Henning Georg Mankell (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhɛnˈnɪŋ ˈmaŋːkɛl]; 3 February 1948 –5 October 2015) 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.