THE TROUBLED MAN

In The Troubled Man Kurt Wallander is taking his final bow in novel form. That’s the bad news. The good news is that he is making a triumphant and unforgettable exit, as he grapples with an engrossing mystery. The case plunges the troubled detective into the dangerous and complex world of world politics, as he investigates the disappearance of an elderly man who is part of his own family circle.

Håken von Enke is a former commander in the Swedish navy, and in the autumn of 1980 had encountered a strange submarine in Swedish territorial waters. Two years later another one appeared, and the ramifications of what resulted from that now rebound on von Enke with frightening consequences. For Wallander, who is taking time off from his police job, the case acquires a personal perspective as von Enke’s son is living with Wallander’s daughter. It draws him deeper and deeper into a tense political situation with the constant threat of personal danger.

In order to reach the truth, Wallander makes not only a journey into von Enke’s past but one into his own private life and what that might mean for his future, both good and bad. The two journeys are intertwined, each strengthening the other as the truth gradually emerges in a breathtaking conclusion.  The Troubled Man sees Wallander walking off into the sunset, with no Reichenbach Falls  in prospect. He will be a hard act to follow.