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Cover of One Step Behind

Mystery · 2002 · R

One Step Behind

by Henning Mankell

Wallander hunts a killer who always stays one step ahead.

Sweden's most tenacious detective races to unlock the twisted logic behind a madman's crimes: "Lyrical, meticulous, and stunningly suspenseful" ( St. Petersburg Times). On Midsummer's Eve, three friends gather in a secluded meadow in Sweden. In the beautifully clear twilight, they don eighteenth-century costumes and begin a secret role-play. But an uninvited guest soon brings their performance to a gruesome conclusion. His approach is careful; his aim is perfect. Three bullets, three corpses. And his plans have only just begun to take shape. Meanwhile, Inspector Kurt Wallander is just back fro

For17+GenreMysteryLength391 pagesRead time~10.5 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

A lot

Graphic descriptions of murder victims and brutal killings; violence is central to the plot

Language

Some

Moderate language consistent with translated Nordic noir

Sexual Content

Barely any

Minimal sexual content

Substance Use

Barely any

Alcohol use by the depressed detective protagonist

Emotional Intensity

A lot

Dark psychological themes including detective burnout, depression, and the psychological cost of prolonged exposure to violent crime

What this book is about

Three young people are murdered at a Midsummer celebration and a colleague goes missing—sending Inspector Wallander into a harrowing investigation that strikes dangerously close to home in this darkest entry in the Wallander series.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

Graphic murder descriptions

Dark psychological themes including police trauma and depression

Death of a colleague

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