Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival held in Stirling every autumn has been bloody good since its beginning in 2012. Each time I attended it presented an invigorating variety of crime fiction genres, new and established authors, a huge range of topics, and loads of interesting titles to read and devour. Above all it always demonstrates passion for writing and reading, and also friendship. A very special bond exists between people involved in this kind of literary life: writers, bloggers, publishers, editors, book readers.    

This year I cannot wait for the opportunity to travel to Stirling again. The festival has been growing, developing new ideas and creating more connections. The stellar team running the event includes Alex Gray Craig Robertson, Lin Anderson, Abir Mukherjee, Gordon Brown, and this year’s Guest Programmer Denise Mina. The programme is packed with sessions, conversations, walks and spontaneous events, and I hope to catch as many as I can.  Apart from The Helsinki Noir (see recommendation from Live and Deadly) there are two panels I will definitely not miss as they feature Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, the Queen of Icelandic Noir, and the brilliant Norwegian author Ørjan Nordhus Karlsson whose only two novels have been published in English so far. There’s hope for more.

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, born in Reykjavík in 1963, trained as a civil engineer at the University of Iceland and later completed an MSc in engineering at Concordia University in Montreal. She has worked on major Icelandic infrastructure projects, including the Kárahnjúkar dam project, and continued to work in engineering alongside her writing, although writing is now her main career. Yrsa became a writer of children’s books first due to her dissatisfaction of the books available for her own children. Her strictly technical professional background is a stark and welcoming contrast to her writing.

It would be a cliché to say that Yrsa needs no introductions, as she’s known by her first name, and her multi-award-winning books, leaning to the darker side of crime fiction with a dose of horror, have been translated into more than thirty languages and are available world-wide. However, there are always new generations of readers who look for a thriller with an apparent supernatural touch hence might not discovered Yrsa’s writing yet. I am a huge fan and have read and reviewed most of her novels. Here are some examples: Why Did You Lie? (2017), The Legacy (2017), The Reckoning (2018), The Absolution (2019),  Gallows Rock (2020). The latest novel The Depths was published by Hachette UK.

Ørjan N. Karlsson is a bestselling Norwegian crime and thriller author with more than 25 novels to his name, encompassing thrillers, sci-fi and crime genres. He was born (1970) and grew up in Bodø, a town north of the Arctic Circle. He holds a master’s degree in sociology and received officer training in the army. He has participated in international missions for the EU, UN and NATO, and has worked for the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and the Directorate for Civil Protection. Ørjan is the creator of the critically acclaimed Jakob Weber detective series, set against the harsh, atmospheric backdrop of the Arctic North. The series has captured international attention, with its first instalment Into Thin Air published in English in 2025.  The novel received much acclaim, including being longlisted for the Petrona Award 2026. The highly anticipated book umber five in this Arctic Mysteries series will be released in Norway on 1^st October this year. In a meantime the second novel Into the Dark is available thanks to Orenda Books.

I enjoyed novels by both authors: masters at creating gripping, suspenseful and atmospheric stories, firmly set in the cold, often bleak and remote Nordic landscapes. The feeling of isolation and fear intensifies even if the factual locations might be populated and alive with ordinary daily activities. The contrast in size between of island of Iceland and the elongated Norwegian country really appeal to me when transported into a novel. The local environment, weather and geography become a character in telling a story and following clues to discovering a culprit or a hidden truth. Reykjavík remains one of Yrsa’s most important settings, especially in The Legacy and The Reckoning. The police station, harbour, hospital and other parts of the city appear as strong points of orientation. The Westman Islands / Vestmannaeyjar where the volcanic eruption on Heimaey happened in 1973 play a huge role in Ashes to Dust. In My Soul to Take the Snæfellsnes Peninsula becomes the haunting setting of a tale where an isolated farm is being converted into a spa hotel. The unsettling mood adds to the mystery.

Bodø and the surrounding region of Nordland seem to be the most important location in Ørjan’s recent crime novels. We have had a chance to feel their presence in the two Jakob Weber books. The world-famous stunning Lofoten islands also feature in his writing. Other places such as Oslo and the northern town of Narvik are equally important. In his earlier political / espionage thrillers such as Hauge’s Directive and The King’s Council,the capital city sets the pace, and The Soldier’s Heart takes in the Battle of Narvik during World War II.  

Volcanoes, lava, ocean, mountains, fjords and islands lend their natural personality to Yrsa and Ørjan who in turn compel and force their protagonists and background characters to feel, think and act. Exploring fear, crime, secrets and the influence of the past while trying to stand firmly in the present, in the current social and political environment; well, that’s a real challenge for everyone who comes from these two authors’ worlds. Let’s meet them (and huge thanks to translators Victoria Cribb and Ian Giles!) and their creators in the realm of buzzing Stirling of 2026.

The links to buy tickets are here: Murder at the edge of the world: Ørjan Karlsson, Malcolm Kempt and Zoë Rankin – 21:45, Saturday 19^th September, and Cai Jun and Yrsa Sigurdardottir – 10:30, Sunday 20^th September. Bloody Scotland – programme lists all festival events, including those online.