Great Crime Authors!

One of the best crime fiction writers out there right now is Jo Nesbo. Many critics have compared him to Stieg Larsson, but I think Nesbo is in a league of his own. His books are set in Oslo, Norway and follow Detective Harry Hole. When he was rising to fame, not many of his books had be translated into English so the first book I read was Redbreast (#3 in the series now). The series is up to eleven books now. I think they are all good but the one that really sucks you into the world of Harry Hole is Redbreast. 








If you are in the mood for an Irish setting, then Tana French is the author for you. She writes crime fiction that revolves around the Dublin Murder Squad and each book follows a different detective. There are six books in the series and she writes one about every two years. Start with In the Woods.







Another great but overlooked author is Tania Carver. She is the pseudonym of husband and wife team Martyn and Linda Waites. These crime novels are set in England and follow Detective Inspector Philip Brennan and psychologist Marina Esposito as they solve serial murders. This eight book series is not for the faint hearted because of graphic murder scenes, but they are fantastic at showing the points of view of both the killer and the police. You should read this series in order and start with The Surrogate. 




And finally, try crime novelist J.T. Ellison. She has two well-known series: Taylor Jackson is an Nashville detective introduced in All the Pretty Girls. The second series stars Tennessee medical examiner Samantha Owens, beginning with A Deeper Darkness. Read Jackson's story first because Owens first appears in the this series and you learn her back story.




So, consider reading one of these great crime series...you won't be disappointed.

Crime Writers Not from Sweden

A year or two ago I wrote a blog entry on Swedish crime writers and their extreme popularity.  However, Sweden is not the only Scandinavian country with talented mystery and thriller authors.  Try some of these other great books from the cold, dark North:

Jussi Adler-Olsen--Denmark--his best-selling crime thrillers about Dept. Q are all set in Denmark and are: Keeper of Lost Causes, The Absent One, and A Conspiracy of Faith (on order).

K. O. (Kjell Ola) Dahl--Norway--he writes crime novels with a psychological twist.  They feature Oslo detectives Frank Frolich and Inspector Gunnarstranda: The Fourth Man, The Man in the Window, and The Last Fix.

Tom Egeland--Norway--his series of thrillers star albino archeologist Bjorn Belto: Relic (on order) and Guardians of the Covenant.

Thomas Enger--Norway--he is a journalist, children's author, and thriller writer.  His series features crime journalist Henning Juul:  Burned and Pierced.

Karin Fossum--Norway--she is known as the "Norwegian queen of crime" and for her award-winning Inspector Konrad Sejer series: In the Darkness (on order), Don't Look Back, He Who Fears The Wolf, When the Devil Holds the Candle, The Indian Bride, Black Seconds, The Water's Edge, Bad Intentions, and The Caller.

Peter Hoeg--Denmark--his thrilling novel Smila's Sense of Snow made him an international literary celebrity.  His newest book (not a thriller) is The Elephant Keeper's Children.

Anne Holt--Norway--she is one of the most successful crime novelists in Norway and writes two series: Hanne Wilhelsen, a lesbian police officer featured in Blind Goddess, Blessed Are Those Who Thirst, and 1222 plus the Vik and Stabo series: What Is Mine and What Never Happens.

Jo Nesbo--Norway--he is a rock musician and author of the award-winning Inspector Harry Hole series: The Bat (on order), The Redbreast, Nemesis, The Devil's Star, The Redeemer, The Snowman, The Leopard, and Phantom.

Now the following authors' books are being ordered and should be here soon:

Jorn Lier Horst--Norway--Chief Inspector William Wisting series.

Arnaldur Indridason--Iceland--award-winning Reykjavik Murder Mysteries series.

Leena Lehtolainen--Finland--Detective Maria Kallio series.

Yrsa Sigurdardottir--Iceland--sexy lawyer/investigator Thora Gudmundsdottir series.

And if you still can't make it through your day without a little Swedish mystery then try these authors from my old blog entry:  Swedish crime writers.