I Love This Trope, Sub-Genre, Setting is a new feature on my blog in which I discuss a trope, sub-genre or setting that I love and tell you about books that are shining examples of said trope, sub-genre or setting. Feel free to play along and please let me know about your favorite books in this realm and whether you like this trope, sub-genre and/or setting as much as I do!
Today I am spotlighting the sub-genre of: Scandinavian Crime Thrillers, which I would loosely define as any crime thriller and/or mystery written by a Scandinavian author and that very likely takes place in a Scandinavian country.
So everyone knows about Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo but I wanted to highlight some of my other favorites in this sprawling sub-genre. I just love the setting, the voice and the stoic sense of isolation in most of these as well as reading (often in this sub-genre) about police procedure in various countries. Am I missing something? If so, I would love to hear your recommendation!
Have you read any of these? What did you think? Ask me any questions below or recommend to me your favorite Scandinavian crime thriller/mystery!
I haven't read any of these! AGH. SHAME ON ME. XD I have read Red as Blood by Salla Simmuka which I adored and it's by a Finnish author. :D And I 100% intend to try the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo AT SOME POINT. *glares at enormous TBR* Soon. XD
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
Oh *high fives* I was quite impressed with The Keeper of Lost causes! I also recently read The Ice Child by Camilla Lackberg, which was brilliant. It's also book 9 in a series, which meant I missed heaps, but I figured I'd dive in. You reminded me I have to post that review actually -- next week, hopefully!
ReplyDeleteI've read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoos books and liked them. I read two more in this sub genre last year (names escape me) - one I hated but one I liked the other. I would like to read more though so I will have to check these out.
ReplyDeleteI think the only book I've read in this sub-genre was The Snowman by Nesbo. And I enjoyed it, although at times it was tough to follow. I need to try more!
ReplyDeleteI do love a good mystery thriller. I'll have to check some of these authors out!
ReplyDeleteI love crime mystery/thrillers, but I haven't read any of these. :x
ReplyDeleteAs always, I love this feature - and this is such a great topic for it! The only books I've read that fall into this category would be the Stieg Larrson books, which I loved. I have a few others on my TBR but have yet to pick them up. Crime thrillers aren't something I reach for often; I really have to be in the mood for them.
ReplyDeleteoh I just adore a great thriller and I just haven't read enough of them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read Stieg Larsson'a books but I watched the first two movies. I have no idea who Jo Nesbo is. I did watch a Scandinavian mystery on either BBC or PBS a few years back and really liked it, but I can't for the life of me remember the name. I'm sure it was a book first. Stark atmosphere, and a little different, but good. I like seeing police procedural in other countries. I used to love watching Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren. I'll have to check out your list, Eva. :)
ReplyDeleteI love thrillers but I haven't had the pleasure of reading any of these. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these before... and I've only heard of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo! I feel so ashamed to say that. Oops. This is definitely a genre I need to give a shot, and now I know which books to start with. Great post, Eva!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely try Karin Fossum as well, I think you'd enjoy her if you've enjoyed all of these. I'm a very bad Scandinavian, as I read much more anglophone authors than Scandinavian authors. I think it's because with time, I prefer to read in English, but I refuse to read a translation of a book that I can read in the original language...
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Eva :)
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
I don't read thrillers often, so I've never read a Scandinavian Crime Thrillers - I didn't even really realize that was a thing! My loss, apparently. (Someday I'd like to read TGwtDT, though.)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
One of my favorite genres is the Scandinavian Crime Thrillers!
ReplyDeleteThe Snowman by Jo Nesbo is the book that hooked me to this genre and made me absolutely love it!
I'm currently reading the bat by the same author!
Ooooh, yes! I started with Smilla's Sense of Snow and some Mankell, and loved Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I've spent some time in that part of the world--a summer in Norway, a semester in Denmark, and several years across the Baltic Sea in Latvia, which allowed me to visit Finland and Sweden a few times each. I think of it as such a progressive and happy place, which really makes the unrelenting grimness of these books even better. Have you read Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist? It's a vampire book, which is normally not my thing, but it has that same aura as the Scandinavian crime novels.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these great suggestions!