Nordic and Scandinavian Noir Display
Nordic Noir is a subgenre of crime fiction that has been steadily gaining attention since the 1990s. Generally speaking, it’s characterized by cynicism and moral ambiguity, written from a police perspective, and set in a Nordic country. The success of English language translations of these titles has drawn U.S. readers to this subgenre, which often features plain language, bleak settings, and strong character development in a slow burn experience. Here are some of our favorites in this subgenre:
Norwegian author Jo Nesbo is best known for his crime novels featuring Inspector Harry Hole, but he has several other series and independent projects. His "Blood on Snow" is the first in the Olav Johansen series. Set in Oslo during the1970s, "Olav, an extremely talented "fixer" whose unexpected capacity for love is as far-reaching as his talent for murder, works for Oslo's crime kingpin, "fixing" anyone who causes him trouble. But it's becoming clear to Olav that the more you know about your boss's business, the more your boss might want you fixed yourself, especially if you've fallen in love with his wife." Nesbo's "The Jealousy Man and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories "by the master of mystery and suspense includes tales about a detective on the trail of a man suspected of murdering his twin; a bereaved father contemplating vengeance after a pandemic brings about the collapse of society; and a hired assassin who matches wits against his greatest adversary."
Swedish writer Henning Mankell, who has sometimes been referred to as "the father of Nordic noir", helped make this subgenre popular in the 1990s with his Kurt Wallender series. In "Faceless Killers," "on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn't present enough problems for the Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman's last word is foreign, leaving the police the one tangible clue they have-and in the process, the match that could inflame Sweden's already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments. Unlike the situation with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the beautiful but married young prosecutor who has peaked his interest, in this case, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the already tense situation explodes, but soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to solve."
Camilla Lackberg is another Swedish Nordic Noir powerhouse. Most of Läckberg's novels feature the crime solving husband-and-wife duo of writer Erica Falck and police detective Patrik Hedström. The first book in the series, "The Ice Princess," sets up the details for us: "After she returns to her hometown to learn that her friend, Alex, was found in an ice-cold bath with her wrists slashed, biographer Erica Falck researches her friend's past in hopes of writing a book and joins forces with Detective Patrik Hedstrom, who has his own suspicions about the case."
Icelandic author Ragnar Jonasson is the author of the bestselling Dark Iceland series, featuring Detective Ari Thor. The first book in the series, "Snowblind," is set in "Siglufjörður: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors--accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik--with a past that he's unable to leave behind. When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theater, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness--blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose. Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent."
You’ll find these titles and lots more in our “Nordic and Scandinavian Noir” display. For additional title suggestions, see the lists below:
