Henning Mankell’s After the Fire is a gripping read that dives into the aftermath of a devastating fire in a Swedish village. Mankell’s storytelling is as sharp and insightful as ever, offering a compelling mix of mystery and drama. The novel explores themes of loss, justice, and the ripple effects of tragedy on a community.

While it’s engaging and thought-provoking, some might find the pace a bit slow and the plot somewhat predictable. Overall, it’s a solid read that showcases Mankell’s talent for weaving intricate narratives and deep character studies. If you’re into intense, character-driven mysteries, After the Fire is worth checking out.

I wanted to read this book because I have been a fan of the Wallender novels for many years. I knew this was going to be different in tone and style from those earlier works but my expectations were still high.

The book not only lived up to my expectations it exceeded them. Although there is a mystery to be solved within the story it is not the front and central aspect of this book. It is more about an elderly man coming to terms with the fact that his life is reaching its conclusion and reminiscing about all the events that have led to him living out his last days isolated on a small island.

The writing is tight, ascetic and profound with an insightfulness that only comes with age and experience.

Brilliantly written. A book that really pulls you into the plot. Wallander is a policeman one can relate to and admire. Love the detailed desciptions of the Swedish landscape which serves to transport you to the scenes of the crime.

No Wallander, no matter.
This standalone Mankell captures the spirit of the ageing author, reflective but stubborn and determined to follow his own path and uncover the truth, even when beset by lack of opportunity

Have been a fan of Henning Mankell from the outset of his book being translated into English. This book proved to be no exception.
Found this book to be beautifully written and throughly enjoyed every moment of reading it.
Keep up the good work Mr Mankell

One of those books that i found myself putting down and picking up again after a day or two. The story was very good and very well written, but i did tire of how much the old man seemed to go on and on in parts with his thoughts. I have read a few of Henning Mankell books and have enjoyed.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have freely given.

I have only read Mankells Wallander series so this was a change to his usual style I had become accustomed too. I wanted to love it. Mankells last book before his death, this work is part of the legacy left behind. So i was eager to enjoy this book. I tried to read this book several times, the start had the premise of a book to lure you in. However, I had to be honest and say I disliked every single character in the book except Veronica (her part was small and offered nothing but a friendly face to the story). The main protagonist Fredrik Welin a retired doctor ( leaving the profession under a cloud) wakes to find his house alight. He survives and we see him deal with the aftermath of his grandfather's house burnt down. The story itself is somewhat interesting however the relationship dynamic he has with everyone he comes into contact is jarring and at times completely baffling. His relationship with a news reporter called Lisa is best described as a love hate. He obviously sees her as a love interest but she doesn't reciprocate, but rather plays hot and cold with him were obvious boundaries are blurred. His relationship with his daughter again is confusing, violence used by a simple question. His relationship with his friends also is jarring. I still cannot work out if it is he that is the problem or whether every individual is some way malformed in their personality to form a relationship. The book isn't grip me as much as I would have liked and I guessed the culprit of the fire (and subsequent fires) before the final reveal. Towars the end, the story showed ever more factors of people's personalities but we are left without a satisfactory conclusion. The surfer for example brought in but drifted off with no further mention. Also the stolen car had no further mention. In all I was left somewhat disappointed with the book. I felt something was disjointed in the telling of the story. The story itself was a good little story but I felt the padding didn't give anything to it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this for a completely honest review.

Written by the author of the Wallander series, this is a Skandi noir novel set in the Swedish archipelago where a 70 year old retired surgeon lives on his own small island, in a house that had been built by his grandparents. One night he is awakened by a bright light and discovers that his house is on fire. Fortunately he escapes but literally with just the coat on his back, his pyjamas and two odd wellington boots. As the plot unfolds we find Fredrik suspected of arson, now living in a caravan with very little amenities and winter will approach.

Fredrik is a solitary old man; his most frequent visitor is the postman, now retired, who acts as a conduit for all the gossip, delivers the post and messages, and avails himself of Fredrik’s medical skills to assess his many (imagined?) problems. Fredrik’s other relationships revolve around his neighbours and tradespeople; a journalist who interviews him about the fire with whom he would like to form a relationship/friendship and lastly his 40 year-old daughter with whom he does not have a close relationship – she is a distant figure with whom he has little or no direct contact.

Fredrik is dogged by his memories and the creeping acknowledgement of change surrounding him. Change in the natural world; change in the landscape; change in his own circumstances and those surrounding him; and the changes to his fitness, health and stamina – age!

I found this to be a bleak tale. The remote isolation of the landscape echoed Fredrik’s isolation – or the isolation of ageing. The constant looking backwards, comparing then with now; the absence of power or control on your immediate world, all merge and converge in the archipelago that circumscribes Fredrik’s life.

Though somewhat poetic in timbre, like the hard landscape, I found the book hard-going. I was a little concerned for Fredrik but he is far from a loveable character. When Wallander was introduced to the tv screen, I was pleased to meet the character but by series two, I was done. The character and the landscape too bleak, too depressing and I just gave up. Whilst I recognise the skills in After the Fire – and I did finish the novel – it really was a bit depressing. Sorry.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Henning Mankell writes so well about life, ageing and mortality. As in all of Henning Mankell's books, the story line is intriguing and the characters quirky and interesting. I felt that there were definite similarities between Fredrik Welin, the main character of 'After the Fire', and Kurt Wallander, with whom any avid Mankell reader will be familiar, sharing the same introspective personality, bordering on depression which Mankell captures so well. An engaging read - highly recommended. Thanks to Vintage, Random House Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

What an amazing book from a master storyteller. A gentle, thoughtful narrative, a fitting swansomg from an accomplished master. Highly recommended.

Greatly enjoyed this book. Characters were believable and descriptions compelling. Storyline was at times a little obvious, but overall a good read

A fabulous well-written book. A master of his craft and a loss to the world.

This book was a nice read, nicely written but nothing fantastic going on in the storyline. Not sure if i will read anymore from this author.

After the Fire had these moments of loveliness in the setting and in its language but the pace was so slow and I had to continually kind of hype myself into reading further.

This was a little too slow for me, but great writing and characterisation. I didn't realise it was a sequel and haven't read the first book. Perhaps, I would've enjoyed this more if I'd read the first one.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I found the pacing of this story very slow, which gave me plenty of time to really get my teeth into the characters and the plot. A fire sweeps through the home of our protagonist, Fredrik and we then spend the rest of the book trying to discover who is setting fires on the isolated island on which he lives. This is not a page-turning thriller. What it is, is a subtle exploration of ageing and the relationships we maintain and lose throughout our lives. Some of the characters are wonderful, others are a little unbelievable and I found Fredrik rather unpleasant. That being said, Mankell paints him, warts and all, with a searingly honest brush, making him a wholly convincing character. The climax, what there is of one, is as understated as the rest of the novel but is satisfying in terms of character resolution and growth. I feel that anyone reading this expecting a thriller (as I was) will be disappointed. However, if you sit with the novel you get (as I have) for a while, you realise that the book is beautiful in its simplicity and incredibly well crafted. Just not exciting!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This novel is a continuation of Italian Shoes which was first published in 2006. I haven’t read the predecessor so I can’t comment as to whether this hinders your appreciation or not of After the Fire.

This is a rather meandering novel within which not an awful lot happens. It is narrated by the main character, 70 year old Fredrik Welin and is his entreaty on mortality, ageing and relationships. At the outset of the novel Fredrik’s house, on a remote Swedish island, has burned down; there is a strong suspicion of arson.

Fredrik is a pompous character who delights in verbally bullying his ‘factotum’ Jansson, the retired postman, who makes himself available at the drop of Fredrik’s hat. Fredrik also has a fractious relationship with his daughter, Louise, whose existence he had only discovered ten years previously. Into this mix enters a journalist, Lisa Modin, considerably his junior, who is keen to write about the story of the fire.

Fredrik develops an infatuation with Lisa, which she does and does not encourage. Lisa’s thoughts are not really articulated and you are left wondering whether she is ‘playing him’ or actually feels some fondness for the grumpy old man. There are some rather uncomfortable scenes between Fredrik and Lisa.

There are many musings in this book with ageing and hypochondria seeming to be hobbies which afflict most of the residents in the village near Fredrik’s island. As a retired doctor he is often required to judge reported symptoms which he does with some bad grace.

As the novel continues we see the relationship between Fredrik and his daughter develop when she sees fit to ask for his help and he and Lisa travel to Paris to help her.

I have to say; I did not like any of the main characters: Fredrik is a self-centred, opinionated old man who disparages many around him; Louise is a user but she does have hidden depths; Lisa, I suspect, is also a user; and I couldn’t get under the skin of the character of Jansson. However, as a novel reflecting on memory, life and death this is worth reading.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

Thanks Netgalley and the author. I really like this author and have read most of his books. is the second novel to feature retired surgeon Fredrik Welin, who lives on one of a group of small islands off the eastern Swedish coast. Great read

Mankell provides us here with a perceptive novel on living with loneliness in an isolated community. A retired surgeon who lives on a remote island off the Swedish mainland wakes up one night to find his home burning down. Although this is undoubtedly a personal tragedy, it's not all bad as it leads to him rebuilding his relationship with his daughter, finding a new friend and refocussing his life. In addition we have other mysterious happenings occurring on the neighbouring islands and this isolated community has to cope with the consequences. This isn't a fast-paced novel but this all the better in that we, as readers, are made to adapt to the more gentle pace of life experienced of a remote Swedish archipelago. A recommended read.

I was delighted to be given an ARC of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. Henning Mankell has been an author that I’ve enjoyed reading for years. Unfortunately I hadn’t realised that this was his last novel. How can one write about that ? I haven’t wanted to but will try to give my impressions.

It’s the story of Frederick Welin, a retired doctor, who lives in a house on an isolated island on his own.. That house then burns to the ground., the fire giving a very dramatic opening to the book. Everything he has ever owned is completely gone, leaving him so traumatised to the extent that he obsesses that new Wellington boots that he orders, be not made in China. He decides to stay on the island, living in an old caravan that belonged to his daughter. I found this book compelling reading if a little depressing. Not the type of novel that I’d come to expect from Mankell.. It’s a little depressing, but full of imagery.. There’s a lot about old age, death and destruction not surprising as this author neared the end of his life. But there are some beautiful descriptive passages of scenery cleverly evoking places, be it railway station in Hamburg or the coast of the protagonists island home. This is an author showing all his literary skill.

This is not a cliff hanger of a who done it, but more of a gradual realisation by the main character right at the end. It does end on a slightly optimistic note but might be found by some readers as slightly depressing. I realised that there was a prequel to this novel, also featuring Frederick Welin which I’ve now obtained but am not rushing to read. When I do I’ll probably reread this book . It has been a privilege to be given this final book by such a highly acclaimed author.