‘The Man Who Smiled’ by Henning Mankell'

Published by Harvill Press,
1 September 2005.
ISBN: 978-1-843430988 (HB)

At the opening of this book Inspector Kurt Wallander has been off work for some months. Unable to come to terms with the killing of a man in a previous investigation, Kurt had initially turned to alcohol which has in turn spiralled into depression. Pondering his future, he can see no other option than to quit the police force. Once this decision is made he feels better, and so, when an old acquaintance turns up where he is holidaying in Denmark, asking him to investigate the death of his father in a car crash which he believes to have been murder, Kurt is unmoved by the friends plight and says he cannot help him.

Returning to Eastah to finalise his retirement from the force, Kurt is shocked to learn that the friend who sought his help has been found shot dead in his office. The news acts as a catalyst and Kurt returns to work and takes charge of the case. The death in a car crash of the elderly solicitor has been filed as an accidental death but now Kurt is certain that it was murder, but with what motive. Both father and son were most conservative solicitors, the father had during the last few years had only a handful of clients, dealing mainly with financial matters. But as they sift through the files, they find some threatening letters and before long Kurt is pursuing several lines of enquiry.

Painstakingly following the tenuous leads Kurt becomes convinced that a most powerful businessman is the link between the deaths but finds it difficult to convince his superiors that an eminent Swedish businessman could be a criminal, and so Kurt goes out on a limb. But he is being watched by the killer who intends to get him first.

This is an early entry in the series and if I had hoped that Kurt Wallander was maybe a little lighter of spirit when he was younger - well it just shows how wrong you can be.  As with the other books in this series the story is compelling and powerful, as is the author's portrayal of the dour introspective police officer.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes

Henning Mankell (1948-2015) was born in Stockholm. He became a worldwide phenomenon with his, gripping thrillers. His prize-winning and critically acclaimed Inspector Wallander Mysteries have featured in bestseller lists all over the globe for many years. His books have been translated into over forty languages and made into numerous international film and television adaptations: most recently the BAFTA-award-winning BBC television series Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh. Mankell devoted much of his free time to working with Aids charities in Africa, where he was also director of the Teatro Avenida in Maputo. In 2008, the University of St Andrews conferred Henning Mankell with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his major contribution to literature and to the practical exercise of conscience. Following his diagnosis in 2014, Mankell wrote a number of articles on his battle with cancer until his death in October 2015.

www.henningmankell.co.uk