[1] In the Swedish town of Ystad, aging Detective Kurt Wallander discovers a body when a skeletal hand surfaces in the garden of a house he is looking to buy.

Wallander discovers that the murdered couple were travelers from Estonia who were said to have returned to Denmark after the end of World War II.

Wallander’s investigation leads him to an elderly home where he meets the son of the Estonian travelers Ivar Pihlak, who had announced his parents' departure.

This fact plays a large role in the investigation: Wallander had a hard time identifying the bodies because the family was not well-known in the town of Ystad, and they were not registered officially because they were refugees.

Due to the massive displacement of people caused by World War II - an estimated 65 million Europeans[8] - it was relatively easy for Ivar Pihlak to get away with his parents' murders, as disappearances were fairly common.

Mankell was a left-wing political activist, and split his time between Sweden and Africa, most often Mozambique, where he opened and financially supported a local theater.

[12] An Event in Autumn released to mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the strong characterization and melancholy mood of the novel.

Kirkus Review claims that the length does not detract from the impact that Wallander has on the reader, and Alison Flood of The Guardian describes the book as a short but pleasant read.

[2][3] However, the review from Crime Fiction Lover does note that the briefness of the story reduces the potential for an interesting mystery.

[13] The story was adapted into an episode of the English-language British television series Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh and was aired in 2012.