Translations of Scandinavian crime fiction into English have slowly been making their way to American shores over the past couple years. However, with the popularity of the Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy, beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, we will be seeing more over the coming months.

I have some recommendations for you, if you’ve powered through all the Steig Larsson books and are hungry for more Scandinavian mysteries:

One of my personal favorites is Karin Fossum, of Norway. Her Inspector Sejer series is brooding and intense, with well-rounded main characters and excellently plotted story-lines.

The series titles, in publication order are:

Don’t Look Back

He Who Fears the Wolf

When the Devil Holds the Candle

Calling Out for You

Black Seconds

The Water’s Edge

Fossum also has a new novel out this summer that is a stand-alone, Broken.

Another great Swedish author is Asa Larsson, whose Rebecka Martinsson mysteries are an enjoyable read. You’ll like the characters and her plots are well-developed. The series titles, in order are:

Sun Storm

The Blood Spilt

The Black Path

One new Swedish author who you will be hearing a lot from is Camilla Lackberg. The first in her Patrik Hedstrom series was just translated into English this July, The Ice Princess. It is engaging, not just for the mystery but also for the side-stories that weave through the lives of the characters and realistically link them together.  I’m looking forward to the release of the next two, The Preacher and The Stone Cutter.

And if you still want more, here are a few more authors to check out:

Kjell Eriksson

Helene Tursten

Jo Nesbo

Kjell Ola Dahl

Henning Mankell (his Wallander mysteries have been made into a popular BBC series)

Mari Jungstedt

Olen Steinhauer

Two Icelandic mystery writers of note are Yrsa Sigurdardottir, whose novels also contain a supernatural element, and Arnaldur Indridason.

–submitted by staffer Shannon Baker