English Translations of Scandinavian/Nordic Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

For the month of September we have 9 books to choose from. We will add books as they become known to us. Good reading.

1) Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson to be published on the 5th of September 2023. Iceland.

With over three million copies sold worldwide, Ragnar Jónasson, along with Katrín Jakobsdóttir, brings us a gripping and chilling new thriller, Reykjavík.

What happened to Lára?

Iceland, 1956. Fourteen-year-old Lára decides to spend the summer working for a couple on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. In early August, the girl disappears without a trace. Time passes, and the mystery becomes Iceland‘s most infamous unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there?

Thirty years later, as the city of Reykjavík celebrates its 200th anniversary, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lára's case. But as he draws closer to discovering the secret, and with the eyes of Reykjavík upon him, it soon becomes clear that Lára's disappearance is a mystery that someone will stop at nothing to keep unsolved . . .

2) Devil's Democracy: An Ulrik Torp Thriller by Niels Krause-Kjær to be published on the 5th of September 2023. Denmark.

The mysterious deaths of two Danish government officials lead journalist Ulrik Torp down a rabbit hole of conspiracy in this mesmerizing political thriller.

When Denmark’s erstwhile Minister of Justice and Foreign Secretary dies suddenly from what appears to be a heart attack, down-on-his-luck journalist Ulrik Torp finds himself drawn into the case. Relegated to writing obituaries for a local paper, Torp is tasked with crafting the notice of the man’s untimely death—and then a former Member of Parliament expires under similarly suspicious circumstances.


But who may have killed these two political archrivals, and why? Working alongside a young, tech-savvy new partner, Torp follows the trail of clues back to the end of the Cold War and a Russian plot to control the levers of power in Denmark. The question now is whether this new threat to Danish democracy is coming from outside the government . . . or within.

The third book in the series that began with Solitaire and Darklands , Devil’s Democracy is an atmospheric thriller that navigates the intersection of media and politics, and exposes the deadly game taking place behind the scenes.

3) The Trio by Johanna Hedman to be published on the 5th of September 2023. Sweden.

Sophisticated, mature and richly atmospheric, a debut novel about three young people navigating the risks and possibilities of intimacy

For fans of André Aciman, Deborah Levy and the Penguin European Writers series

Thora, August and Hugo come from different worlds - one an art school dreamer, one a wealthy scion of the old elite, and one an ordinary boy from out of town. But over the course of two sky-blue summers in Stockholm, they are drawn together magnetically.

The novel opens years later, when Hugo, long estranged from Thora and August, is visited by their daughter - who has questions about her parents which she believes Hugo can answer - and the memories of those luminous days come flooding back.

Modern yet timeless, poignant and euphoric, The Trio is a novel about the path not taken, the people we might have become, and the relationships which shape and haunt us long after they come to a close.

4) A Classic Christmas Treasury: Includes 'Twas the Night before Christmas, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to be published on the 12th of September 2023. Various Authors.

Cozy up with your favorite Christmas stories and discover new wintry tales with this keepsake holiday anthology.

Just in time for the holidays, A Classic Christmas Treasury gathers together many of the season’s classics and introduces new, diverse stories from around the globe in one decorative holiday volume . This cheerful, collectible treasury of stories, poems, and carols makes a wonderful gift any time of the year and reminds us that simple gifts of the heart and memories made with loved ones truly are the most meaningful gifts of all. Experience a variety of wintry and holiday tales,

Featuring a beautifully designed cover with glittering finishes fit for the grandeur of the season , A Classic Christmas Treasury will become a beloved holiday keepsake that can be enjoyed by the whole family for years to come. Let these wonderful literary masterpieces warm your heart, and remind you of the joy and love to be discovered anew each holiday season.

The Timeless Classics series from Rock Point brings together the works of classic authors from around the world. Complete and unabridged, these elegantly designed gift editions feature luxe, patterned endpapers, ribbon markers, and foil and deboss details on vibrantly colored cases. Celebrate these beloved works of literature as true standouts in your personal library collection.

5) The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgaard to be published on the 9th of September 2023. Norway & Russia.

From the internationally bestselling author Karl Ove Knausgaard, a sprawling and deeply human novel that questions the responsibilities we have toward one another and ourselves—and the limits of what we can understand about life itself

In 1986, twenty-year-old Syvert Løyning returns from the military to his mother’s home in southern Norway. One evening, his dead father comes to him in a dream. Realizing that he doesn’t really know who his father was, Syvert begins to investigate his life and finds clues pointing to the Soviet Union. What he learns changes his past and undermines the entire notion of who he is. But when his mother becomes ill, and he must care for his little brother, Joar, on his own, he no longer has time or space for lofty speculations.

In present-day Russia, Alevtina Kotov, a biologist working at Moscow University, is traveling with her young son to the home of her stepfather, to celebrate his eightieth birthday. As a student, Alevtina was bright, curious and ambitious, asking the big questions about life and human consciousness. But as she approaches middle-age, most of that drive has gone, and she finds herself in a place she doesn’t want to be, without really understanding how she got there. Her stepfather, a musician, raised her as his own daughter, and she was never interested in learning about her biological father; when she finally starts looking into him, she learns that he died many years ago and left two sons, Joar and Syvert.

Years later, when Syvert and Alevtina meet in Moscow, two very different approaches to life emerge. And as a bright star appears in the sky, it illuminates the wonder of human existence and the mysteries that exist beyond our own worldview. Set against the political and cultural backdrop of both the 1980s and the present day, The Wolves of Eternity is an expansive and affecting book about relations—to one another, to nature, to the dead.

6) Loki's Deceit: A BRAND NEW action-packed historical adventure series from Donovan Cook for 2023 (The Charlemagne Series Book 2) by Donovan Cook to be published on the 21st of September 2023. Viking.

Sven the Boar is Jarl of Ribe once more. He and Charles try to settle into their new lives, but trouble and treachery are never too far away. Tormented by recent events, Charles struggles to adapt to life amongst the heathens that mock his Christian God and the arrival of a priest from the south only makes things worse. Meanwhile, Sven is burdened with the responsibilities of being Jarl again and protecting his grandson from those hunting him. When forced into an alliance with King Horik’s nephew who is raising an army to challenge his uncle for the throne of Denmark, Sven makes an important decision. As the threat of war becomes real, Sven rides to fight a battle that will change the destiny of Denmark. But whilst he fights, will Charles remain safe or are other games in play that threaten him.

7) The Ptarmigan Wing: A Constable Petra Jensen Novella by Christoffer Petersen to be published 26th of September 2023. Iceland.

When a young boy kills his first ptarmigan, the family is disturbed by human blood on the wing and the news that another boy from the village is missing.

The Ptarmigan Wing is the nineteenth in the Greenland Missing Persons series of novellas and novels set in the harsh, unpredictable Arctic, rich in tradition, myth and culture.

The Ptarmigan Wing continues the adventures of Constable Petra ‘Piitalaat’ Jensen, ably assisted by interesting characters, together with a few familiar faces making cameo appearances in the series.

The Greenland Missing Persons stories are set prior to The Ice Star and Seven Graves, One Winter .

8) Roses & Violets by Gry Kappel Jensen to be published on the 26th of September 2023. Scandinavia.

A fantastical romance with Norse roots that's a thriller murder mystery!

Four girls from very different backgrounds are making their way to the mysterious Rosewood Boarding School from different corners of the country. The one thing they have in common is the strange offer they have received to apply for a place at what will turn out to be a school for magic, deeply embedded in Nordic mythology, nature magic and shamanism. The girls have been invited to apply for a reason that is as yet unknown to themselves, but already during the unorthodox application tests, it becomes apparent that a spirit is trying to establish contact with the girls. It turns out that a young girl was murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1980s and the killer was never found. Her spirit is still haunting the place, and she is now urging the four girls to bring justice and find the killer. But someone is keeping an eye on them and it quickly becomes clear that their lives are in danger.

9) Ansuz by Malene Sølvsten to be published on the 26th of September 2023. Scandinavia.

Part thriller, part fantasy, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the supernatural, murder mysteries, or Norse mythology.

For fans of The Raven Boys and American Gods.

Fantasy, crime, and Norse gods come together when it emerges that a series of bestial murders is connected with an ancient prophecy about the end of the world. Anne can see events from the past, and one night she glimpses an old and horrible murder: a red-haired girl is killed and a rune carved into her back. Shortly afterward someone begins killing red-haired girls in the same manner, and the rune is found on all of them. Suddenly the little town is full of strangers. They have mysterious powers, and are drawn to Anne, who isn’t used to being near other people. Several of the strangers want to help her, but it takes a long time before she knows which of them she can trust. Playing on such classic themes as good versus evil, the book is at once a fantasy, a thriller, and a coming-of-age story.

10) Kayak: Prehistoric Action and Adventure by Christoffer Petersen to be published on the 7th of September 2023. U.S.A. & India.

When a sea kayak guide empties her beloved teacher’s house, she finds a note encouraging her to go on one more adventure, little knowing it might be her last.

Kayak is a novella plucked from Christoffer Petersen's Reviver series.

11) Someday I'll Find You by C.C. Humphreys to be published on the 5th of September 2023. U.K. & Norway.

BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR C.C. HUMPHREYS, AND INSPIRED BY HIS PARENTS' TRUE STORY, A DAZZLING NOVEL ABOUT A SPY AND A PILOT WHO FALL IN LOVE BUT ARE WRENCHED APART DURING WORLD WAR TWO, AND MUST FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO EACH OTHER.

When Billy Coke steps onto the streets of London one December evening he has no idea he is stepping to his fate. As Hitlers' bombers come close to burning the city down, Billy meets the woman who will change the course of his life - Ilse Magnusson, a musician from Norway, but also something more - a spy in training. Escaping the Blitz for three days she and Billy drive, quarrel, conceal, reveal... and fall finally, fully, in love

Now they must part, each to fight the war in their own way. Billy, a Canadian Spitfire pilot to duel with the Luftwaffe over North Africa and the Med. Ilse to return to her conquered country and ingratiate herself with the Nazi elite - which includes her beloved father - and send vital intelligence back to Britain. They know that the odds of both of them surviving are poor. All they can hope is that the other does survive - and that someday they find each other again.

From decadent pre-war Berlin to the atrocity at Guernica, from dogfights over Sicily to an Oslo ground under the German jackboot, through small victories and bitter losses, this is the story of a man and a woman at war. A tale of causes and compromises, heroism, and betrayal. Of choices made with consequences unforeseen. And finally how sometimes... love can give you a second chance.

12) The Brisling Code by J. L. Oakley to be published on the 10th of September 2023. Norway.

An experienced intelligence agent at 22, Tore Haugland faces certain danger when he accepts an assignment in occupied Norway knowing that his predecessor was killed by the Gestapo only a week before. The dying agent left a mysterious message in his interruption code that London calls the “Brisling Code.” London wants Haugland to find out what it means as well as to gather information on the expansion of the U boat base in Bergen. Haugland is sent to work at a drafting office in a shipyard. His mission is jeopardized when a ruthless SS officer, Hans Becker, with his own secrets, is alerted to his presence by a traitor at the Verks. Becker will do anything to find him. If Haugland can’t discover the meaning of the Brisling Code in time, it could cost him his life and expose the members of the local resistance he works with. If he does, it could hurt the people he has grown to care about. But what if the message was written down wrong?