Praise for the Kurt Wallander series:

• "No crime writer balances genre conventions with personal concerns as well as Mankell." The
Boston Globe

• "Mankell is that unusual thing: a European thriller writer whose work holds up as literature." The
New York Times

• "The Wallander series [is] essential reading for all crime-fiction fans." Booklist

CHARACTER

Like the Martin Beck series which inaugurated the genre in the 1960s, Wallander combines
procedural detail and social commentary with an emphasis on the bleak Scandinavian landscape that
mirrors the brooding protagonist. Following the tradition laid down by Sjöwall and Wahlöö,
Wallander’s investigations

Mankell refers to the Wallander series as novels of Swedish unrest. With this guide we take a
retrospective look at the books in turn, many for the first time here on Crime Fiction Lover, and then
outline the various video adaptations that are available – some of which are excellent.

https://crimefictionlover.com/2015/06/the-ultimate-guide-to-henning-mankells-
wallander/#:~:text=Kurt%20Wallander%2C%20a%20detective%20in,him%20to%20nab%20a
%20murderer.

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PLOT STORY

However, it turns out to be a frustrating investigation that involves digging around in archives, trying
to jog the memories of elderly locals and heading down a few blind alleys. As autumn turns to
winter, Wallander displays his rage at the lack of resources for a case of murder that probably
happened more than 50 years earlier. Bureacratic targets are getting in his way. But the job is the
one part of Wallander’s life that’s a success. He makes a breakthrough and the property gives up
more of its secrets.

https://crimefictionlover.com/2014/08/an-event-in-autumn/

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In his afterword, following an explanation of where AN EVENT IN AUTUMN fits chronologically,

Henning Mankell writes: “There are no more stories about Kurt Wallander.” Tragic for long-time
readers; I can only imagine my reaction when Connelly permanently retires Bosch, or Child sends
Reacher to an early grave; heck, I was distraught when Rebus retired, until Rankin brought him back
to work cold cases.

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You won’t be a bit surprised, if you’re a Scandi fan, to hear that An Event in Autumn is suffused with
autumnal melancholy. Kurt Wallander dreams of a house, a dog and a new woman – instead, he
finds a body in a garden.

The case isn’t seen as a priority to start with, so in that manner much beloved of so many Scandi
cops, Kurt and Co toddle around and ask some questions, apparently always taking the answers at
face value. Any cynicism is never extended to wondering whether people are lying to them …

http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/review/1838

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Ystad, Sweden. October, 2002.

https://eurocrime.blogspot.com/2015/10/review-event-in-autumn-by-henning.html

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….

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/henning-mankell/an-event-in-autumn/

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https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/12381/An-Event-in-Autumn-by-Henning-Mankell.html

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https://tmorris.utasites.cloud/lection/151011.html

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There’s a decent plot and it’s a shame it wasn’t given the opportunity to open out in Mankell’s
trademark way. There could have been plenty of twists and turns before we reached the final
conclusion but the length of the story didn’t allow this. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable both for the
glimpses into fifties Swedish attitudes and also for the descriptions of the wonderful Scanian
countryside that we got when Wallander visited his father in earlier books.

https://crimepieces.com/2015/01/13/review-henning-mankell-an-event-in-autumn/

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I really enjoyed An Event in Autumn. It's not the finest detective tale but then the Wallanders were
never really crime novels but Mankell's way to examine the various social concerns he had. In a
fascinating addition at the end of the book, Mankell describes that his first Wallander, Faceless
Killers, was not about a detective but about the worrying rise in racism the writer was witnessing in
Sweden. "When I began to began to think about what kind of story it would be, it soon dawned on
me that the natural path to follow was a crime novel. This was obvious because in my world racist
acts are criminal outrages. A logical consequence of this was that I would need a investigator, a
crime expert, a police officer." Though a smaller piece and therefore with less social commentary, An
Event in Autumn covers strong thematic ground, from attitudes towards outsiders in wartime
Sweden to wider themes of loss, regret and guilt. Mankell has always channelled much of himself
through Kurt and the novel has an underlining awareness of aging and loss, life a casting off. Autumn
signifies not just a season but this period in Kurt's life, the detective all too aware that are fewer
years ahead than behind. Wallander wakes up feeling tired, bickers with Linda, who is living with
him, and loses his patience easily. "Perhaps what I want most of all," the detective muses, "is not to
have to think about myself. About the increasing feeling of repugnance I'm carrying around inside
myself and which I don't discuss with anyone else at all." The book is peopled with those who feel at
odds with life, left out, marginalised or at the end of their time. It's a novel permeated with the
deepest sadness and yet not one without hope. Kurt may be the most miserable copper in fiction but
he cares about the cases he works, finding the answer to the two deaths. The solution is a simple,
horrible human tragedy, appropriate for this most human of characters.
https://theblogofdelights.blogspot.com/2020/05/an-event-in-autumn-by-henning-mankell.html

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Though this novel is relatively contemporary, admittedly it was written years earlier as a bonus for
book purchasers. The heart of the mystery is embedded in the past: the murky years of World WW
II, when the movements of soldiers and war refugees made tracking individuals more difficult,
especially with the antiquated methods for keeping records that have since been replaced by current
technology.

For fans of Sweden’s Inspector Kurt Wallander, this short tale is an unexpected treat, especially as
Mankell notes in his separate section “Mankell on Wallander” that “there are no more stories about
Kurt Wallander,” a comment that adds a note of nostalgia to the novel. Much of what makes
Wallander such a relatable if curmudgeonly police detective is present in this slow-paced mystery.
After years as a divorced man, currently living in an apartment with his daughter, new police officer
Linda, and within walking distance of the Ystad Police department, Wallander has begun to imagine
himself in a house, a place to finish out his years, perhaps with a dog as a companion. When a
colleague mentions a house in Loderup that is for sale and in the right price range, Kurt decides to
take a look.

Once on the premises, Kurt is already half-imagining himself as the new owner when, as an
afterthought, he returns to the garden where he nearly stumbles over an obstacle. Meaning to
inspect the cause of this stumble, an issue nagging at his subconscious, Wallander discovers on
closer examination the bones of a human hand extending from the dirt. The potential site of
Wallander’s future suddenly loses its appeal, now a crime scene. Eventually, after the forensics team
examines the property, not only one body but another is unearthed—a female and a male. The
problem is identification once the length of time since the deaths has been determined. With the
rigorous attention to detail and refusal to give up no matter how hopeless a task characteristic of
this detective, the mystery is eventually solved, though not without significant drama and a violent
conclusion that nearly costs Wallander his life.

Though this taste of Detective Kurt Wallander at work one more time is welcome, albeit a
bittersweet reminder that his story is over, Mankell’s essay “Mankell on Wallander” is equally
refreshing and insightful as the author discusses the evolution of his protagonist gleaned from
material in diaries he kept through the years, Wallander’s challenges as a police officer, the changing
nature of crime, and an understanding of the complex society he inhabits. Drawing from his own
experiences, Mankell has kept Wallander relevant, plagued with the usual human flaws of such
popular characters, a reflection of the author’s own engagement with the world, suggesting how the
passage of time informs the books we choose, the authors who tell the stories that become our
favorites.

https://www.curledup.com/event_in_autumn.htm
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http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/mystery-book-reviews/mankell-event-
autumn.html#.YUimhrgzbik

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‘It was getting colder’ is how one early chapter ends, and like a long poem lines similar to that recur
at the end of many other stanzas. At the same time, we are presented with Swedishness, people
who only speak when they have something to say, neighbours being neighbours, not friends, and
with the prospect of life in old-age homes, where the inner silence and the outer silence merge. It
may be what Mankell has called ‘the Swedish aniexty’.

In its own quiet way, this is a powerful piece of writing. It’s as if its setting the stage for the last
Wallander book, and it even recalls ‘Wallander’s First Case’, which appeared in the collection The
Pyramid. It makes an interesting bookend to that fascinating career.

Mankell himself writes about Wallander in an essay appended to the story, dated 2013. It’s
interesting as much for what is left out as for what is included, but it’s good for putting the character
into the place in which the author would like him to rest. May he rest in that place, and in the ones
many of us have made for him in our own imaginations.

https://www.crimetime.co.uk/An-Event-In-Autumn-Henning-Mankell/

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henning_Mankell

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This short tale is an absolute pleasure to read and worth luxuriating in. Mankell notes at the end:
“There are no more stories about Kurt Wallander” and “I’m not the one who will miss him. It’s the
reader.” Indeed.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/21/an-event-in-autumn-review-henning-mankell-
kurt-wallander-back

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Henning Mankell is a Swedish crime writer, children’s author, activist and dramatist, best known for
his series of mystery novels involving the character Inspector Kurt Wallander. He is married to Eva
Bergman, daughter of Ingmar Bergman.

Listen to Henning Mankell’s 2011 BBC World Book Club interview here.

Why I write

I think I was meant to tell stories. I write to better understand the world we live in, either my social
and political views are personified through my characters and their environment or not. I often try to
speak for the cause of Africa. I want to show another reality, or the same reality through another
perspective, and trigger the reader to raise questions and to reflect on other people’s situations and
conditions.

Do you write every day? If so, how many hours?

Yes, I do write every day. I believe in hard work. I am very dedicated to my work and I am extremely
disciplined when I write.

Best source of inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere. From my own experiences, and the experiences of others. I also read a
lot. I find reading incredibly important not only for finding inspiration as a writer, but for what can be
learned outside our own reality. Books are messengers telling us about worlds we cannot experience
ourselves and if they are good they teach us something new and encourage us to think critically. I try
to live as simple as possible but if there is something I allow my self to spend money and time on, it
is books. As a creative person, I drain myself all the time, so collecting impressions becomes my rest.
It is as if I fill the boat with water instead of emptying it, and when the boat starts sinking it’s time to
empty it again.

How often do you get writers’ block / doubt your own ability?

I don’t really get writers’ block. But it’s a hard thing, working with your creativity. It would be strange
if it was easy. You have to overcome the difficulties!

Favorite book? Favorite writer?

I have steadily read John Le Carré, always from The Spy Came in From the Cold in 1963. Le Carré is
the author who has inspired me the most, because he is interested, as I am, in the mental landscape
of things. I mean, what is Wallander doing? He is going around, thinking, page after page after page.
And that is what interests me. The thinking. I admire the way he develops George Smiley with each
subsequent book. If you call Le Carré a crime writer, he investigates the contradictions inside man,
between men, and between man and society; and I hope to do the same. I also think that
Shakespeare’s Macbeth is one of the best crime novels ever written.

You look back at the first thing you had published and think…

My first novel, The Stone Blaster, was released in 1972, shortly after my father died. It tells the story
of the workers’ union movement and is still in print in Sweden. It is about an old man looking back
on his life and on Swedish society and the need for solidarity. Although my father passed away
before my first novel was published I knew he believed in me and was confident that I would have
success as a writer.