Nordic Noir discussion
General
>
Introductions
Hi everyone,My name is Michelle and I’m a NY-based TV producer. My initial introduction to Nordic Noir was the Girl in the Dragon Tattoo series which I read a year and a half ago. For the past six months, I’ve been obsessed with the genre and have discovered lots of wonderful authors. I look forward to discovering more with all of you.
Marie: I completely agree with you about your assessment of Harry Hole versus Roger Brown. Huge fan of the former; not a huge fan of the latter. .
welcome Michelle! Hope to see you join in with some of our upcoming group reads ;)
Hi,Just wanna say hi to some familiar faces and not so familiar ones :)
First NN book I came upon was Henning Mankell's Return of the Dancing Master- Loved it so much it led me to more of his books. Then there is Stieg Larsson, whom I absolutely adored and saddened by his passing! More recently got introduced to James Thompson, Jo Nesbo and A couple of Icelandic authors. A long reading list for me and I do plan to do my best. So I'll probably be a lurker most of the time :)
Wallander is on UK TV now so I'm going to watch it. I've read Firewall but it's always good to check what film-makers do with books.
Hey, Junying...welcome to NN
Naomi wrote: "Hey, Junying...welcome to NN"Many thanks, Naomi. Pleased to be part of this group :)
Hello, everyone,I am a retired Latin teacher who enjoys character development, structure and atmosphere of Scandinavian mysteries. In fact, I joined GR to find more Scandinavian mysteries, so I was excited that Nordic Noir was mentioned on the Scandinavian Mysteries group. I guess I started with Mankell several years ago and then just kept going because I liked the way he explored the idea that global crime can reach even the most seemingly isolated places. The grotesque mysteries of Nesbo and Larsson don't interest me. I have enjoyed the filmed versions of many of the books that show up on "International Mysteries" on MHz network on cable.
Oops..sorry missed this..welcome, Susan!
I'm retired and live in the Los Angeles area. I have read all of the Steig Larsson trilogy. I am in the process of reading Camilla Lackberg, having read the first 3, with 2 more to go. Also read Liza Markland's first "The Bomber". And the Icelandic ones. Love the Nordic Noir and am always glad to find new authors to read.
Hi, my name is Diane, and I live in the Atlanta area. I haven't read too much Nordic fiction, but I like what I have read so far. I have a few sitting on my bookshelf and on my Kindle that I need to read soon.
hi Diane - welcome!! Feel free to check out our featured author if you are looking for a place to start - this month it is Håkan Nesser
Hello, Im Sakura I live in southern Cali and I first started with the Girl with tattoo series. I loved them. I actually have to read the last one still. I am looking for other nordic authors that are similar or dark like the dragon tattoo series... Any suggestions who I should read next?? I have Nesbo and Mankell but not sure who is the darkest, gruesome of the 2...
Sakura wrote: "Hello, Im Sakura I live in southern Cali and I first started with the Girl with tattoo series. I loved them. I actually have to read the last one still. I am looking for other nordic authors that a..."Really can recommend Asa Larsson...nice to have a female lead but with the fascinating culture and nature of Lapland. First four need to be in order and there are two more coming in the series.
Asa Larsson
2003 - Solstorm; English translation: Sun Storm (USA), The Savage Altar (UK), 2006
2004 - Det blod som spillts; English translation: The Blood Spilt, 2007
2006 - Svart stig; English translation: The Black Path, 2008
2008 - Till dess din vrede upphör; English translation: Until Thy Wrath be Past, 2011
2009 - Guds starka arm
2011 - Till offer åt Molok
Hi. I'm Rick from Toronto. Two years ago I read Steig Larson and have been hooked on NN since. I'm enjoying Nesbo, Lackburg, Asa Larsson, Fossum, Roslund & Hellstrom, Indridison, Kjell Eriksson, Ake Edwardson, Marklund and Sigurdardottir. Too many books; not enought time!
Hi Rick,Too many books to read is a problem many of us have. I was hoping they would pass out the 9:00 pm medicine if I showed but to no avail, so I'll grab another book & get to reading. Welcome! Glad your here.
Welcome, Rick and Sakura
Rick wrote: "Hi. I'm Rick from Toronto. Two years ago I read Steig Larson and have been hooked on NN since. I'm enjoying Nesbo, Lackburg, Asa Larsson, Fossum, Roslund & Hellstrom, Indridison, Kjell Eriksson, Ak..."Greetings fellow Canadian. Love your choices and agree, never enough time. Welcome. From Sharon in Holland.
Hi all, I'm from Sydney (AUS) and started with the Millenium Trilogy. While waiting for a connection at Helsinki airport, I read an article about James Thompson and headed straight for the airport bookshop and was able to grab an English copy of Snow Angels. Now I'm hooked. I've downloaded Jo Nesbø's Oslo Trilogy (just waiting for some time to read them) and was lucky enough to hear him speak when he was out here in February promoting Phantom . I've also started reading Karen Alvtegen.
Hi-and welcome everyone!Katarina, how do you like Karen Alvtegen?
Hi Ellie, thanks for the welcome. I found Karen Alvtegen to be refreshingly different (possibly not the best way to describe her writing considering the darkness), but I really enjoyed reading "Missing" and have just started "Betrayal".
I'll have to add her to my list. Thanks! :)
I hope you like her writing. She wouldn't appeal to a lot of people. I would normally be reluctant to recommend her, but this is the Nordic Noir group... ;-)
Katarina wrote: "Hi Ellie, thanks for the welcome. I found Karen Alvtegen to be refreshingly different (possibly not the best way to describe her writing considering the darkness), but I really enjoyed reading "Mis..."Hi Katarina. Welcome. I spent much of 1990 in Coff's Harbour and loved it. Karen Alvtgegen's Shadow looks interesting. Some of the synopses I have seen for "Missing" and "Betrayal" looked a little "girly" so I have not really considered them. Jo Nesbo is fantastic, and I am getting into Fossum, Edwardson and Sjowall and Wahloo. For a change of pace, you might try Louise Penny (not really "noir" but still good mysteries. Take care ;-)
Rick wrote: "Some of the synopses I have seen for "Missing" and "Betrayal" looked a little "girly" so I have not really considered them.."Hi Rick. Funny, girly is one word I wouldn't have thought of to describe "Missing" and actually a guy recommended it to me. But I guess it depends on your definition of girly. I think of chick lit and this certainly isn't that.
Glad you liked Coffs. I've driven through a couple of times on the way to Brisbane but never stopped (other than for petrol) there.
Hi,I'm Michael Ridpath and I live in London. I write mysteries featuring an Icealndic-American detective named Magnus.
I really liked Arnaldur Indridason's books, but have stopped reading them now in case I steal his plots. Also Karin Fossum and Thomas Enger. I think Jo Nesbo is a really good writer, but I don't quite get on with Harry, I don't know why. Loved the first two Stieg Larsson, but couldn't finish the third.
Michael wrote: "Hi,I'm Michael Ridpath and I live in London. I write mysteries featuring an Icealndic-American detective named Magnus.
I really liked Arnaldur Indridason's books, but have stopped reading them ..."
Hi Michael
I am looking around for copies of your Magnus series. I usually try to find used copies, or if the price is right, e-books. Hopefully I can find them before too long. Take care!
Rick,I think they dropped the Kindle price last week - they will probably put it up again soon.
Hi, I'm living in Brisbane, having moved from Scotland 8 years ago. It's great find this group as I've been reading NN for a number of years long before it became as popular as it is now. I started with Mankell's Wallendar series and since then have read dozens of Icelandic, Finnish, Scandinavian and Swedish authors. Amongst my favouritesare Fossum, Indridison, Nesser, Marklund, Theorin, Edwardson and Costin Wagner. I couldn't get on with Steig Larson for some reason but loved the films, both Swedish and American versions (I was convinced nothing could beat the Swedish one but was surprised at how good the american version was). I didn't read Nesbo's Headhunters but the film gets top marks. My last read was The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler - I recommend it highly. I'm looking forward to getting some recommendations on other good authors from you all.Gyl
Michael wrote: "Rick,I think they dropped the Kindle price last week - they will probably put it up again soon."
For what it's worth, I have a Kobo. I am not sure I can load Kindle versions.
My name is Autumn and I live in Alabama. I am a former elementary school teacher and librarian, and I now work for the state. I do not have kids, but have two cats who think they are dogs. My love affair with mysteries first began with Nancy Drew. I am not one for sappy romance books; I rather read a good crime book, the grislier the better. Am I in the right group? I have never used the term noir, so is this the place for me? I have recently fallen in love with Larsson, Nesbo, and a few other authors far from home. I cannot wait to see other authors and books y’all suggest.
Look on YouTube for the Penguin promo on Disgrace.....very exciting and looking forward to that read. Have it on pre order iBook store. :-)Currently slow and bored with Hakan Nesser The Return, to my surprise! :-(
hi Autumn- you are definately in the right place ;)
Hi I'm Lili, I adore reading crime fiction/thrillers and loved the Steig Larsson books. Since then I have been lucky enough to discover "Asgard Park" a dark, violent, thriller, by Icelandic Author Ronald Simonar, who lives in Sweden. There is also Michael Ridpath a British author who writes about an American detective living in Sweden, his book is "Where the Shadows Lie"
Hi, I am Connie, and I have been reading Nordic noir for quite a few years. I first fell in love with Henning Mankell and read all of his books, and then I fell in love with Karin Fossum. I am currently reading her book The Indian Bride.I am a retired Pre -Ap English teacher, and I tutor Japanese students now. My husband and I have one son, who teaches in a university. We live in the South, and enjoy SEC football, basketball, baseball, and golf.
Hello--I am Florence, I read the three Millennium books at one go about two years ago, and about six months ago got back into the genre. I can't get over how much great literature there is; I particularly love Asa Larsson, who I think is doing something rather different and mystical. But so far, I've gotten something out of every author I've read, and am so curious about that part of the world. In fact, I am planning to go to Sweden next year . . .I have always loved mysteries; Nancy Drew was my earliest detective, and still has the number one place in my heart! Currently I live in Denver, which has an amazing public library about a fifteen-minute walk from my house, which feeds my Nordic Noir habit. I write fiction and have self-published a few books, plus I do jazz journalism--but I earn money via copyediting and proofreading. Looking forward to reading everyone's take on Nordic Noir . . .
Welcome Florence! Trixie Belden though, Florence..Trixie Belden!!
Naomi - you are showing your age!! lol! did you see Trixie is starting to be released on Kindle?
Do you know, I had never heard of Trixie Belden before??? I just read her Wikipedia entry, and they describe her as being more bad-tempered than Nancy, which sounds pretty intriguing. I will have to read one of these some rainy afternoon!A few years ago I reread some Nancy Drews as an adult (much to the kindly amusement of my local librarians), and the books held up in their way, although you could always see the bad guys coming a mile away. But due to Nancy's expert sleuthing, they always got theirs in the end!
I wouldn't say bad tempered, she was older, maybe more cynical at times - a teen in the ones i've read
Dee wrote: "Naomi - you are showing your age!! lol! did you see Trixie is starting to be released on Kindle?"Yeah, I am so excited.
@Florence...Bad tempered than Nancy..me thinks not. Could explain alot about why I like them so much (shut up, Dee)
No, Dee...Trixie was younger than Nancy..I think Nancy was supposed to have been like 17 or 18..Trixie was in her early teens. So, imho..she was wiser than Nancy!
ahh, for some reason I had a young nancy drew stuck in my head, not an older oneI just remember some of the later trixie's when she was a senior in high school - prom/valedictorian and stuff - IIRC - unless I am mixing up my mysteries
Someone should write a book or make a movie with both Nancy and Trixie. Like how they bring superheroes together, or Godzilla and Mothra. Just sayin'.
Florence wrote: "Someone should write a book or make a movie with both Nancy and Trixie. Like how they bring superheroes together, or Godzilla and Mothra. Just sayin'."We would go into sugar shock!
@ Dee..I don't remember those. Are you sure you aren't thinking of Nancy Drew...I though Trixie pretty much stayed 13-14'ish.
ok then, its neither of them...who the heck am i thinking of...
ah ha - I think I was thinking of donna parker maybe
yeah that's her - I remember one with her in hollywood and involving a budda and another her and prom - both of which I just found the descriptions for
Nordic Noir
Books mentioned in this topic
Jar City (other topics)Closed for Winter (other topics)
Evas öga (other topics)
Closed For Winter (other topics)
Jar City (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Arnaldur Indriðason (other topics)Arnaldur Indriðason (other topics)
Karin Fossum (other topics)
Alexander Söderberg (other topics)
Camilla Läckberg (other topics)
More...
English books are tough to get here, so I read almost exclusively Kindle.
I look forward to getting turned on to some new authors and series.