It is so exciting to annonce the winner of the Petrona Award 2025 for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year:
THE CLUES IN THE FJORD by Satu Rämö translated from the Finnish by Kristian London and published by Zaffre. Satu Rämö will receive a trophy, and both the author and translator will receive a cash prize. The Petrona team would like to thank David Hicks for his sponsorship of the Petrona Award.
The judges’ statement on THE CLUES IN THE FJORD:
THE CLUES IN THE FJORD is a sophisticated and atmospheric police procedural with a pleasingly unpredictable dark and twisty plot, set against the backdrop of the raw and untamed beauty of rural Iceland.
Providing the local detective with a Finnish side-kick allows the author to contrast Icelandic and Finnish traits, adding authenticity to an original story. The intriguing back-stories of both characters leave the reader anticipating the next instalments.
In the ever-increasing Icelandic crime fiction scene, Satu Rämö has carved out a unique position between traditional mysteries and the darker end of crime fiction.
Statements from the winning author, translator and publisher:
Satu Rämö:
I am deeply honoured to receive this award, and I want to thank the jury and the organizers of the Petrona Award. I also want to acknowledge the incredible writers nominated alongside me. To be included among such talented writers is a reward in itself. Your words have inspired me a lot!
This award reminds me of a conversation I had with a reader, a ninety-five-year-old woman, who shared how the book, the first part in the Hildur crime book series, THE CLUES IN THE FJORD, made her feel. She told me that she knows she is getting very old but after reading this book, she hoped she would live long enough to read the sequel, to know what happened to the two little girls who got lost on their way from school. When the sequel came out, I sent it to her and called her after a few weeks. She was still as happy and joyful as last time, waiting for the next book in the series to come out…
It is the readers who keep stories alive. Thank you for reading. I want to thank you also, my British publisher Zaffre and my translator Kristian London. Great teamwork! Thank you jury from the bottom of my heart, this award means so much to me.
Kristian London:
When I first took on translating Satu Rämö’s THE CLUES IN THE FJORD, the book’s incredible success in Finland suggested it had a high chance of connecting with audiences abroad as well. I’m gratified to see this is the case. It has been a privilege to act as an intermediary between Rämö’s imagination and those of her English-speaking readers as they enter Hildur’s world of human quirks and foibles, familial traumas and inheritances. For me, the work’s slow power springs from its true protagonist: that isolated land in the North Atlantic that serves as the setting, and the terrain and culture and people we’re introduced to through an outsider’s keen eyes. Many thanks to the Petrona Award jury for this honor.
Kasim Mohammed (editor at Zaffre):
Being Satu’s English-language publisher is a real honour. She has such an eye for crafting stories about real people, and a real heart to her writing that is hard to find these days. Bringing authors’ dreams to life is a privilege and moments like this are wonderful to experience. To know Satu’s work is resonating with so many readers, worldwide, brings the team here at Bonnier so much pride. Thank you to the Petrona Award jury for this honour – we will treasure this as we continue to publish Satu!
The judges
Jackie Farrant – creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller for a major book chain in the UK.
Ewa Sherman – translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE.
Sonja van der Westhuizen – book critic for print and online publications in the UK and South Africa, as well as a blogger at WEST WORDS REVIEWS.
Award administrator
Karen Meek – owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.
Petrona Award 2025 shortlist in full is here and further information can be found on The Petrona Award website.
Helsinki, 1982. Recently divorced postal worker Ilmari Nieminen has promised his daughter a piano for Christmas, but with six days to go – and no money – he’s desperate.
A last-minute job offers a solution: transport a valuable antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland. With the sofa secured in the back of his van, Ilmari stops at a gas station, and an old friend turns up, offering to fix his faulty steering wheel, on the condition that he tags along. Soon after, a persistent Saab 96 appears in the rearview mirror. And then a bright-yellow Lada. That’s when Ilmari realises that he is transporting something truly special. And when he realises he might be in serious trouble…
A darkly humorous and warmly touching suspense novel about friendship, love and death, The Winter Job flies a hundred and twenty kilometres an hour straight into the darkest heart of a Finnish winter night.
Just as indicated by its title, the book The Winter Job, published by Orenda books, is about working in winter conditions, and Antti Tuomainen honed his writing craft so well over the years in ten books I’ve read so far that my expectations are reasonably high. Well, there’s snow, and quite a lot of it in different stages of movement across the country because that’s where the quiet hero Ilmari Nieminen is driving in a very unsatisfactory vehicle. Others follow him and his valuable cargo and battle with the harsh weather conditions. Then there is a powerful and dangerous snowplough which could have appeared straight from the Norwegian movie In Order of Disappearance. If you haven’t seen it, please do as it definitely shows how to deal both with the snowstorms AND the emotions.
Other motifs in the novel also appealed to me. For example the egg-yolk-yellow of the iconic Soviet-era Lada, a car popular in the Eastern Bloc and quite reliable on the tough snowy Finnish roads. The colour – yellow – always makes me smile; however, tension and suspense in the sofa-pursuit tale didn’t feel so safe, especially as two people in the Lada seemed to have extremely revolutionary ideas. Yet, to be fair, if you’re a diehard communist and plotting a Marxist-Leninist revolution, you must be clear about your values: none of that ‘imperialist rubbish’ which also applies to the car makes.
The motivational song Eye of the Tiger keeps popping throughout the story, which I must admit is also on my Spotify list, but for completely unrelated reasons. I do not wish to get pumped up like Otto Puolanka. This particular cold-blooded man, one of Ilmari’s pursuers, is also keen on sharing his life philosophy, for example: ‘People were like warts: always in the wrong place at the wrong time and always unpleasant.’ Difficult to argue against this point if you’re on the road from the civilised cultural Helsinki to the village of Kilpisjärvi, famous for spectacular Northern Lights and a school fire that destroyed thousands of euro banknotes. This event is well ahead of The Winter Job’s timeline; but who knows, baddies are capable of various misdemeanours in different time zones.
Otto’s interesting views on human existence as such remind me of the enigmatic Icelandic author and protagonist Stella Blómkvist – Corylus Books quoting various wisdoms delivered by her mother. They all make sense of course. However, here wisdoms are more brash and straight to the brutal point, and they work in this harsh setting.
As Ilmari zigzags with his cargo there are two persons always on his mind: Helena, his twelve-year-old daughter, and ex-wife Tuulikki. He finds the whole journey across the country and just before Christmas a massive inconvenience. Ilmari has also an unexpected travelling companion: his old friend Antero Kuikka whom he hasn’t seen for many years, due to lack of communication and unfinished business dating back to their school days. Over the stressful hours of driving in the snow, in the dark and in the atmosphere of mistrust, both men open a little bit to each other. The process is quite painful but written by Tuomainen with empathy and humour. And then we can understand what real decent male friendship is and what could it mean exactly. This also gently explores loneliness as every character in the novel is affected by it. Are we able to deal with this feeling, this state of mind, this sad reality?
‘Seems you still don’t have many friends,’ he said.
Ilmari stopped in his tracks. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Something happens that’s a bit difficult or uncomfortable, and even though it has nothing to do with the people around you, you start blaming them for the problem and insult them in the most profound and personal way.’
‘But why do we always show our worst sides to those nearest to us?’
Are you ready for the latest dose of dark humour, clever plotting, great characterisation and touching insights into the human soul? As always David Hackston translated Antti Tuomainen’s work in the most perfect nuanced way, and I can assure you that it will be a joy to read the novel any season of the year. The Winter Job (Bookshop.org UK) is out next week on 23rd October 2025.
Outstanding crime fiction from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden shortlisted for the 2025 Petrona Award
Seven impressive crime novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have been shortlisted for the 2025 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The shortlist is announced today, Thursday 18 September and is as follows:
1. Samuel Bjørk – Dead Island tr. Charlotte Barslund (Norway, Bantam)
2. Pascal Engman – The Widows tr. Neil Smith (Sweden, Legend Press
3. Malin Persson Giolito – Deliver Me tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Simon & Schuster)
4. Óskar Guðmundsson – The Dancer tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)
5. Aslak Nore – The Sea Cemetery tr. Deborah Dawkin (Norway, MacLehose Press)
6. Satu Rämö – The Clues in the Fjord tr. Kristian London (Finland, Zaffre)
7. Gunnar Staalesen – Pursued by Death tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)
The winning title will be announced on 16 October 2025.
The Petrona Award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia, and published in the UK in the previous calendar year. The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his generous support of the Petrona Award.
The judges’ comments on the shortlist:
There were 31 entries for the 2025 Petrona Award from six countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland). This year’s shortlist sees Norway represented with three novels, Sweden with two and Finland and Iceland with one novel each. The judges selected the shortlist from a strong pool of candidates with the seven shortlisted authors including three previous Petrona Award winners: Pascal Engman, Malin Persson Giolito and Gunnar Staalesen.
As ever, we are extremely grateful to the seven translators whose expertise and skill have allowed readers to access these outstanding examples of Scandinavian crime fiction, and to the publishers who continue to champion and support translated fiction.
The judges’ comments on each of the shortlisted titles:
Samuel Bjørk – DEAD ISLAND translated by Charlotte Barslund (Norway, Bantam)
DEAD ISLAND, the fifth instalment in the Mia Krüger and Holger Munch series, sees the duo away from their stomping grounds in Oslo, pondering their future. Both police investigators are dealing with separate professional and personal traumas yet cannot escape the violent events and aftermath of those, on the picturesque island of Hitra in northern Norway. While Mia re-examines a cold case of a missing boy, a teenage girl is brutally murdered. Convinced that the cases are connected, she digs deep into the individual stories of people living behind the sheen of a respectable community. The idyllic surface crumbles to show deceit, danger and darkness as the plot delves into psychological and cunning ways of using violence. A focus on personal dynamics and processing the nuanced information creates tension and a gripping story with empathy and depth, affecting everyone in the vicinity of the crimes.
Pascal Engman – THE WIDOWS translated by Neil Smith (Sweden, Legend Press)
In THE WIDOWS, two bodies are discovered in a Stockholm park, one a policeman and the other an unidentified young woman. With the police believing the woman to be nothing more than unfortunate collateral damage, they focus on the murder of the police officer. But Detective Vanessa Frank takes a different approach and her investigation turns out to be more personal than she could have imagined. Frank must tread carefully as she moves into the world of terrorist networks operating deep within the shadows, where society’s fears make her job more chaotic and dangerous than ever. A previous winner of the Petrona Award with FEMICIDE, Pascal Engman once again produces a high-octane thriller which impressed the judges with its complex plotting, nerve wracking tension and strong characterisation throughout.
Malin Persson Giolito – DELIVER ME translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Simon & Schuster)
DELIVER ME is a harrowing crime thriller that explores the devastating impact of gang violence and class differences on two childhood friends in suburban Stockholm. The story centres on Billy and Dogge, two boys from different backgrounds whose friendship is tested by the allure of gang activity. Recruited as drug runners, their lives spiral out of control, leading to a tragic confrontation.
The novel is a gritty and uncompromising look at a topical social problems such as restrictive immigration policies, corrupt law enforcement, and economic inequality. Giolito’s account of the boys lives and circumstances is so convincing it might as well have been a true account. A lawyer herself, she poses questions about justice for children who commit crimes in a society that has failed to protect them. DELIVER ME is a powerful, yet unsettling, examination of the dark underbelly of suburban Stockholm and the real victims of gang violence and social inequality.
Óskar Guðmundsson – THE DANCER translated by Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)
Tony is a young man who has always been on the losing side in life. He was brought up by his troubled, alcoholic mother who had a past of her own as a talented ballerina, until a life-changing accident brought her dreams to a sudden end. As her own ambitions for fame and success were crushed, she used cruel and brutal methods to project them onto her young son – with devastating consequences. There’s no doubt that a body found on Reykjavik’s Öskjuhlíð hillside has been there for a long time and when the case is handed to veteran detective Valdimar, and his new partner Ylfa, it’s not long before it’s clear a vicious killer is on the loose – and very little about the case is what it appears to be at first glance. THE DANCER is an incredibly dark and uncompromising crime read, that plays with the reader’s perceptions from the outset, alternating between empathy and horror, balanced out by the enjoyable repartee between the police protagonists.
Aslak Nore – THE SEA CEMETERY translated by Deborah Dawkin (Norway, MacLehose Press)
THE SEA CEMETERY is a suspenseful literary thriller and complex family saga moving through Norway’s recent history, its links to Europe and the Middle East, and questioning individual choices made by the main characters. The universal human issues are hidden just below the surface of the dramatic story about trust, legacy and control, and consequences of untruths. Set in the dramatic harsh Norwegian natural beauty and inspired by a devastating maritime disaster during World War II, it follows the fate of two warring branches of the powerful Falck dynasty. The death of its writer matriarch, intestate, and with secrecy surrounding her manuscript confiscated by the secret police decades earlier, sets in motion an inheritance dispute between families in Oslo and Bergen. Private investigation into the affairs, connections and conflicts between those in power are painted with astute detail, making this ambitious novel both a historical and contemporary tale with strong message about Norwegian values and delivering a thrilling mix of espionage, tension and seduction.
Satu Rämö – THE CLUES IN THE FJORD translated by Kristian London (Finland, Zaffre)
Hildur Rúnarsdottir is the only police detective working on the isolated west coast of Iceland. She is desperate to forget her traumatic past by burying herself in her cases alongside her new trainee, Jakob Johanson. Jakob’s life has its own complications however, and it soon becomes clear that neither can run from their pasts for long. When a local man is found with his throat slit, underneath an avalanche that has buried much of the evidence, Hildur and Jakob must set their own problems aside and unravel the dark secrets to expose a killer. THE CLUES IN THE FJORD is a sophisticated and atmospheric police procedural with a pleasingly unpredictable dark and twisty plot, set against the backdrop of the raw and untamed beauty of rural Iceland.
Gunnar Staalesen – PURSUED BY DEATH translated by Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)
PURSUED BY DEATH, the latest in the long-running Varg Veum series, is a hard-boiled noir that tackles contemporary social issues in Norway. The plot begins when private investigator Varg Veum reads a newspaper article about the missing Jonas Kleiva, a man he recognises as the driver of a camper van he noticed at a bus stop. Kleiva disappeared after attending a demonstration in Solvik against the powerful salmon-farming corporation, Sunfjord Salmon. This case leads Veum to investigate not only the missing protestor but also a cold case from the past that was originally dismissed by the police.
The novel, told through a first-person narrative, showcases Veum’s wry, deadpan observations. Staalesen consistently creates fully fleshed-out, vibrant, and lively characters, with Veum standing out as an unforgettable protagonist. The story is set against a compressed history of Norway’s salmon-farming industry, while also providing a critical look at the environmental and social conflicts surrounding it. Staalesen, again, masterfully blends a traditional detective story with a commentary on modern issues, making the novel a relevant, topical, and thoroughly engaging read.
Gunnar StaalesenAslak Nore (c) Agnete BrunSatu Rämö (c) Björgvin HilmarssonÓskar GuðmundssonSamuel Bjørk (c) Harald OrenPascal EngmanMalin Persson Giolito
The judges:
Jackie Farrant – creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller for a major book chain in the UK.
Ewa Sherman – translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE.
Sonja van der Westhuizen – book critic for print and online publications in the UK and South Africa, as well as a blogger at WEST WORDS REVIEWS.
Award administrator Karen Meek – owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.
Further information can be found on the Petrona Award website.
Outstanding crime fiction – twelve crime novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have made the longlist for the 2025 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. They are:
Samuel Bjørk – Dead Island tr. Charlotte Barslund (Norway, Bantam)
Stella Blómkvist – Murder Under the Midnight Sun tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)
Pascal Engman – The Widows tr. Neil Smith (Sweden, Legend Press)
Malin Persson Giolito – Deliver Me tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Simon & Schuster)
Óskar Guðmundsson – The Dancer tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)
Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger – Victim tr. Megan E Turney (Norway, Orenda Books)
Jo Nesbø – Blood Ties tr. Robert Ferguson (Norway, Harvill Secker)
Aslak Nore – The Sea Cemetery tr. Deborah Dawkin (Norway, MacLehose Press)
Sólveig Pálsdóttir – Shrouded tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)
Satu Rämö – The Clues in the Fjord tr. Kristian London (Finland, Zaffre)
Max Seeck – Ghost Island tr. Kristian London (Finland, Mountain Leopard Press)
Gunnar Staalesen – Pursued by Death tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)
The longlist contains a mix of newer and more established authors including previous Petrona Award winners Pascal Engman, Malin Persson Giolito, Jørn Lier Horst, and Gunnar Staalesen. Both large and small publishers are represented on the longlist, with Corylus Books having an impressive three entries. The breakdown by country is Norway (5), Iceland (3), Finland (2) and Sweden (2).
The shortlist will be announced on 18 September 2025.
The Petrona Award 2025 judging panel comprises Jackie Farrant, the creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller for a major book chain in the UK; Ewa Sherman, translator, writer and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE, and Sonja van der Westhuizen, a book critic for print and online publications in the UK and South Africa, as well as a blogger at WEST WORDS REVIEWS. The Award administrator is Karen Meek, owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.
The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his continuing support of the Petrona Award.
The Petrona Award was established to celebrate the work of Maxine Clarke, one of the first online crime fiction reviewers and bloggers, who died in December 2012. Maxine, whose online persona and blog was called Petrona, was passionate about translated crime fiction but in particular that from the Scandinavian countries. The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year. More information on the history of the Award and previous winners can be found at The Petrona Award website.
A young criminologist Helgi Reykdal is finishing his MA dissertation on so called ‘deaths at the sanatorium’, a thirty-years-old case. Stuck in an unhappy relationship and unable to decide on own future in the UK or in Iceland, Helgi focuses instead on what he thinks were murders and begins to follow his far-fetched theory.
Old sanatoria are not fun places, especially if they are in quite isolated locations and provide care for very ill or dying people. Akureyri tuberculosis sanatorium was such a place, as it stood high up in the mountains in the northern Iceland, surrounded by beautiful nature and very dark memories. In the 1950’s there were still many cases of TB and the medical staff did the best they could to ease their patients’ pain, though death and suffering were always present. In 1983 only one wing of the hospital building remained open to allow conducting of the research, and only six employees worked there: two doctors, two nurses, a caretaker and a young research assistant. When one of them, nurse Yrsa, was found dead in horrible circumstances in her office, others initially became suspects, and an ambitious detective Sverrir Eggertsson was called from Reykjavik. He conducted investigation, assisted by more experienced Hulda Hermannsdóttir, also from CID in the capital, aiming to wrap up the case as quickly as possible. Hulda, known from a previous series of Ragnar Jónasson’s books, wasn’t so keen to follow flaky evidence from a nurse Tinna but had no say. A caretaker Broddi was arrested. Then a body of a doctor was found on the ground. It seemed a suicide, and so Sverrir concluded the investigation. Case was closed but not exactly forgotten.
Nearly thirty years later Helgi Reykdal, a young criminologist finishing his MA dissertation on so called ‘deaths at the sanatorium’, had decided to re-examine a cold case from a purely academic perspective, armed with the latest criminological theories. Fascinated by the classic whodunnit detective stories, Helgi started digging through old documents and news reports, and reluctantly made contact with the sanatorium’s members of staff who in a meantime moved to Reykjavik. Although his intention wasn’t to become an investigator in this situation, his dedication proved very useful.
I appreciated the complex intertwined history between the main characters in the story spanning nearly sixty years and shown from different perspectives. Here the author brilliantly places opinions and thoughts in the social context. Personal experiences and feelings at the time influenced the explanation of possible reasons behind two deaths which Helgi considered to be murders. Small clues are thrown around the novel and any self-respecting fan of Agatha Christie would be able to draw lines between them. Aided by the unsettling connections between people now and then, the sense of foreboding and danger never leaves the reader, and as Helgi keeps working on his semi-investigation, the tension steadily grows. I must admit it was difficult to warm up to the main characters but I understood why they behaved the way they did, regardless of what their moral compasses could have shown. For example Helgi’s uneasy relationship with his girlfriend Bergthóra affects his indecisiveness and how he deals with life generally, or why Braggi’s sense of injustice and despair colour the novel’s mood. Overall Death at the Sanatorium, translated by Victoria Cribb, is an engaging read in Jónasson’s trademark style, combining classic solid ‘technical’ analysis of crime and the strong sense of place.
Jón Atli Jónasson is a new name among the crime writers from Iceland appearing in translation, and his English-language debut Broken definitely pushes this genre in a new direction.
The pair of two cops who probably shouldn’t be on the force, let alone working together, isn’t a new idea, but the supremely damaged Dóra and second-generation immigrant Rado as the cop duo is brilliantly done. They fit together, but at the same time they don’t. Then there’s the cast of characters Jón Atli has woven into this story who give it such bright colours. There’s chain-smoking Elliði, Dóra’s boss and former patrol partner who was present when she was so badly injured, and the cast of other cops who don’t hide their suspicion and dislike of the foreign guy in their ranks.
Rado’s family and his shady in-laws, also immigrants, are sharply drawn, highlighting the rootlessness and the conflictedness of people finding a foothold in a new, strange country, and how their children cope (or fail to cope) with this double identity. It doesn’t help that in this new home they’ve rebuilt the criminal empire they were forced to abandon back in the old country… Jón Atli shows us an Iceland that’s so far removed from the version visitors see that it’s barely recognisable, but at the same time scarily familiar.
Then the criminals, both the old-school homegrown variety with their clunky methods, and a new generation of villains who don’t sample their own merchandise and look up to business figure, seeing themselves as entrepreneurs who have the unfortunate disadvantage of operating on the wrong side of the law. And then there’s the sinister and mysterious Groke, the consummate professional who takes no prisoners, and who comes with a backstory of his own that hits so painfully close to home.
Jón Atli Jónasson is an acclaimed screenwriter and playwright. Broken is his first novel to appear in English, translated by Quentin Bates and published by Corylus Books. A TV adaptation is already in the works, and shooting is scheduled to start next year.
Here’s a short sample of Jón Atli Jónasson’s writing:
The fishing lodge couldn’t be seen from the road, and hardly even from the rutted track that led down to it. If he hadn’t got the jeep stuck in the soft ground then he wouldn’t be standing here in a pair of rubber boots and a shovel in his hands, trying to fill in the deep tyre tracks. It was as well there was nobody about. There was a farmhouse on the far side of the ravine, but he was fairly sure it had been long abandoned.
Shovelling was tiring, but he didn’t mind that. The cool air was invigorating. It was April and the snow was melting, freeing water to stream down from the highlands. It was difficult to see where the meltwater was going, until you put a foot on the ground and the gravel gave way into the slush beneath. This aroused his interest more than anything else. It didn’t trouble the Groke in the least. He had never seen any point in letting himself be angered by nature or its laws. In fact, he lived closer to nature than most people – close to the border with death and decomposition. He was a ferryman of a kind, leading all sorts of people, understandably not always willing, to that border and across it.
The two corpses he had conscientiously buried behind the fishing lodge were prime examples. This couple lived in Reykjavík, in one of the new districts that had sprouted up over the last decade. In these sprawling, soulless boxes where vast flat screens cast their blue glare on the walls and the big picture windows. The couple had stolen money. This was an amount that would have been worth negotiating, if only they’d showed a little inclination. But they hadn’t. They thought they would get away with it. They hadn’t realised that this was too much money to simply shrug off. Their attitude had been such that threats, beatings and even torture hadn’t done the trick. Some people had to have their hands held to the border between life and death, while others failed to understand that their own behaviour brought the border to them. Their deaths would serve as a warning to others. He knew that wasn’t true. Man as a species is too cross-grained for that to be the case.
Neither of them had been able to say a word before they died. The man had been coming out of the bathroom. The Groke sank the needle deep into his neck, and he sank down against the wall of this house that looked as if it had been cut from the pages of a piece of property porn. They had great taste, which perhaps was the reason for their downfall. In the end it had all been too costly, all the beautiful art on the walls, the expensive furniture and wardrobes crammed with designer goods.
Just moments after the man slipped to the floor, his wife parked her new electric car in front of the house and wondered who owned the jeep with tinted windows standing in the drive, and which she didn’t recall having seen before. She went indoors, called out, but didn’t get a response.
The Groke waited patiently in the corridor upstairs. He heard her potter around the kitchen, putting groceries away and calling her husband. The low hum from the man’s phone carried from the bedroom. He eventually heard her come up the stairs. When she appeared in the corridor and saw her husband lying there, she was about to scream. But the blow he gave her to the solar plexus punched all the breath out of her. He didn’t like this. It felt amateurish. But there was no other option. Then he grabbed her by the back of the neck and sank the needle deep into it. A few seconds later she lay on the floor beside her husband. If anyone were to wonder about them, then border control would inform them that the couple had left the country on a charter flight to Portugal. Their social media accounts had been hacked into. There would be a few pictures posted of landscapes and Southern European cuisine before their trails would disappear for good.
The Groke descended the stairs and went into the kitchen, where he opened the fridge and checked out the contents. The same luxury was on offer there. He glanced at the clock, and sent a Signal message from his phone. 2-0.
What an incredible novel! From the very first pages I knew that The Sea Cemetery / Havets kirkegård, a literary thriller and family saga combined in one huge tome, would take me on an unforgettable voyage through the recent history of Norway and its connections with the Europe, and questions about individual choices made by the main characters. The universal human issues are hidden just below the surface of the dramatic story about legacy and control, and consequences of hidden secrets in the thriller set among the harsh Norwegian natural beauty.
Aslak Nore’s inspiration came from the authentic sea disaster during the WWII when Norway was under German occupation. Sinking of the Norwegian passenger ship DS Prinsesse Ragnhild in 1940 was the worst wartime tragedy. The ship struck a mine and disappeared under the water between Bodø and Lofoten in the North, with loss of many lives.
Vera Lind, writer and matriarch of a rich and powerful dynasty, commits suicide on the family stunning estate near Oslo. She has been writing memoirs while trying to deal with her own and family’s trauma, going back to the times of wartime shipping disaster in October 1940 that had killed her husband and hundreds of other passengers and German soldiers. However, her earlier attempts to publish the novel were met with fierce opposition by Olav, her son and heir to the fortune. Forty years later in 1970 the manuscript vanished and Vera was placed under a Guardianship Order. Something strange has taken place.
Not everyone wants to dig into the past to uncover shocking truth but her granddaughter Sasha (Alexandra) is determined to find out what has happened to Vera. Her husband Mads and siblings Sverre and Andrea don’t want to rock the boat, so to speak, and so she does it alone, although Johnny Berg, a journalist and discredited Norwegian secret service agent, decides to help her along the way. This semi-professional relationship is tricky. Sasha is torn between loyalty to her strong-willed father Olav and the family, and the need to ‘avenge’ her grandmother. Berg, apart from his personal motives to search for the manuscript, has also signed the contract to write biography of Hans Falck, a charismatic doctor and an adventurer, notorious for his personal life and famous for his humanitarian work in the Middle East. Sasha’s cousin Hans is from Bergen and convinced that Vera bequeathed the fortune to him and his children. There is no love lost between two branches of the Falck family: in Bergen on the beautiful Norwegian coast and in Oslo, close to the country’s financial centre.
So far so complex regarding the family ties. However, the power struggles and different sentiments become much more evident as the novel unravels. I enjoyed the occasionally uneven tempo of this epic tale. Hunt for Vera’s missing testament and manuscript was shown through eyes of main players and as a novel-in-novel process, and my view of various people shifted. It’s right to say that ‘History is power. Control the narrative, and you wield the power.’ Chapters exploring conflict in Kurdistan and Afghanistan added both clarity and some confusion necessary to paint a picture of intertwined connections within the family, known only to those who make the decisions. The geopolitical context is relevant as the author also took on the most sacred Norwegian values, such as patriotism and trust, and explored them in the view of family secrets.
The Sea Cemetery, in superb translation by Deborah Dawkin, culminates in a brilliant and completely unexpected twist that paves the way for the second part of this trilogy. It was published by MacLehose Press in 2024. Now I am really looking forward to reading The Heirs of the Arctic / Ingen skal drukne.
Aslak Nore with The Sea Cemetery during Krimfestivalen 2025
The snow is gone, sun is shining and birds are singing and world seems happy and relaxed as we stand in a long queue outside Gyldendal Norsk Forlag AS, one of the largest Norwegian publishing houses. It was founded in 1925 after buying rights to publications from the Danish company of the same name. However, right now nobody thinks of its illustrious history. The aim is to get inside the beautiful building in central Oslo and find a good seat to enjoy crime. International crime fiction in fact as the new Krimfestivalen is just about to begin. Since the free festival was first held in 2012, it has been a huge success, and now it is considered as one of the world’s leading crime festivals. Over three days fifty writers from Norway and abroad will share some of their secrets, writing tips and opinions in three locations; here at Gyldendal and two other publishers: Cappelen Damm and Aschehoug. The last or so decade has been a golden age for NordicNoir crime fiction. The festival organisers are keen to celebrate this phenomenon and keep Nordic crime fiction within the international perspective, and we – the fans – know how intriguing and fascinating various books in this genre are. We don’t seem to get enough of them, and luckily – the authors keep writing.
Lubna Jaffrey, Minister of Culture and Equality, and Ingeborg Volan, the publishing director at Gyldendal Litteratur, welcomed the crowd of readers and writers.
The festival began with the conversation between the journalist Hilde Sandvik and the shining global star Jo Nesbø who discussed various American themes that have influenced both his life and his latest thriller. The English translation by Robert Ferguson is due to be published in August 2025. Minnesota or Wolf Hour, set in the American Midwest in 2016, brings a powerful mix of unexpected twists, dark secrets and personal and political tension. Here’s the blurb: ‘When a small-time crook is shot down in the street, all signs point to a lone wolf, a sniper who has seemingly vanished into thin air. Down-and-out detective Bob Oz is sitting in a dive bar in Minneapolis when he gets a call: there’s been another murder, and they don’t think it will be the last. As the body count grows, Oz suspects that something more sinister is at play. And the closer he gets the more disturbed he becomes. Because the serial killer reminds him of someone: himself’.’
Nesbø was joined on stage by Sweden’s huge star Pascal Engman whose challenging but incredible Femicide / Råttkungen was the Winner of Petrona Award 2023 for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. Discussion in Norwegian and Swedish between masters of the thriller focused on function of the literature which of course includes the crime fiction. Its purpose, apart from entertaining and creating a fantastic reading experience, is the possibility to create some kind of meaning and understanding of the world and what is going on in the current climate, touching on the social, historical and political aspects. Both authors agree that it is also much better to finish a novel with an open ending rather than a happy ending because how would such a ‘happy’ conclusion to a terrifying story work out in practice really?
Gunnar Staalesen, called the Norwegian Raymond Chandler, also considers that writing and reading crime fiction can bring some kind of resolution, some sense of what’s happening around us. Staalesen was celebrating 50 years as a writer earlier in January this year. The short summary of his writing career, and relatively short chat on the stage with Nils Nordberg, another great writer and one of leading experts on crime fiction, don’t really show huge impact Staalesen has made on the readers, critics and other writers. I was lucky to read and review several of his books (WeShall Inherit The Wind, Where Roses Never Die, Wolves in the Dark, Big Sister, Wolves at the Door, Fallen Angels). He made his debut at the age of 22 with his first novel Uskyldstider / Times of Innocence in 1969. Since then, he has published a wide range of novels, plays and children’s books, but he is primarily known as a crime fiction writer. The books about a social worker turned private detective Varg Veum have been published in 23 countries, including France, England, Germany, Italy, Russia and Poland, and several of them have been adapted for cinema and television. The iconic Varg Veum is a truly exceptional complex character. And one of my all-time favourite heroes, too.
I spent several hours at Krimfestivalen, listened to the chats between Sarah Natasha Melbye and the Swedish mentalist and writer Henrik Fexeus, and later with immensely popular Elly Griffiths (UK) and Emelie Schepp (Sweden) about their fascinating and strong female characters: Ruth Galloway, Jana Berzelius and Maia Bohm. The powerful and often flawed fictional heroines are undoubtedly unforgettable. Helene Flood (The Therapist, The Lover), Torkil Damhaug (Medusa, Certain Signs That You Are Dead) and editor Marius Fossøy Mohaugen shared some of the intricacies of how to write a good authentic psychological thriller. The ‘who’ isn’t as important as ‘why’ to make people’s actions and motives believable.
It was getting late when French Noir took over with the French author Bernard Minier and the French resident Aslak Nore in conversation. I enjoyed Night by Bernard Minier and am looking forward to reading Havets kirkegård / The Sea Cemetery by Aslak Nore.
Only one day at the festival. Overwhelmed and tired in the best way possible, I felt that ‘my’ tribe is doing great. I got a new book: Mørkefall by Sven G. Simonsen, and had others signed. I didn’t miss my train home.
One of the exciting moments during the festival is the announcement of the nominees for the Riverton Prize / Golden Revolver 2024, to the author of the best Norwegian crime fiction work in the previous year:
Du kan kalle meg Jan / You Can Call Me Jan by Anne Elvedal
Fuglekongen / The King of Birds by Eva Fretheim
Den ingen ser / The One No One Sees by Terje Bjøranger
Tørt land / The Lake by Jørn Lier Horst
Kongen av Os. Kongeriket 2 / Blood Ties. The Kingdom 2 by Jo Nesbø
Good evening to you all… Hope 1st January has been a good relaxing day. I went for a long walk in the forest with my son, we fell down several times on the icy paths covered by new not-snowman-type snow, then we helped our best friends with snow shovelling and had hot dogs by a fire in the cold white garden. Feeling lazy and content I want to recommend links to the pages that you should or could follow, pages by wonderful bloggers who enjoyed the novel below…
The new year 2025 is very young and full of promises for all of us as we look into the future and want the goodness of the world to win. Again and again. Just like it often happens in the books of various types, and especially in the crime fiction genre. And right now I want to go back to the recent past for long enough to enjoy the strange marvellous beauty of Chris Ould’s latest translation: The Island of Liesby the mysterious O. Huldumann, published a couple of months ago. I organised a blogtour for this Nordic Noir book and so did not write a review for my own blog. However, if I may I would love to share what our favourite Scandi Brit / Icelander Quentin Bates wrote here: The Huldumann Enigma.
The Island of Lies follows Citizen Detective / Citizen Detective, also translated by Chris Ould who is much better known among crime fiction fans as the author of the fantstic Faroese Trilogy, set, yes, in the Faroe Islands and seen from the perspective of a semi-ousider. Details and reviews can be found in the links.
The winner of the 2024 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is:
DEAD MEN DANCING by Jógvan Isaksen, translated from the Faroese by Marita Thomsen and published by Norvik Press. Jógvan Isaksen will receive a trophy, and both the author and translator will receive a cash prize.
The judges’ statement on DEAD MEN DANCING:
Similar to the story of the ancient god Prometheus, a man has been shackled to rocks on the Faroe Islands, and left to drown on the beach. The discovery of his body throws the local community into an unsettling chaos, and as the journalist Hannis Martinsson investigates, he comes across evidence of similar deaths. He realises they are linked to the events in Klaksvík in the 1950s, and a local revolt which tore the community apart. As Martinsson digs into the troubled past, he learns about his country’s history, and also gives the reader a chance to discover what makes the Faroes intriguing and spellbinding. Being a largely unknown territory to most, Dead Men Dancing includes a useful introduction to the modern reality of these islands by the CEO of the Faroese Broadcasting Corporation, mirrored by the social commentary that lies at the heart of the book itself, and the portrayal of the relationship with Denmark throughout the years.
This is only Isaksen’s second novel to be translated into English following Walpurgis Tide. This contemporary Faroese crime fiction writer places his characters in the wild, beautiful, and unforgiving environment and allows them to search for truth. The judges found the location to be absolutely integral to the unfolding of the plot, and how the raw natural beauty of the Faroes served as a reflection of the thoughts and actions of the characters.
Dogged and uncompromising, Martinsson is a superb creation, similar in his ‘detective’ thinking and approach to Gunnar Staalesen‘s lonely wolf PI Varg Veum, which the judging panel found very appealing. Martinsson’s gloomy demeanour and natural cynicism was beautifully balanced throughout with the more empathetic side of his nature, and in the age-old tradition of crime fiction his personal and professional relationships are fraught with tension.
The translation by Marita Thomsen is both accomplished and a little unusual, drawing as she does on the vernacular and intonation of the Scottish dialect. Again, the judges found this to be refreshingly different, and enjoyed the unique cadence and rhythm this gave to the book overall, an essential quality of any book in translation.
The judges agreed that in Dead Men Dancing the balance between location, plot and characterisation worked well, incorporating some of the familiar tropes of crime fiction, but also providing a refreshingly different reading experience. This was achieved by the depiction of the Faroes themselves and their history, working in symmetry with the narrative, and also by the characterisation of Martinsson, reminiscent of the traditional spare style in Nordic crime fiction. The assured and distinctive translation was also a significant factor in the judges’ overall decision.
Jógvan Isaksen, author of Dead Men Dancing
Statements from the winning author, translator and publisher:
Jógvan Isaksen (author):
I feel it is a great honour to win this award, especially when I see that the competition includes several of my favourite Scandinavian authors. I am also proud to represent my country, the Faroe Islands, a self-governing part of the Danish Kingdom with its own language and traditions. Furthermore there are special bonds between the UK and The Faroes since the friendly occupation during World War II. I personally became a member of Collins Crime Club when I was only thirteen, and fought my way through crime novels I could hardly read. But at last I got there and have for many years been an admirer of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Eric Ambler, Colin Dexter, Ian Rankin and many, many more.
Marita Thomsen (translator):
It was thrilling to translate the Faroese novel Dead Men Dancing and a great honour to receive the Petrona Award. I am privileged to find myself in the company of the master crafters of stories and languages shortlisted this year, congratulations to all! My thanks first and foremost to Jógvan Isaksen for keeping us in suspense, as he navigates the rugged outlines of the psychology and wild shores of the Faroe Islands. This book offers a fascinating window into regional tensions in the archipelago and historical tensions in the Kingdom of Denmark. Thank you to the passionate Norvik team for expert guidance and editorial advice. And to Richard and Jane for your patience and boundless enthusiasm for everything, even the difference between rowing boats and oared boats.
Janet Garton (Norvik Press Commissioning Editor):
We are delighted that Dead Men Dancing has won this year’s Petrona Award. Jógvan Isaksen is a master of suspense, and his maverick amateur sleuth Hannis Martinsson takes the reader on hair-raising trips by land and sea before – of course – solving the mystery before the frustrated police. The Martinsson series was the basis of the successful TV series TROM, and this is the second of the series to be published by Norvik Press, after Walpurgis Tide in 2016. Hopefully there will be more to come!
The Petrona team would like to thank David Hicks for his continuing sponsorship of the Petrona Award. Petrona Award 2024 – shortlist
Nordic Lighthouse 