‘A Little Death’ published in Sweden

When Lydia leaves Sweden behind for an exchange year across the Atlantic, she finds herself in a small and Christian – but godforsaken – rural community. The town has been deeply shaken by a tragedy that has left its mark on both the place and its inhabitants. Feeling lost, but keen to adapt to the local social codes, Lydia soon becomes caught up  in the region’s dark intrigues.

Parallel to this, Bonnie stands before a decisive year at the end of the 1990s. Following a difficult separation, her life revolves around the love for her rebellious teenage daughter, her job within assisted living and the fellowship of the church. When Bonnie encounters the free spirited Ronald she dares to dream of a life beyond her mundane routine. But in order to move on she first needs to confront that which has kept her confined since the day her husband disappeared.

Despite being separated by time and space, Lydia and Bonnie’s destinies become intertwined in this tale that explores life-changing love, social vulnerability and the pursuit for happiness.

A Little Death is Ebba Bandh’s unforgettable literary debut set amongst the boundless corn fields and deep forests of the American east coast.

Erik Svedberg-Zelman nominated for the SkyShowtime Rising Star Award

For the sixteenth year in a row, the Stockholm International Film Festival will celebrate new talents in film and TV through the SkyShowtime Rising Star Award. Erik Svedberg-Zelman is one of the six Swedish actors nominated for the prestigious prize.

New this year is that the festival audience can also help choose the winner. The winner, who will be announced at the festival’s award ceremony on November 15, will be rewarded with an exclusive trip to the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025.

‘Important Trash’ published in Iceland

On the day Iceland’s banking system collapses in 2008, trash collector Gómur Barðdal stumbles upon a severed human nose in a garbage bin outside a luxury home in central Reykjavík. Soon after, his cousin, Geir Norðann, a struggling poet, is employed as a poetry tutor for that same household.

As Icelandic society unravels, the two cousins—along with Zipo, the drive-through girl, Kata, the car dealer, and Didda, the trash lady and former prison guard of the year—set out to solve the mystery of the nose. Who does it belong to, and how did it end up in the trash? Their search pulls them into a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of Icelandic society.

Important Trash is a hilarious and gripping tale of love, intrigue, and societal collapse, bursting with narrative energy and wit.

The 2024 Petrona Award shortlist

The jury for the 2024 Petrona Award has just revealed the shortlist for the ‘Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.’ Among the six nominees are Jørn Lier Horst with Snow Fall, and Yrsa Sigurdardóttir’s The Prey

The Judges have the following to say about each title:

“A slow methodological approach gathers pace and pulls readers into a complex web of low-key international ties. As always Lier Horst delves deep into the psychology and motives of the characters, creating a slow-burning police procedural of empathy and human interest, firmly rooted in Norwegian society.”

“Sigurðardottir balances these three storylines, each with her trademark creeping sense of unease, in this dark and disturbing standalone.”

The winning title will be announced on 14 November 2024.

‘Blood Ties’ No. 2 in Denmark

Jo Nesbø’s Blood Ties, is No. 2 on both Saxo’s bestseller list for e-books in the crime category, and on Bog & Idé’s bestseller list for hardcover crime fiction this week.

‘Dry Land’ No. 1 in Norway

For the third consecutive week, Dry Land, the latest installment in the William Wisting series, holds the No. 1 spot on the hardcover bestseller list and also tops the e-book list. Notably, it was No. 2 on the official September bestseller list, despite being published on September 16th.

Rickard L. Eriksson Photo: Rickard L. Eriksson

New author: Pascal Engman

Pascal Engman (b. 1986) is one of Sweden’s most prominent thriller authors. Engman debuted in 2017 with the standalone crime novel The Patriots and followed up with the series about detective Vanessa Frank, which has quickly become a standout in modern crime fiction.

Engman’s books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

Pascal Engman’s latest book No One, the seventh installment in the Vanessa Frank series, is published by Bookmark in Sweden today.

No One is a breathtaking thriller about the present society in free fall and a new, rougher, Sweden where organized crime is spreading. But in the darkness, there is also solidarity and man’s most powerful motive: to protect its children and give them a better future.

Lars Kepler, Martin Widmark, Kristina Ohlsson, and Tina Mackic on the Swedish bestseller list

The Sleepwalker, the latest installment in Lars Kepler’s Joona Linna series, stays put at No. 1 on the bestseller list for hardcovers. Meanwhile, Martin Widmark’s The Space Mysteryis No.1 in the children’s category for the 5th consecutive week, followed closely by Kristina Ohlsson’s The Ghost Detectives and the Case of the Ghastly Game at No. 2. Tina Mackic’s just published The Summer Shadow and the Christmas Prank comes in at No. 3.

Jørn Lier Horst No. 1 in Norway

Jørn Lier Horst’s Dry Land, the 17th installment in his Wisting series, stays put at No. 1 on the bestselling list for hardcovers. Meanwhile, Operation Tractorthe latest installment in Jørn and Hans Jørgen Sandnes’ Detective Agency No. 2 series, climbs to No. 2 on the children’s list.