Kurt Wallander, a detectiveIn the small Swedish coastal town of Ystad lives a very dedicated cop with a knack for reading crime scenes. Its peculiarclock powerconsists of making subconscious observations that nag him until they manifest in the nick of time that he can become the killer. Wallander, the ultimate bloodhound, takes his bags home, where with his opera collection and a glass of wine he tries to ward off the evil that people do, and his own desperation. Wallander is irritable, cantankerous and has a strong aversion to politics that gets in the way of police work. Wallander's small social circle includes his sharp-witted daughter Linda and his father, an aneccentric painter.
The Wallander books by Henning Mankell (pictured) have become international bestsellers. Their success may come down to the simple fact that Wallander is both a hero and an everyman. We guide him through the intimate milestones of his life as he searches for justice, but also for a girlfriend, a new home, a dog. With the same financial worries and physical ailments as the citizens he's sworn to protect, he's a cop who unhesitatingly puts public safety above his own.
This is what the reader gets from Wallander: a fascinating and complex procedure, an exciting plot, and gradually the Swedish landscape, strong seasons and regional dialects. But above all we become involved in Wallander's life and existential concerns. When his thankless job, loneliness and the fear of death pull at him, Wallander comforts himself with the deep sense of responsibility of his former partner Rydberg, whose investigative spells continue to strengthen Wallander's conscience and sense of duty throughout the series.
Nordic Noir wins
Mankell's Wallander series began in 1991 with Faceless Killers and ended in 2009 with The Troubled Man, which was translated into English in 2014. Wallander is synonymous with Nordic noir, a crime fiction genre that helped Mankell's melancholic hero usher in the mainstream and inspire readers and crime fiction writers worldwide. Many readers have discovered the books thanks to the worldwide success of the television series starring Krister Henriksson.
Like theMartin Beckseries that ushered in the genre in the 1960s, Wallander combines procedural detail and social commentary with an emphasis on the bleak Scandinavian landscape that reflects the brooding protagonist. Following the tradition of Sjöwall and Wahlöö, Wallander's investigations expose the dark underbelly of society, hidden just below the promised land of Swedish social democracy.
Mankell refers to the Wallander series as Swedish unrest novels. With this guide, we'll look at the books in turn, many of them for the first time here on Crime Fiction Lover, and then outline the various video adaptations available - some of which are excellent.
The Books, 1991-2009
Killers Anonymous (Murderer without a face– 1991)
The series' Glass Key Award-winning debut introduces Kurt Wallander, a divorced, heavy-drinking detective in his 40s. His daughter won't talk to him, and his eccentric father still disapproves of him joining the force. We meet the rest of the team, Wallander's mentor Rydberg and newcomer Martinsson, as they respond to a murder on a remote Skånian farm. An elderly man is found beaten to death and his wife dies after saying the word "foreigner". In the midst of a latent xenophobia that escalates into violence and whimsy, Wallander faces pressure from the press and prosecutor Annette Brolin, to whom he finds himself drawn.
Buy now on Amazon
The Dogs of Riga (The dogs in Riga– 1992)
With the death of his mentor Rydberg, Wallander's personal concerns threaten to weaken him. As if to justify his desperation, the bodies of two tortured Eastern Bloc gangsters are found huddled in a beached sloop dating back to the Latvian city of Riga. Major Liepa is sent to help, then returns to Riga only to be killed himself. Wallander goes to Riga and encounters a deeply corrupt post-Soviet apparatus. He falls in love with Baiba, the major's widow, and they both barely escape alive. This title shows Mankell's personal convictions and his gift for writing complex, suspenseful thrillers.
Buy now on Amazon
The white lioness (Den Vita lioness– 1993)
Wallander's murder investigation once again takes him to a remote location. When a local realtor disappears, Wallander's instincts tell him she's dead. But when an explosion leads him to the body, he also finds the remains of a terrorist outpost: an advanced radio, a weapon and a severed human finger of African descent are found in the ashes. By the time he solves it, Wallander realizes he must go to South Africa to prevent an assassination attempt that threatens to destabilize the entire country. Hunter and hunt switch sides in this gripping thriller that culminates in a thrilling shootout.
Buy now on Amazon
The Man Who Laughed (The man who laughed– 1994)
Wallander has a breakdown after shooting a man to death in the previous book, and takes a year off. He considers quitting altogether, but work is the best medicine. An old friend who suspects his father's death was itself a crime is murdered, sparking Kurt's instincts and his sense of duty. All roads seem to lead to a prominent businessman with strong ties to the authorities, but he is elusive and virtually untouchable. Fortunately, Wallander is assisted by a new police officer, Ann-Britt Höglund, who helps him uncover the truth. What they discover is as horrifying as it is far-reaching.
Buy now on Amazon
On a sidetrack (Red Herring– 1995)
When Wallander helps respond to a local unrest, he spots a young woman setting herself on fire in a field. A senior official is hacked to death and scalped, marking the beginning of a series of murders. What is the pattern that connects the murders? Is there a connection to the gruesome suicide that haunts him so much? Wallander yearns for his long-distance love Baiba, the widow of the murdered Latvian agent from Dogs of Riga. Much to his chagrin, he must solve the series of murders amidst the restructuring of the Swedish police and the distraction caused by the World Cup, two subjects she has no interest in.
Buy now on Amazon
The Fifth Wife (The fifth wife)
Things are looking good for Wallander after returning from a trip to Italy with his father where they finally bonded. But he must put his personal life aside when an elderly bird watcher is found impaled in a bamboo stick booby trap rigged near his home. The only clue is a series of poetry written by the seemingly innocent old man. But the murder of four nuns and a visiting woman in Africa during the book's prologue hints that revenge is on the way. When an orchid collector is found tortured to death, Wallander must catch a serial killer in the face of a growing militia movement.
Buy now on Amazon
One step behind (After baked– 1997)
This was published in English in 2002 and is a very complex and exciting story. Wallander must solve the murders of three youths who were executed during their midsummer party in the woods. He must come to terms with his father's death and ill health when a close colleague is found brutally murdered in his own home. As the hunt for a cop killer begins, Wallander soldiers on despite overwhelming fatigue. There are few clues, including a photo of an unknown woman, and very few answers until the final suspenseful chapters of this intricately crafted masterpiece bring it all together. Read our reviewhere.
Buy now on Amazon
Firewall (Firewall– 1998)
A man drops dead in front of an ATM and two teenage girls confess to killing a taxi driver for no apparent reason. While Wallander despairs over his diagnosis of diabetes and the general state of humanity, a betrayal within his own ranks raises his temper. As one of the teen killers escapes custody, a blackout plunges southern Sweden into darkness, leading to a dead body found at the power station. Wallander feels out of league with a suspected global cyber-terrorism plot, but he's aided by an attractive hacker who may be able to breathe new life into his hopeless love life.
Buy now on Amazon
From Pyramid (pyramids– 1999)
Fans can indulge themselves with this collection of five short stories about Wallander. The stories cover his career from his earliest days as a police officer in Malmö, his very first case, meeting his future wife and a recent encounter with his father. This prequel collection, which should technically come first in the series' timeline, fills in essential details about Wallander's character, which are woven into five fascinating murder cases.
Buy now on Amazon
Before the frost (Before frost– 2002)
This book was originally intended as the start of a series around Linda Wallander, in which Kurt's daughter joins the police force. However, the suicide of actress Johanna Sällström, who played Linda in the Wallander TV series, moved Henning Mankell so deeply that he abandoned the idea. Linda has just graduated from the academy and is eager to join the Ystad Police Department. The disappearance of a childhood friend coincides with a case her father is working on. A bizarre murder and a rewritten Bible point to religious fanaticism and massacres. From Linda's perspective, we gain more insight into the relationship between Wallander and his daughter.
Buy now on Amazon
An event in autumn (Hands– 2004)
This novella was originally printed in Dutch asThe gravefor the crime fiction festival in the Netherlands. It takes place just before Linda becomes a police officer and Kurt is looking for a house. The soon-to-retire detective's best prospect is a quaint house shown to him by his colleague Martinsson...until Wallander discovers a human hand sticking out of the ground, beckoning him to solve the mystery. The real bonus here is Mankell's retrospective afterword entitled How it Started, How it Finished and What Happened in Between, in which he sums up his feelings about Wallander and the series. It came out in English last year and you can read our reviewhere.
Buy now on Amazon
The Confused Man (the worried man– 2009)
Wallander investigates the disappearance of retired naval officer Håkan von Enke, who happens to be his daughter's future father-in-law. To his dismay, Wallander discovers that he is a victim of the same illness that claimed his father. With a surprise visit from his long-lost love Baiba, he discovers that she is also terminally ill. When von Enke's wife is found dead, Wallander races to solve the mystery of an espionage scandal with Cold War roots. In this swan song for the series, Wallander's past is the protagonist and his entire life's journey is portrayed: his loves, conflicts with his father, his relationship with his daughter and his joy of being a grandfather.
Buy now on Amazon
There is also a standalone novel,The Return of the Dance Master (The return of the dance teacher), based on the character Stefan Lindman, who goes from cadet to police officer in the Wallander series. While Lindman is on sick leave following a cancer diagnosis, he investigates the murder of a retired colleague and encounters a neo-Nazi network with strong roots in World War II Germany.
The Movies, 1994-2007
Viewers who are only familiar with the Swedish Wallander, played by Krister Henriksson, will be fascinated to see the first actor to play the role, Rolf Lassgård. Lassgård is a flawless actor whose great stature enters the understated atmosphere of these slow-burning thrillers from Sweden. These films were direct adaptations of the books and were serialized, theatrical, or direct-to-video productions.
Killers Anonymous (Murderer without a face– 1994)A four-part television miniseries
The Dogs of Riga (The dogs in Riga– 1995)A feature film
The white lioness (Den Vita lioness– 1996)A feature film
On a sidetrack (Red Herring– 2001)Made for TV movie, written by Mankell himself
The Fifth Wife (The 5th wife– 2002)A two-part miniseries
The Man Who Laughed (The man who laughed– 2003)Made for TV movie
One step behind (After baked– 2005)A feature film
Firewall (Firewall– 2006)A two-part miniseries
From Pyramid (pyramids– 2007)A TV movie, also starring Gustaf Skarsgård as the young Wallander
The Swedish TV series, 2005-2013
Legions of fans swear their allegiance to Krister Henriksson as the definitive Wallander (pronounced correctlyWallachians) and it's easy to understand why. Mankell, who contributed to this series of original stories based on the character, is too diplomatic to take sides, but we'll leave it to you to judge. Three series were created by Yellow Bird in Sweden, watched by legions of fans around the world with English subtitles. The cool, sombre tone and calm scenery are nicely juxtaposed with the passions that erupt with every crime, in every episode.
While Kurt Wallander is the focal point, throughout the series there is a developing relationship between his daughter Linda and young detective Stefan Lindman, but later we meet young cops Isabelle and Pontus who are equally young and inexperienced. Wallander's colleagues such as the tough Svartman, the sharp-witted Jan Martinsson and the forensic expert Nyberg give the cast depth, recognisability and continuity as the programs progress.
Serie 1 (2005-2006)
Before the frost (Before frost)In the only episode in the first series, based on a book, Linda has just joined the Ystad Corps and helps her father with an animal torture case that becomes the prelude to the ritual murder of humans.
The village idiot (The city flag)An innocent, mentally ill man known to the locals for claiming to be Sitting Bull's son enters a bank in town and threatens to blow it up if money is not transferred to an account. When the device around his neck turns out to be a real bomb, his stunt is no laughing matter. Kurt Wallander and his team realize that the case is more complex and far-reaching than they can imagine.
The brothers (The brothers)A wealthy couple is found murdered in their mansion. Wallander and his team determine that they were both tortured and that the woman must first have been raped in front of her husband. Linda and new Detective Inspector Stefan Lindman prove their mettle when they discover the motive was revenge.
The darkness (The darkness)On a beautiful summer day, a child is found abandoned in a parked car. Her father is nowhere to be found and her mother, committed to an insane asylum, cannot help Linda much, who has to take charge when Kurt falls ill.
The African (Africans)While a local political candidate takes a stand against anti-immigrant sentiment in Ystad, an African man is found murdered on a Polish train. Not only are these two events linked, but the murder weapon has been traced back to an old friend of Kurt's.
The cheaters (The weakpunk tien)A horse breeder trampled to death by his horse turns out to be a murder case. As Kurt interrogates neighbors, they discover that the simple farmer led a secret life, but the discovery of a stash of Polaroid photos leads to a dark underworld of sex, submission and murder.
BrainKurt is distracted from investigating a brutal murder when a fellow cop Martinsson's daughter is kidnapped. To make matters worse, a mysterious mastermind manipulates events from within the police force.
The photographer (photographers)The body of a woman found in Ystad turns out to be American. It soon became clear that she was visiting an internationally renowned photographer from the area. When Kurt investigates both her background and that of her jealous husband, he discovers that the murder may also have international roots.
The container truck (The cloak)An unattended truck parked on the outskirts of town arouses suspicion. When Linda Wallander investigates, she discovers that it is full of dead bodies, and that the only survivor among the undocumented victims is a child. Identifying the victims and the owner of the stolen truck is just the beginning of the search for those responsible.
The castle ruin (The castle in the sky)An eccentric old man enters a bank with three dogs in tow and withdraws a huge sum: 20 million kroner. A few days later, he and his dogs are poisoned, and there is no trace of the money. Suspicion turns to a neighbor, but he and his family are also killed. Should they follow the money, or is there some other sinister motive?
The Black King (Blood ties)A woman murdered on a boat leads the investigation to a commune where Linda's former lover lives. Her new lover and colleague Stefan thinks the man is involved. Linda disagrees, but that doesn't stop Stefan and Kurt from delving into his past in search of answers.
The Joker (The Joker)An eight-year-old girl is the only witness to her mother's murder in front of her café. When it is learned that the woman was a protected drug informant, a macho cop from a neighboring police station is called in to assist in a case that leaves us guessing until the very end.
The secret (The secret)The murder of a young boy on an abandoned farm opens up the world of child pornography and pedophilia and strikes a personal chord with Stefan, whose personal struggle forces him to turn the case over to Kurt and Linda.
Wallander – Collected Movies Series 1 on Amazon
Serie 2 (2009-2010)
The revenge (The revenge)As Kurt and his colleagues toast his new home, they don't celebrate for long. Ystad goes into a blackout, followed by a series of murders whose terrorist implications lead to the involvement of the Secret Service, the military and the Defense Minister.
The guilt (Debt)A missing six-year-old boy is found dead. As the team explores other lines of inquiry, Martisson is convinced the perpetrator is a recently released pedophile, leading to an unfortunate escalation of whimsy in the surrounding town.
The Courier (The Courier)A murdered drug runner leads to a local biker gang who threaten Isabelle and Svartman. A young recruit in the gang is their chance to infiltrate and break up the vicious drug ring.
The thief (The thief)A spate of burglaries leads residents to beat up a Polish immigrant, whom they believe is a thief. When his wife later reports him missing, Kurt finds a photo of a dead woman on the man's phone, which in turn leads to one of the vigilantes.
De cellist (cellists)After watching her perform at a cello recital, Kurt saves a beautiful cellist from a car bomb afterwards, and again when she is attacked in the hospital. He may have to rescue her a third time, as he discovers she is a target of the Russian mafia.
The priest (The priest)A priest is shot after leaving the arms of a local businessman's wife. When the priest dies, the murder weapon is found in the businessman's home and he is charged with the crime. As Kurt investigates the husbands of both parties, he becomes convinced that the man has been set up.
The leak (The leak)The robbery of a security van, accompanied by a random killing and car bombs as a distraction, also falls victim to Isabelle and the young recruit Pontus. Suspecting a leak within the security company is responsible, Kurtsu seeks advice from an old friend in the company.
The Sniper (Archer)A teenage sniper kills a thief, his girlfriend and a cop. As Kurt ponders the young sniper's motive, Pontus goes rogue and is nearly killed, and we learn about his past.
The Angel of Death (The angel of death)A chorus girl disappears after a local performance. Interrogating her former boyfriend gets Kurt nowhere, but when another member disappears, he begins to take a closer look at the choir's other singers.
has ghost (They storm)A couple having an extramarital affair is blown up in a beach house. Kurt investigates the business dealings of the affected spouses, but the motive may be revenge of a very personal nature.
The Heritage (Inherited)The owner of a cider factory is stabbed to death. When a series of suspects are murdered inside the property itself, Isabelle and Pontus must look after the heiress' wife while keeping their new-found passion for each other in check.
The collector (The collection agency)Isabelle graduates, but her departure from the force and her cooling off with Pontus is put on hold when her friend is murdered. The investigation exposes Isabelle's past in a way that forces her to choose between two worlds.
The witness (The witness)The eponymous witness is a young girl who sees a crime and goes into hiding. Kurt and prosecutor Kristina Ahlsell are both shocked when he narrowly escapes a car bomb intended for her. Kurt realizes the human trafficking case she's prosecuting is related to a murder when the young witness asks him for protection.
Wallander – Collected Films Series 2 on Amazon
Serie 3 (2013)
The Confused Man (the worried man)The final series begins like the first, with an episode adapted into a book. Charlotte Jonsson reprises the role of Linda Wallander. Kurt, now grandfather, loses his gun. Although suspended for the incident, he investigates the disappearance of his new father-in-law, which involves a historic submarine incident in Swedish waters.
The missing (Missing)A little girl eludes her feuding parents, who are both suing for custody. Wallander enlists the help of a suspect from a similar case years earlier to find the missing girl.
The betrayal (The betrayal)Kurt investigates the murder of a woman found not far from her home. He realizes that her husband is not the only suspect and that his own amnesia can no longer be ignored.
The loss (The missing)A young woman found in pieces turns out to be a case of human trafficking. Kurt is no longer in charge due to his weak memory, but he continues when his colleagues don't see things from his perspective.
The Arsonist (The arsonist)When a convicted arsonist is released from prison, he is attacked by vigilantes after local fires start. Kurt, now officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's, tries to hide the fact from his family and colleagues as he struggles to crack the case despite his deteriorating condition.
The sad bird (The mourning bird)When a local restaurateur is kidnapped, Kurt suspects that the Malmö police are involved. Despite his deteriorating health, he must solve the last case of his career for the Ystad Police Department, but his greatest challenge is facing his own mortality and the prospect of being alone in his final days.
Wallander – Collected Films Series 3 on Amazon
The British TV series, 2008-2015
In both Britain and America, many associate the name Wallander with the English actor and director Kenneth Branagh. The BBC production retains some aspects of the Swedish original - including Yellow Bird as producer - and even a shooting location in Sweden. Branagh's version consists of adaptations of the books characterized by the Shakespearean gravitas she brings to the role along the quiet minimalism of the Swedish backdrop. There have been four series, each of just three or four episodes.
On a side track
One step behind
Anonymous killers
The man who laughed
The fifth wife
An event in the fall
The dogs of Riga
Before frost
The white lioness
The troubled man(in two parts)
Wallander – Boxset series 1-3
Young Wallander, 2020
The highly anticipated Netflix film Young Wallander was worth the wait, but it may not be as Scandinavian as some fans of Henning Mankell's detective character have expected. Yellow Bird produced all three television versions, including this one about Wallander's rookie years. While the ghost of Mankell is clearly present, the show is not strictly Swedish. Expect something more along the lines of Kenneth Branagh's Wallander, set mainly in Sweden, but without a single Swedish word being spoken. And indeed, apart from Adam Pålsson in the role of the young Wallander, the cast is dominated by British actors. By the way, if you want to hear Pålsson speak Swedish in a criminal element, we recommend the excellent Walter Presents seriesBefore we die.
Another notable feature of Young Wallander is the decidedly modern vibe and setting that replaces the show's origins in the sleepy, picturesque seaside town of Ystad. Coincidentally, Adam Pålsson is actually from the city. The events now take place around Rosengård, a notoriously gang-infested immigrant neighborhood of Malmö, with the action punctuated by a striking hip-hop soundtrack. However, the classic Scandinavian noir themes are present: social welfare, class privileges, immigration and xenophobia are issues that are as prominent in Young Wallander as they are in previous novels and shows.
The Wallander here is the one we know and love, only younger. A decent, dedicated cop with a strong sense of justice. Since this is a prequel of sorts, even though it's set in the present, fans of Wallander will be looking forward to certain trials and tribulations that await the soul-searching cop, including a bad marriage, anger issues, and the demon of alcoholism. However, don't expect a direct film adaptation of the novels, but rather a freer character-based TV series, more like the popular Scandi seriesClue, preserving certain elements and characters.
Episode 1The grenade murder of student Hugo Lundgren in the same neighborhood as agent Kurt Wallander has a terrorist flavor. Wallander meets with DI Hemberg and Rask, who put him on the case and promote the reluctant newbie over his academy mate Reza. A hooded Middle Eastern suspect seen at the scene is sought, but local boy Ibra, an acquaintance of Wallander's, is being held as a suspected accomplice. Wallander recruits local gang boss Bash to catch the real criminal. During a white supremacist anti-immigration rally and raid on a church/refugee center, Wallander spots the suspect and runs after him, stabbing him with a knife during his apprehension and escapes.
Episode 2Wallander wakes up in the hospital and learns from Reza's wife that he was seriously injured by Wallander's flight from the scene. Wallander meets Mona, a social activist who taunted him at the meeting, but who now tends to his wounds and may be an ally. The grenade used in the assassination has been traced to a Bosnian smuggler. Wallander learns from the grieving mother that Hugo went to a shady club the night before his murder. Ibra's gang connections keep him quiet, and on Hemberg's advice, Wallander himself keeps quiet about his attacker's identity in order to stick to the case. When Wallander inquires at the club where the smuggler frequents, he is attacked again.
Episode 3A beaten up Wallander stumbles back to the refugee center for more first aid and answers from Mona. He and Rask discover that Wallander's refugee center and community center are both connected to billionaire philanthropist Gustav Munck, whom they question. Dark web forums connect both the grenade killing and the attack on the refugee center. At the relocated refugee center, a pregnant resident goes missing and Kurt's instincts send him straight to the hooded man, Zemar, and his pregnant wife. Wallander's empathy wins out over the desperate couple, but before he can get any answers, Zemar is silenced by a sniper as they arrive at the station.
Episode 4Zemar's killer is Hugos' vengeful father Rickard, but who within the force leaked Zemar's arrival? Wallander is looking for the true director of events. Reza is on the mend enough to help Wallander, whom Hemberg has put on hold for a few days due to overload. Zemar's pregnant widow, about to be deported, sheds light on Hugo's last night. Bash gives him an alibi, but Ibra is back on the street. Wallander's desperation and his relationship with Mona deepen. The link between Gustav Munck and Hugo Lundgren extends to Hugo's best friend Isak, who has gone missing. When Isak is found, he reveals his role as a drug supplier to Munck's exclusive parties.
Episode 5Wallander loses Mona's trust when he uses her to get to the untouchable Munck, who turns out to be Mona's ex. Isak points to the mugshot of the same Bosnian thug who beat up Wallander in the club, leading them to a possible link between Gustav Munck and Eman "Dodo" Dodovic, another untouchable criminal Hemberg has been after for years. As Reza, Rask and Wallander dig deeper into Munck's boarding school days, an inheritance called ideikommiss and a connection to Dodo, it's still not clear why Hugo was killed in such a dramatic fashion. Wallander finds out why Munck was expelled from boarding school and tracks down the boy he tortured, or was Gustav the perpetrator after all?
Episode 6All eyes are now on Karl-Axel Munck and Dodo and fringe characters take center stage, including Bash. The Murder Squad considers Karl-Axel's motives in light of his dying father, Munck patriarch Leopold, who has made Gustav his new heir. Wallander has a tense run-in with a rival gang that Ibra initiated and saves him with Bash's help. Wallander confronts Leopold directly and the Dodo connection leads them to believe there are still unknown explosives that can be used for a final assault. The team rushes to Gustav who they believe is in danger, and an explosion claims the life of one of the team members. Ibra gets his football contract back and Mona returns to Wallander, but Karl-Axel goes free. Wallander's desperation causes him to leave the police force.
Finally, another curiosity...
From talisman (Of talisman)Co-created by Henning Mankell (Wallander) and Jan Guillou (Hamilton), The Talisman is an eight-part TV series that originally aired in 2003. The character of Wallton, a playful amalgamation of Wallander and Hamilton, combines the authors' signature police characters into one. Wallton is a cop who is on the wrong side of the law and ends up in prison, where he meets a wealthy consul who convinces Wallton track down a magical talisman. During his adventures, Wallton meets Ystad detectives Kurt Wallander and Anne-Britt Höglund. And if all that wasn't enough, Wallton meets Henning Mankell and Jan Guillou himself in a bar, where the authors discuss how best to dramatize Wallton's story.
Want more Scandinavian crime fiction – read our guidesHarry Gat,Inspector Victory,Martin BeckInDetective Erlendur.