted but it did move at a slower pace than my
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liking (maybe to go along the pace of the older Wallander?) It included information about Swedish history with which I am unfamiliar, but which was interesting. The historical aspects were well-presented and easily woven into the story. Wallander is portrayed as a moody, thoughtful, discerning person who works hard at his job and is determined to solve the case. The sad part is, he is beginning to show signs of age and he is worried about his health. He is reviewing his life and questioning the choices he has made. A lot of people from his past make appearances to help wrap up the series. I found it this aspect a bit tedious but maybe because I was not connected to Wallander due to not reading the past books in the series. Overall, I enjoyed Mankell's style and would probably read more of this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member picardyrose
The mystery was interesting, but the detective suffers so, you feel guilty for expecting him to solve the crime.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Oh (expletive deleted.) I so didn't want this book to end the way the epilogue did. I saw it coming, and with each foreshadow said, "No! No! No!) I'm shattered.
It was a little disconcerting when I first started reading, because the last one in the series I read was actually the second book, where
Goodbye, Kurt. May you live your final years surrounded by the love of your family. You've earned it. I'll miss you.
It was a little disconcerting when I first started reading, because the last one in the series I read was actually the second book, where
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Kurt met Baiba. This one takes place 15 years after he last saw her. I hadn't realized, when I started reading, that "The Troubled Man" was announced as the last Wallender book. Now I'm sitting here snuffling and wiping tears away, as I absorb that I've lost yet another old friend and favorite series. The story was a good mystery, but the personal details of Wallender's relationship with Linda, Mona, and Baiba really got to me, as did his fears of following in his father's footsteps. I, too, have the worry of losing my memory as I age, and felt that Mankell did a beautiful job putting the reader in Wallender's thoughts and fears. I have read the series out of order, so still have a few books to go back and read -- thank goodness. Goodbye, Kurt. May you live your final years surrounded by the love of your family. You've earned it. I'll miss you.
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LibraryThing member AntT
Absolutely first rate, as expected. Devastated with the denoument!
LibraryThing member AntT
Absolutely first rate, as expected. Devastated with the denoument!
LibraryThing member MsGumby
This is the last Wallander book, and although it's really sad in parts, it's also very deep and moving. Henning never shies away from difficult subjects, which is really courageous. Plus the plot is amazing, as always. I'm really sorry this series has come to an end!
LibraryThing member stuart10er
The first Wallander that I read. This one was great. It greatly uses Linda as well and seems to be a bridge to the Linda Wallander series as she is a detective by this time. She has had a baby and her boyfriends parents go missing. Wallander has to find out what happened. Really like it.
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
384 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
0307593495 / 9780307593498
Other editions
The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell (Paperback)