Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
Henning Mankell

Henning Mankell Reading Order

11 series · 37 books · Born 1948-02-03

Literary FictionMystery & ThrillerNon-FictionYoung Adult

Swedish author Henning Mankell is best known for his Kurt Wallander crime series, featuring a brooding detective navigating complex murder cases in contemporary Scandinavia. His works blend psychological depth with procedural mystery, earning him recognition as one of the architects of Nordic noir fiction. Beyond detective novels, Mankell wrote across multiple genres including literary fiction, children's books, and essays, drawing on his experiences living in Africa and his commitment to social justice themes.

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Anthologies Series

Complete

2 books (2009–2013)

Start with Freedom and read in order.

Start this series with Freedom

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#Title
1
Cover of Freedom
2
A Darker Shade of Sweden
2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Children's Series

Complete

1 book (1992–1992)

#Title
1
Cover of The Cat Who Liked Rain
The Cat Who Liked Rain
1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Fredrik WelinBooks Series

Complete

2 books (2009–2017)

Start with Italian Shoes and read in order.

Start this series with Italian Shoes

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#Title
1
Cover of Italian Shoes
Italian Shoes
2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of After the Fire
After the Fire
2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Joel Gustafsson Series

Complete

4 books (1990–1998)

Start with A Bridge to the Stars, the first of 4 books in the Joel Gustafsson series.

Start this series with A Bridge to the Stars

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#Title
1
Cover of A Bridge to the Stars
A Bridge to the Stars
1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Shadows in the Twilight
Shadows in the Twilight
1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of When the Snow Fell
When the Snow Fell
1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of The Journey to the End of the World
The Journey to the End of the World
1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Kurt Wallander Series

Complete

10 books (1991–2014)

Start with Faceless Killers, the first of 10 books in the Kurt Wallander series.

Start this series with Faceless Killers

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#Title
1
Cover of Faceless Killers
Faceless Killers
1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of The Dogs of Riga
The Dogs of Riga
1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The White Lioness
The White Lioness
1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of The Man Who Smiled
The Man Who Smiled
1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of Sidetracked
6
Cover of The Fifth Woman
The Fifth Woman
1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of One Step Behind
One Step Behind
1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of Firewall
9
Cover of The Troubled Man
The Troubled Man
2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
Cover of An Event in Autumn
An Event in Autumn
2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Kurt Wallander Collections Series

Complete

1 book (1999–1999)

#Title
1
Cover of The Pyramid: The First Wallander Cases
The Pyramid: The First Wallander Cases
1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Linda Wallander Series

Complete

1 book (2005–2005)

#Title
1
Cover of Before the Frost
Before the Frost
2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

1 book (2014–2014)

#Title
1
Cover of Quicksand

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

2 books (2004–2014)

Start with I Die, But the Memory Lives On and read in order.

Start this series with I Die, But the Memory Lives On

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
I Die, But the Memory Lives On
2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Wallander's First Case
2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Sofia Alface Series

Complete

3 books (1995–2005)

Start with Secrets in the Fire and read in order.

Start this series with Secrets in the Fire

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#Title
1
Cover of Secrets in the Fire
Secrets in the Fire
1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire
2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Fury in the Fire / Shadow of the Leopard
The Fury in the Fire / Shadow of the Leopard
2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

10 books (1990–2020)

Start with The Eye of the Leopard, the first of 10 books in the Standalone Novels series.

Start this series with The Eye of the Leopard

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
The Eye of the Leopard
1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Chronicler of the Winds
Chronicler of the Winds
1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Daniel
4
Cover of The Return of the Dancing Master(With: Laurie Thompson)
The Return of the Dancing Master(With: Laurie Thompson)
2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of Depths
6
Cover of Kennedy's Brain
Kennedy's Brain
2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of The Man from Beijing
The Man from Beijing
2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of The Shadow Girls / Tea-Bag
The Shadow Girls / Tea-Bag
2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9
Cover of A Treacherous Paradise
A Treacherous Paradise
2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
Cover of The Rock Blaster
The Rock Blaster
2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Henning Mankell written?
Henning Mankell has written 37 books across 11 series. Their published works span from 1990 to 2020.
What is the first book in each Henning Mankell series?
Here are the first books in Henning Mankell's series: Anthologies: Freedom; Fredrik WelinBooks: Italian Shoes; Joel Gustafsson: A Bridge to the Stars; Kurt Wallander: Faceless Killers; Short Stories/Novellas: I Die, But the Memory Lives On.
What order should I read Henning Mankell's books?
We recommend reading Henning Mankell's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are Henning Mankell's series complete?
Henning Mankell has 11 completed series.

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