A dive into the Nordic noir genre
Easter is the time of year we spend in darkness chasing murderers.
Every culture has their own traditions and specific ways of celebrating holidays. Easter might be one of my favourite ones, due to how we Norwegian spend it. This week is usually synonymous with cabin trips with your family, hiking, skiing or in general being outdoors. It also has its perks with consuming a lot of chocolate (kvikklunsj - not KitKat. Believe me there is a huge difference) and Solo.
However, the best part is actually not spent outdoors, but rather indoors, being cozy, warm and in general creating a very “koselig” environment around you, as you dive into the grim dark and bleak environments of the Nordic noir genre.
The sun might be shining, but between those pages you are diving into a dark and morally complex mood as a murderer is being hunted by a very tired policeman with his or hers own ghosts not far behind.
Nordic thrillers and the Easter holidays are so tightly connected that we even have a word for it “påskekrim” - Easter thriller. This genre is so large and widespread throughout the Nordic countries that it took me a couple of years to realise this is actually not a thing in the broader world. Nevertheless, if you are feeling in the mood for some good thrillers, I’ll recommend you some of my favourite authors.
Nordic Thrillers for the win
There are so many Nordic noir authors out there that I cannot possibly name them all, but I am sure you have heard of a few. Some have even had their own adaptations to the big screen or on streaming services, which I could recommend you to watch as well, but lets be honest: the book is usually better.
The Snowman (2007) by Jo Nesbø
The Snowman synopsis
Oslo in November. The first snow of the season has fallen. A boy named Jonas wakes in the night to find his mother gone. Out his window, in the cold moonlight, he sees the snowman that inexplicably appeared in the yard earlier in the day. Around its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Hole suspects a link between a menacing letter he's received and the disappearance of Jonas's mother - and of perhaps a dozen other women, all of whom went missing on the day of a first snowfall. As his investigation deepens, something else emerges: he is becoming a pawn in an increasingly terrifying game whose rules are devised - and constantly revised - by the killer.
I love love love The Snowman. I have read it so many times, and it never disappoints me. It is book seven in the Harry Hole series by Nesbø, but it surely keeps up. It is such a strange case, but perfectly creepy, promising leads that make you turn the pages anxiously waiting for Hole to get that murderer - but alas, he always seems to be just a half step behind him. *shivers*
The Leopard (2009)
The Leopard synopsis
Inspector Harry Hole has retreated to Hong Kong, escaping the trauma of his last case in squalid opium dens, when two young women are found dead in Oslo, both drowned in their own blood. Media coverage quickly reaches a fever pitch. There are no clues, the police investigation is stalled, and Harry—the one man who might be able to help—can’t be found. After he returns to Oslo, the killer strikes again, Harry’s instincts take over, and nothing can keep him from the investigation, though there is little to go on. Worse, he will soon come to understand that he is dealing with a psychopath who will put him to the test, both professionally and personally, as never before.
Because Nesbø is one of my favourites I could not help myself, I just had to recommend this one as well. It was IMPOSSIBLE to put down, so fair warning, do not start on it, unless you have time to sit and binge it. The Snowman and then right into this, gah, I might actually have to do a reread of it. It is truly that good.
The Nightmare (2010) by Kepler
The Nightmare synopsis
A drowned young woman is discovered on an abandoned pleasure boat drifting by the Stockholm archipelago---strangely, her clothes are dry. The next day in Stockholm, a man turns up dead, hanging from a lamp hook inside his completely bare apartment---but how could he have hung himself with no furniture to climb upon? As Detective Inspector Joona Linna begins to piece together the two mysteries, he discovers that they are a mere prelude to a dizzying and dangerous course of events.
This husband and wife team who publish under the pseudonym Lars Kepler are my go to authors when I want a thriller that will stick with me for ages. It took me a while to figure out the title for this one in English, as I mine is in Norwegian under a different title (Paganinikontrakten). It has been read so many times that it is literally falling to pieces.
This is the second book of detective inspector Joona Linna trying to solve two puzzling cases in Stockholm, that at first glance looks to be accidental - however it all turns, and soon Linna is locked in a intricate web of suspense, danger and uncertain circumstances. It is a book that is so hard to put down, as you just need to know what happens next. My favourite thing about Kepler and their books is the fact that you never know what to expect from them.
The Chestnut Man (2019)
The Chestnut Man synopsis
If you find one, he’s already found you.
A psychopath is terrorising Copenhagen.
His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.
A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted?
To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.
Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.
And no one is safe.
This is one of the most intense Nordic noir books I have ever read, holy mother of gods it was so dark and intense. Having lived in Copenhagen and knowing the mood Sveistrup sets up, with the wet, gloomy and dark climate - it truly got under my skin. For a debut novel it blew my socks right off. It is a book that will actually make sure you get just a little jumpy if you ever see chestnuts again.
Did he find me?
The Bomber (1998)
The Bomber synopsis
Stockholm is bustling with preparations for the upcoming summer Olympics when a bomb explodes in the city's new Olympic arena. One of the most powerful women in Sweden, Christina Furhage, is blown to bits. The police begin a wild and desperate chase for the killer, while crime reporter and mother of two, Annika Bengtzon, discovers connections no one else sees. Thus begins the first stand-alone crime novel by Liza Marklund, which follows the impulsive and passionate reporter Annika Bengtzon on her thrilling assignments.
Liza Marklund was one of my first female Nordic noir authors that I read, and I always find myself circling back to her books if I’m in the mood for a good crime novel. The Annika Bengtzon series is one of those that is right up my alley. Unlike most Nordic noir novels, this series protagonist is not a detective, but a female tabloid journalist. Marklund ties it up so nicely with current events (at the time of when the books are set) and the way she intertwines topics like political scandals or women’s issues, with the plot is superb.
Fallen Angels (1989/2020)
Fallen Angels synopsis1
When Bergen PI Varg Veum finds himself at the funeral of a former classmate on a sleet-grey December afternoon, he’s unexpectedly reunited with his old friend Jakob – guitarist of the once-famous 1960s rock band The Harpers – and his estranged wife, Rebecca, Veum’s first love.
Their rekindled friendship is thrown into jeopardy by the discovery of a horrific murder, and Veum is forced to dig deep into his own adolescence and his darkest memories, to find a motive … and a killer.
Tense, vivid and deeply unsettling, Fallen Angels is the spellbinding, award-winning thriller that secured Gunnar Staalesen’s reputation as one of the world’s foremost crime writers.
Say the name Gunnar Staalesen in Norway, and we all get a specific image of our beloved private detective from Bergen. This is one of those series that I have enjoyed immensely throughout the years, as it explores social injustices through the detective work of Varg Veum. It has intricate plots, a realistic look on the Norwegian society and well, it is written in such a clever way. There is no doubt that Staalesen, too many, is the very founding father of Nordic noir and a must read if you are trying out this genre for the first time.
As there are too many awesome books to pick out from Staalesen’s bibliography, I’ll settle with Fallen Angels, a personal favourite. The way Veum is becoming more self aware of his childhood and how it has shaped him in is morals is just chefs kiss, that, combined with that broody tone, gave me one of the best books in this series.
Honorable mentionings
There are just simply so many more authors to pick from when it comes to this genre. I have read so many different books over the years, and here are some of the ones I would like to mention. Most of them have series you can easily follow, or jump into, but there are also a couple of stand alones here and there that will fit perfectly for just a try out.
In no particular order:
As Easter is getting closer, I am looking at which Nordic noir books I’ll be reading. It might be time to do a reread of one of my favourites, its just a matter of picking the right one. I will be diving into Jørgen Brekke and another author I had not heard about, but was recommended to me by a colleague: Liz Moore. Really looking forward to a week of just relaxing and reading.
Until next time,
happy reading! ✨
1989/ 2020 - the book was first published in 1989 in Norwegian, but there is an updated English translation from 2020, which is the one I am linking to.