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The Man Who Smiled

Kurt Wallander

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The Man Who Smiled

By: Henning Mankell, Laurie Thompson - translator
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
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Crestfallen, dejected and spiralling into an alcohol-fuelled depression after killing a man in the line of duty, Inspector Kurt Wallander has made up his mind to quit the police force for good. When an old acquaintance, a solicitor, seeks Wallander's help to investigate the suspicious circumstances in which his father has died, Kurt doesn't want to know. But when the solicitor also turns up dead, shot three times, Wallander realises that he was wrong not to listen. Against his better judgment, he returns to work to head what may now have become a double murder case. A rookie female detective has joined the force is his absence, and he adopts the role of mentor to her as they fight to unravel the mystery. An enigmatic big-business tycoon, who hides behind an entourage of brusque secretaries and tight security, seems to be the common denominator in the two deaths. But while Wallander is on the trail of the killer, somebody is on the trail of Wallander, and closing in fast. Crime Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Exciting Scary
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Critic reviews

Rather in the way that Dire Straits were the Trojan horse that kickstarted the CD industry, Mankell's novels became the standard bearer for foreign crime in translation...the writer is a man of rare skills...Plotting here is as impeccable as ever... (Barry Forshaw)
'one of his best'
All stars
Most relevant
As always... a great story and characters. Just found the ending a little bit of a let down after such a good story hence the 4 stars.

Twists and Turns

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Wallander returns to duty after a difficult time (no spoilers here) and falls into an intriguing case. It's a little far-fetched, not his best case, but still I enjoyed it. Sean Barrett is as super as ever, as narrator, Wallander and all. As ever, it's Wallander's internal dialogue that is so engaging.

Wallander Returns

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Another superb novel by Henning Mankell. This one was perhaps the darkest of his novels to date, but superbly written, and full of suspense.

The man who smiled by Henning Mankell

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storyline great throughout, loved it and love the narrator, enjoyed every minute. will recommend.....

Brilliantly written.

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Story develops well and keeps your interest, but unfortunately the end is kind of predictable.

Great story, disappointing ending

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