Scandinavia has drawn a lot of attention in recent years, and is squarely on the map for some great thriller novels. Especially if you like crime novels the Scandinavian nations definitely punch above their weight, and have produced some really books in the past few years.
Here are some Scandinavian books authors to look out for, some you may have heard of and others you possibly haven’t:
Stieg Larsson
He’s the golden boy of Scandinavian fiction and perhaps the most popular author to come from those parts. This is particularly poignant because he died only shortly after his books were accepted by a publisher. Needless-to-say the “Millenium Triology”, and specifically The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, are considered some of the best thriller novels of all time.
Jo Nesbo
Jo Nesbo is still with us, and is similarly acclaimed as Stief Larsson. His is a similar brand of dour crime fiction, and his books are hugely popular, as is the detective Harry Hole (who figures throughout his novels.) Nesbo has written lots books including The Leopard and The Snowman and is regarded as one of the best thriller writer of his generation.
Peter Hoeg – Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow
One snowy day in the Copenhagen, six-year-old Isaiah falls to his death from a city rooftop. The police pronounced it an accident. But Isaiah’s neighbour, Smilla, an expert in the ways of snow and ice, suspects it a murder. She embarks on a very dangerous quest to find the truth, following a path of the clues as clear to her as footsteps in the snow. 21 years after its first UK publication, “Vintage” are reissuing this classic Scandinavian crime novel for a whole new audience.
Whilst Scandinavian fiction is very much in vogue these days, the Scandinavian nations have always produced great writers, from Knut Hamsun (Nobel prize winner) to Selma Lagerlof. You can find all sorts of Scandinavian second-hand books online.