The Madman: A rediscovered classic from the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Wallander series
Henning Mankell
Jul 2026 · Mountain Leopard Press · Narrated by Sean Barrett
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16 hr 6 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
'One of the most ingenious crime writers around' Observer
'The figurehead of Nordic noir' Independent
'Mankell is in the first division of crime writing' The Times
'Extraordinary' Ian Rankin
One day in 1947, Bertil Kras decides to leave his modest life in Stockholm and begin again - swapping his work at a bicycle courier firm for a job at a sawmill.
He moves to a small market town in the north, where the locals are wary and divided, haunted by the memory of the internment camp that recently stood on the other side of the forest.
Branded as a communist and an outsider, Bertil struggles to integrate. The winters are cruel, and his neighbours more so.
One cold January night, the sawmill burns down. All eyes turn to Bertil: the perfect scapegoat.
And with the weight of the town's judgement upon him, what is there left for him to become, but the man they have always expected him to be?
The Madman is a gripping and timely novel about a small Swedish town in the shadows of war, from multi-million copy bestselling author of the Wallander series, Henning Mankell.
'The slow build towards inevitable disaster makes for true emotional depth, and the theme of othering, isolating and penalising people for their opinions remain horribly topical' Guardian
*
'By far the best writer of police mysteries today' Michael Ondaatje
'A master of atmosphere and suspense' Los Angeles Times
'The dean of the so-called Scandinavian noir writers' New York Times
'The figurehead of Nordic noir' Independent
'Mankell is in the first division of crime writing' The Times
'Extraordinary' Ian Rankin
One day in 1947, Bertil Kras decides to leave his modest life in Stockholm and begin again - swapping his work at a bicycle courier firm for a job at a sawmill.
He moves to a small market town in the north, where the locals are wary and divided, haunted by the memory of the internment camp that recently stood on the other side of the forest.
Branded as a communist and an outsider, Bertil struggles to integrate. The winters are cruel, and his neighbours more so.
One cold January night, the sawmill burns down. All eyes turn to Bertil: the perfect scapegoat.
And with the weight of the town's judgement upon him, what is there left for him to become, but the man they have always expected him to be?
The Madman is a gripping and timely novel about a small Swedish town in the shadows of war, from multi-million copy bestselling author of the Wallander series, Henning Mankell.
'The slow build towards inevitable disaster makes for true emotional depth, and the theme of othering, isolating and penalising people for their opinions remain horribly topical' Guardian
*
'By far the best writer of police mysteries today' Michael Ondaatje
'A master of atmosphere and suspense' Los Angeles Times
'The dean of the so-called Scandinavian noir writers' New York Times
'One of the most ingenious crime writers around' Observer
'The figurehead of Nordic noir' Independent
'Mankell is in the first division of crime writing' The Times
'Extraordinary' Ian Rankin
One day in 1947, Bertil Kras decides to leave his modest life in Stockholm and begin again - swapping ...
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About the author
Henning Mankell (1948-2015) became a worldwide phenomenon with his crime writing, gripping thrillers and atmospheric novels set in Africa. His prizewinning and critically acclaimed Inspector Wallander Mysteries continue to dominate bestseller lists all over the globe and his books have been translated into forty-five languages and made into numerous international film and television adaptations.
Henning Mankell (1948-2015) became a worldwide phenomenon with his crime writing, gripping thrillers and atmospheric novels set in Africa. His prizewinning and critically acclaimed Inspector Wallander Mysteries continue to dominate bestseller lists all over the globe and his books have been trans...
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