AFTER THE FIRE

By HENNING MANKELL Harvill Secker Fredrik Welin, a 70-year-old retired doctor, lives alone on a small island in the Swedish archipelago. He swims in the sea every day, even in winter, and lives a quiet and somewhat lonely life – until he wakes up one night to find his house on fire.

He escapes just in time but the house that’s been in his family for generations and all his worldly belongings are gone. How could such a thing happen? When the police find evidence the fire was started deliberately, Fredrik becomes the prime suspect.

This is the final novel by the Swedish author, who died in 2015. Mankell fans familiar with his work might be a tad disappointed because it doesn’t really qualify as a crime novel even though a criminal act – burning down a house – is at the heart of it.

Rather it’s a bleak story about loss, family and the frailty of life. It’s a difficult read but if you’re fascinated by complicated human relationships you might enjoy it.