An Event in Autumn

Written by Henning Mankell

Narrated by Seán Barrett

Some cases aren't as cold as you'd think.

Kurt Wallander's life looks like it has taken a turn for the better when his offer on a new house is accepted, only for him to uncover something unexpected in the garden — the skeleton of a middle-aged woman.

As police officers comb the property, Wallander attempts to get his new life back on course by finding the woman's killer with the aid of his daughter, Linda. But when another discovery is made in the garden, Wallander is forced to delve further back into the area's past.

A treat for fans and new readers alike, this is a never before published Kurt Wallander novella.

A Random House UK audio production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House UK Audio
• Release date: Sep 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781473512108

Reviews for An Event in Autumn

[hfineisen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am a fan of Kurt Wallender and appreciate Mankell's methodical and thorough narrative. This is not a fast read, but a great read. I like knowing the case from Wallender's perspective and find his character flawed yet endearing. Firewall is about coincidences and conclusions wrapped up in computer terrorism. I am as unknowledgeable as Wallender when it comes to technology, but was able to keep up with him and the elements of the mystery as it unfolded. Mankell doesn't force all of the pieces together and keeps suspense building. I was introduced to Kurt Wallender on PBS Masterpiece Mystery, and enjoy the episodes, but they don't come close to Mankell's own mastery.

[katherinegregg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Each Wallander book gets better the more I get into the series. I'm reading them in order and unfortunately I think that I'm nearing the end. Wallander is approaching 50 and the wear and tear of the detective business is forcing an early retirement. His daughter, Linda, will continue his good work once she finishes the police academy. Although cell phones are used, searching for information via the Internet was not as prevalent in the late 1990s. I'm enjoying reading about the low tech days of police detective work.

[bookczuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's been a while since I read a Wallander, though I've read the start of the series that features Wallander's daughter, Linda. This was my first Wallander as an audio book, and the first thing javaczuk and I noticed was that we've been saying the name wrong -- we got the initial sound right, but it was more a matter of putting the accent on the wrong syllable. But, I'm teachable, if nothing else, and I now say it correctly (or at least as the audio book did) 90% of the time.Once again, Mankell did a masterful job. One of the things I like about his books is that he gives an amazing amount of details, though not all are needed to really wrap up the case. I did have a hard time thinking Wallander was "old" (he's 5 years younger than I am in this story), and I'd forgotten his temper. And the fact that life has sped ahead in terms of technology from the time this book was set was something I had to shelve while listening. But still, it was a good ear-read, particularly on a long car trip. We both enjoy this genre so it made for successful audio-harmony for the journey.

[annbury_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel moves Wallander into the mysterious spheres of high-grade computer hacking, and international finance. A group of computer geniuses want to transfer wealth from the rich countries to the poor, but in so doing they will destroy the world's banking system. As usual, a compulsive read, but it didn't grab me quite so completely as the books that focus more on character.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kurt Wallander is a Swedish detective trying to solve a series of mysterious deaths. At first the only common factor is the time frame in which these people died. A man falls dead after using an ATM, a cab driver is beaten to death, and someone has apparently committed suicide at a power station all within a matter of days. But, as the investigation continues pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Somehow the picture reveals an absurd terrorist plot.What makes Firewall so entertaining is Kurt Wallander's personality. He is a short tempered detective, good at what he does but not as great at being a divorced dad to his near adult daughter. She finds him overbearing and lonely. I found Wallander and his Swedish police work very strange. For starters, Wallander is accused of not doing things by the book and for the most part those accusations hold true. Over and over he considers sharing information about the various investigations with his colleagues but over and over again he finds reasons not to. Also, computers connected to the crimes aren't confiscated, potential witnesses and suspects aren't detained for questioning, and despite rooms being searched several times, key evidence is not discovered right away. Case in point: an office was searched several times and yet Wallander finds a postcard under a computer keyboard days later. I found some parts of Firewall predictable. Wallander is single. At his daughter's urging he joins a dating service. Within days he gets a letter from a potential match. Right away I knew this "response" was trouble, for the letter is slid under his door - no return address or postmark. Wouldn't Wallander have read how the service works and wouldn't he have found a nondescript letter without a postmark a little suspect?All in all Firewallwas a good vacation read. It was fast paced and highly entertaining.

[idiotgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook. Another enjoyable mystery. This one takes advantage, among other things, of the time of year. October and a central even is a power outage--not an insignificant event in Sweden in October. This one focuses on internet and international banking--timely. But this is set in late 1990s--a world away in terms of internet and banking. So the distance and the similarities were interesting. The narrative here is similar to that of Fifth Woman, the other Wallendar book I read. Focusing at various times on the different people involved in the "mystery", including the bad guys. Meditation in a way on chance. It turns out the events of this book are set in place not by a murder but by a heart attack (that's what it turns out to be though that is in question as well during part of the story). The book also continues engagement with the Swedish politics. An enjoyable series.

[bcquinnsmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Number eight in the Wallander series (which, personally, I hope Mankell never stops writing), It's a year after the events of the previous book (One Step Behind), and the story opens with the death of a computer consultant just after making a withdrawal from his ATM. As the team begins its investigation into his death, two young girls in a taxi beat and stab the driver to death. The girls are arrested, and claim they killed the driver for the money, which as it turns out, wasn't very much for their trouble. As Wallander tries to sort everything out, events occur which lead him and his crack Ystad police team come to realize that these two events were not random occurrences at all, and that they are part of a much bigger and more threatening picture. And time is running out. The action in Firewall never lets up. Mankell has delivered yet another excellent Wallander adventure here, although I must admit that while the storyline is plausible, it's a bit over the top. Barring that minor drawback, Firewall is excellent, and I'm amazed how well Mankell manages to continue to portray Wallander as a real person with real-world problems and personal issues. He doesn't skimp on the supporting characters, either, and the core plotline is absolutely diabolical. Mankell is one of my favorite authors, and as long as he keeps writing, I'll keep buying. Highly recommended for Scandinavian mystery fans, and to readers of more hard-edge mysteries as well. Do not start with this book as your first Wallander experience, however, because Wallander is someone that you really want to take time to get to know as a character. Overall -- it's a great read. It's a bit over the top, but still a fast-paced and very edgy mystery novel that will keep you glued to the pages.

[cdeuker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My third Henning Mankell book, and my least favorite. Plot concerns a cyber-terrorist attack on the global financial system. Wallander remains an interesting character, far more human than most detective heroes. But the plot is humdrum, the denouement humdrum, and there are far too many red herrings. Example, a young girl (murderess, avenging her rape by killing the rapist's father!) escapes. Later she turns up fried to a crisp in an electrical substation. Why? Mankell says "we never figured that out." Pretty poor.

[sfeggers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had never heard of this author before but it got a high recommendation from a family member. It was a great read with good characters and a fast-moving and interesting plot.

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in Sweden in 1997. Two seemingly unrelated incidents occur within hours of each other in Ystad and Kurt Wallender and his team investigate. Tynnes Falk, seemingly in the peak of health, drops dead late one evening at the cash machine where he has just checked his account balance. The following night two teenage girls attack a taxi driver with a hammer and a knife. The driver was able to call for assistance and the police are able to find the girls from his description of them. Kurt Wallender has recently reached 50, he is diabetic, and desperately wants a woman in his life. Some members of his team think he is getting a bit "past it", and one in particular takes every possible opportunity to sow the seeds of doubt in the mind of Kurt's superior. This is an engrossing novel, quite a long read (422 pp) as Kurt Wallender uncovers a plot where an event in Sweden could have world shattering consequences.

[commonreeda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Wallander books are bleak and often grisly but so addictive. Perhaps because of his personal struggles and basic integrity I warm to Wallander. His despair is not just with the (rather excessive!) string of serial criminals they have in Ystad but in a previously confident Social Democracy losing its way. The Swedish countryside is evocotavely portrayed. I like the computer geek imput to this one .