Henning Mankell books in order
Swedish writer, human rights activist and dramatist
- Lived
- 1948–2015
- Country
- Sweden
- Books
- 35
- Series
- 2
Henning Mankell published 28 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 1 non-fiction book and 4 children's books, beginning with The Dogs of Riga (1992). The 2 series include Kurt Wallander (9 books, starting with Faceless Killers) and Wallander (3 books, starting with The Pyramid). The best-known is Faceless Killers (1997).
Updated September 2026
Kurt Wallander books in order (9)Series page
Reading order: 1 Faceless Killers (1997) · 2 The Dogs of Riga (1992) · 3 The White Lioness (1993) · 4 The Man Who Smiled (1994) · 5 Sidetracked (1995) · 6 The Fifth Woman (1996) · 7 One Step Behind (1997) · 8 Firewall (1998) · 9 The Troubled Man (2009)
- 1.
Faceless Killers (1997)
- 2.
The Dogs of Riga (1992)
- 3.
The White Lioness (1993)
- 4.
The Man Who Smiled (1994)
- 5.
Sidetracked (1995)
- 6.
The Fifth Woman (1996)
- 7.
One Step Behind (1997)
- 8.
Firewall (1998)
- 9.
The Troubled Man (2009)
Wallander books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 9 The Pyramid (1999) · 10 Before the Frost (2002) · 11 An Event in Autumn (2013)
- 9.
The Pyramid (1999)
- 10.
Before the Frost (2002)
- 11.
An Event in Autumn (2013)
Where to start with Henning Mankell
Start here
Faceless Killers
Henning Mankell's most-read book and the first of the 9 Kurt Wallander books.
Standalone novels in order
The Rock Blaster (1973)
Daisy Sisters (1982)
A Bridge to the Stars (1990)
Chronicler of the Winds (1995)
Secrets in the Fire (1995)
Daniel (2000)
The Return of the Dancing Master (2000)
The Shadow Girls (2001)
Depths (2004)
The Eye of the Leopard (2004)
Kennedy's Brain (2005)
Italian Shoes (2006)
Shadows in Twilight (Joel Gustafsson Stories) (2007)
Kinesen (2008)
The Man from Beijing (Jan 2010)
A Treacherous Paradise (2011)
After the Fire (2015)
Novellas in order
I Die, but My Memory Lives on (2004)
Non-fiction in order
Quicksand (2014)
Children's books in order
The Cat Who Liked Rain (2000)
When the Snow Fell (2007)
Journey to the End of the World (2008)
Shadow of the Leopard (2009)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Dogs of Riga (1995)Film · from The Dogs of Riga
- Wallander – Den orolige mannen (2013)TV · from The Troubled Man
About Henning Mankell
Henning Georg Mankell was a Swedish crime writer, children's author, and dramatist, best known for a series of mystery novels starring his most noted creation, Inspector Kurt Wallander. He also wrote a number of plays and screenplays for television.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Henning Mankell FAQ
- How many books has Henning Mankell written?
- Henning Mankell published 28 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 1 non-fiction book and 4 children's books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Henning Mankell's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Kurt Wallander with Faceless Killers and Wallander with The Pyramid. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Henning Mankell's last book?
- After the Fire (2015).
- What is Henning Mankell's most famous book?
- Faceless Killers (1997) is Henning Mankell's most widely read book.
- Are Henning Mankell's books connected?
- 12 books belong to 2 series (Kurt Wallander and Wallander); the other 23 books stand alone.
- Which Henning Mankell books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Dogs of Riga (film, 1995) and The Troubled Man (as Wallander – Den orolige mannen, TV, 2013).
Authors like Henning Mankell
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.