When Henning Mankell passed away in October 2015, we knew that he had already wrapped up his detective character Wallander‘s story. What we didn’t know at the time was that he had written another standalone crime novel. Now that book, After the Fire, has been translated into English by Marlaine Delargy and is being readied for publication by Harvill Secker.

After the Fire’s arrival on 5 October – the second anniversary of the author’s death – will no doubt bring joy to his fans. A last chance to read one of the greats of Scandinavian crime fiction. The story is set on a remote island, part of the Swedish archipelago. An elderly doctor called Fredrik Welin has retired to this location, where he largely keeps himself to himself. It’s a big shock when the 70-year-old wakes up one night to find his house on fire. Luckily he escapes and his neighbours try to help quell the flames, but everything is gone. He doesn’t know who would do this or why, and nor do the police. There is evidence that it was arson, and they begin to suspect him.

Dealing with the themes of loss, love and loneliness, the book follows on from the 2006 novel Italian Shoes, which began Fredrik’s story.

You can feast your eyes on a few shots of the great author’s last crime novel lower down, and rest assured we’ll bring you a review closer to the date of publication. Get ahead of the game and pre-order your copy using the button below.