Winner of Petrona Award 2026

On 22nd October 202621st October 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The winner of the Petrona Award 2026 for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is:

INTO THIN AIR by Ørjan Karlsson translated from the Norwegian by Ian Giles and published by Orenda Books. Both Ørjan Karlsson and Ian Giles will receive a trophy.

The judges would like to highly commend BROKEN, the dark and compulsive police procedural by Jón Atli Jónasson, which is translated by Quentin Bates and published by Corylus Books.

The judges’ statement regarding INTO THIN AIR:

Ørjan Karlsson puts a spotlight on the stunning beauty of the Lofoten Islands in the Norwegian Arctic Circle while discovering devastating secrets hidden beneath the calm surface. With empathy and deep understanding he introduces a fascinating investigative duo dealing with personal challenges, and explores relationships within the tight-knit community.

Told from several perspectives Into Thin Air has a contemporary feel and nuanced narration. This taut and tense thriller has a strong sense of location and utterly engaging characters, with nature as one of them. Perfect pacing and atmospheric storytelling add to the compelling story which moves seamlessly between recent European political history and dramatic local events from the past, all of them having impact on everyone in the area.

Statements from the winning author, translator and publisher:

Ørjan Karlsson:

I am both delighted and honoured to be the recipient of this award. The fact that many of this year’s nominees are my own go-to authors for Scandinavian and Nordic crime makes this recognition extra special. A huge thank you to the jury and the organisers of the Petrona Award for championing Nordic crime fiction in this way; it is truly appreciated.

Publishing your novels in a foreign language is a collaborative effort. I would like to thank my agency at Gyldendal in Norway for their tireless work in opening the world of Jakob Weber to readers in other languages. I am also deeply grateful to my publisher, Karen Sullivan, and the entire ‘Team Orenda’ for believing in the series and making all of this happen.

Translating a book into another language often means reading between the lines and adapting parts of the text to ensure it stays true to the spirit of the original. I couldn’t ask for a better team to achieve that than Orenda’s excellent editorial director, West Camel, and my brilliant translator, Ian Giles. Thank you.

Ian Giles:

I knew from the moment I first read Into Thin Air in Norwegian that Ørjan had nailed the intersection in the Venn diagram of setting, characters, and great writing. Fortunately, Orenda Books grasped this, too, and took a chance on an author who was previously untested in English translation. While I like to think that I have the right voice to share Jakob, Noora and the rest of the gang with anglophone readers, Orenda also had the good sense to pair us with our indefatigable editor, West Camel. I’m chuffed that the Petrona judges recognise what our little trinity worked so hard to achieve with this book.

Karen Sullivan (Orenda Books):

We are absolutely thrilled to see Ørjan Karlsson’s English debut, Into Thin Air, honoured with this prestigious award. I was transfixed by the premise of the book (and series) from the moment I heard about it. The sheer scale of Chief Investigator Jakob Webber’s job – policing Nordland, Norway’s untamed north, a landscape surrounded by glaciers, forests and lakes, with its endless, rugged coastline and thousands of islands – is utterly compelling, bringing dangers and challenges, but the immensely believable characters (of which the landscape is definitely one), and Ørjan’s exceptional writing makes this stand-out Nordic Noir in every way. In fact, this is the quintessential modern example of Nordic Noir, ticking all the classic boxes of the genre while bringing a fresh, highly authentic energy to the traditional police procedural. At its heart are the social issues, moral ambiguity and flawed (but never clichéd) detectives with a superb dynamic – everything we would expect from the best Nordic crime fiction. We are grateful to the judges for choosing Into Thin Air, the first in what we hope will be a long-running series.

Huge congratulations to the author and the translator of the winning book, and to the publisher!

INTO THIN AIR is the fourteenth winner 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 previous winners of the Petrona Award are: LAST WILL by Liza Marklund, translated by Neil Smith; LINDA, AS IN THE LINDA MURDER by Leif G.W. Persson, also translated by Neil Smith; THE SILENCE OF THE SEA by Yrsa Sigurđardóttir, translated by Victoria Cribb; THE CAVEMAN by Jørn Lier Horst, translated by Anne Bruce; WHERE ROSES NEVER DIE by Gunnar Staalesen, translated by Don Bartlett; QUICKSAND by Malin Persson Giolito, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles; THE KATHARINA CODE by Jørn Lier Horst, translated by Anne Bruce; LITTLE SIBERIA by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackston; TO COOK A BEAR by Mikael Niemi, translated by Deborah Bragan-Turner; FATAL ISLES by Maria Adolfsson, translated by Agnes Broomé; FEMICIDE by Pascal Engman, translated by Michael Gallagher; DEAD MEN DANCING by Jógvan Isaksen, translated by Marita Thomsen, and THE CLUES IN THE FJORD by Satu Rämö, translated by Kristian London.

The Petrona Award 2026 shortlist:

Snæbjörn Arngrímsson – One True Word, tr. Larissa Kyzer (Pushkin Vertigo, Iceland)
Stella Blómkvist – Murder Tide, tr. Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)
Jón Atli Jónasson – Broken, tr. Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)
Ørjan Karlsson – Into Thin Air, tr. Ian Giles (Orenda Books, Norway)
John Ajvide Lindqvist – The Writing in the Water, tr. Michael Meigs (Amazon Crossing, Sweden)
Satu Rämö – The Grave in the Ice, tr. Kristian London (Zaffre, Finland)
Antti Tuomainen – The Winter Job, tr. David Hackston (Orenda Books, Finland)

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 – a 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: http://www.petronaaward.co.uk.

Petrona Award: meet the Judges

On 20th October 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Before the announcement of the Petrona Award 2026 Winner, from the shortlist below, on 22^nd October, Karen (Euro Crime), the Petrona Award administrator, decided that crime fiction cross-examination was required. Hence the introduction to three judges: Jackie, Sonja and Ewa (me), Karen’s fiendish questions, and our answers.

1. The judging panel is truly international so let’s start with where were you born / live now?

Jackie: Have always lived in the UK.

Sonja: I was born and bred in the Western Cape of South Africa. We live in a Cape Town suburb that offers the best of both worlds: vineyards on one side, and Cape Town CBD just a stone’s throw away. Even though I’ve travelled extensively, South Africa will always be my home and I’m truly lucky to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world with the friendliest people, lots of culture and the most delicious food!

Ewa: I was born in Poland, lived for nearly thirty years in the UK, and now I’m based in a small town by a non-touristy fjord in Norway.

2. Can you remember the first Scandinavian crime novel you read (in translation) and if so do you remember when that was?

Jackie: Roseanna – Maj Sjöwall / Per Wahlöö. Picked up an old, battered copy of this in a thrift sale when I was a teenager, and then tracked down the rest of the series as quickly as I could! From there my love of Scandinavian crime fiction and fiction was born…

Sonja: Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow by Peter Høeg immediately comes to mind. Even though I wasn’t aware of Scandi or Nordic Noir at the time, I knew there was something in the setting, theme, or social commentary of the novel that intrigued me immediately.

Ewa: As a child I read many books by Tove Jansson and Astrid Lindgren translated into Polish. Although they were not crime I felt strong connection to Scandinavian culture and history and I later realised they presented various social topics hidden within children tales. The Redbreast, one of Jo Nesbø’s earlier books, made a huge impression on me. Apart from a gripping narration, it dealt with WWII history and its impact on Norwegian ordinary citizens, as well as Norway’s post-war national trauma tied to the Nazi collaboration. This led me to read more about Nordic / Scandinavian countries in general.

3. What attracts you to Scandinavian crime fiction?

Jackie: I really enjoy the socio-political element of the genre, giving us a window into the Nordic societies, which outwardly seem almost halcyon in some respects, but are actually pervaded by the same societal, political and criminality issues that we recognise from our own. I also like the gender balance that tends to exist where women are not so often portrayed as victims and have more agency. Obviously I love the sense of darkness that usually permeates these books both in plot and characterisation, but also the unexpected glimpses of mordant or absurd wit that some authors exhibit. It’s a smorgasbord of enjoyment!

Sonja: I think it is a combination of reading about countries and cultures far removed from my own, the mystery of crime-solving, and the strong social commentary. The latter feels particularly relevant since I live in a country where people have a strong awareness of social injustices.

Ewa: The mood, atmosphere and environment of the Cold Climate are mesmerising. The settings: distant, mysterious, known from social media and travel logs, inviting or frightening, affect the fictional characters and their actions, and their stories are told in nuanced ways. I am interested in how the stunning yet tough nature and locations shaped human lives and human perceptions of local places and wider world. The writing is often sparse yet emotive. The humour, especially dark or dry, is unexpected and welcoming. All that plus the social and political issues, including the state of Europe and how Scandinavia finds its identity there in recent years, make for truly engaging crime fiction novels.

4. Why do you think it is still so popular in the UK? Is it popular where you live?

Jackie: I think it’s still popular because of the window it gives other Europeans into Nordic life and society. Also because there are so many sub-genres of the crime genre. Where some are incredibly dark, visceral and unsettling, there are those that have cynical private investigators, maverick detectives, a touch of the Golden Age tradition, a sense of the absurd, ones that touch on the countries’ troubled historical past, or conniving families and career criminals. It’s a great mix and something for everyone!

Sonja: There are certainly avid readers of Scandi Noir in South Africa, but people tend to read what they are familiar with. Of course, Deon Meyer remains the most popular author. That being said, alongside recipe books, investigative journalism, and true crime, crime fiction remains the best-selling genre, which is reassuring!

Ewa: In Norway – absolutely! There are many small crime fiction gatherings and festivals around the country throughout the year, often arranged by an author and supported by the publishing houses, local libraries and / or local councils. For example in October readers can come to Kongsberg Krimfestival, or Thomas Engers Krimfestival in Jessheim, and in November to Kristiansand Krimfestival. Oslo has its own Krimfestivalen each March. Norwegians have the longstanding and firmly established tradition of påskekrim or Easter Crime. This is the time to enjoy all types of crime fiction, both on screens and on pages of very popular novels. It goes back to a very successful advertising campaign for Jonathan Jerv’s crime novel. The book, written by two young students Nordahl Grieg and Nils Lie, was launched spectacularly in the country’s biggest newspaper ‘Aftenposten’ on Saturday 24 March 1923, the day before Palm Sunday, with a seemingly real headline at the top of the first page. The words ‘The train to Bergen plundered last night’ were in fact a title, rather than a real news item. The rest is a history, or an incredible interpretation of the fact that reading during holidays can be so enjoyable.

5. Do you have a favourite subgenre of Scandinavian crime fiction and are you willing to say who your favourite authors and translators are?

Jackie: I am a sucker for a grizzled maverick detective, journalist or private eye and I love a bit of dark humour, so no, I don’t really have a favourite sub genre and having the privilege of reading for The Petrona Award every year, it’s always good to keep an open mind!

Sonja: I have a soft spot for police procedurals and a well-written hard-boiled crime novel, particularly one with a good dose of dark humour, will hook me every time. Generally, I am not too fond of cosy mysteries, domestic noir or historical crime.

There are so many great Scandi Noir writers beyond the well-knowns, i.e. Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbo, and Stieg Larsson. Some of my favourites are Malin Persson Giolito, Samuel Bjørk, Max Seeck, Anne Holt, Jussi Adler-Olsen, Karin Smirnoff, and Gunnar Staalesen. I also enjoyed Icelandic writer Hildur Knutsdottir’s horror thriller, The Night Guest, and I look forward to her latest, Dead Weight. One of my all-time favourites is Leif GW Persson’s ‘Story of a Crime’ series and The Dying Detective. Likewise, you can always trust translations by Don Bartlett and Victoria Cribb.

Keep an eye out for authors published by smaller, indie presses such as Orenda Books, Pushkin Press, and Corylus Books. That is where you will find the real gems. Unfortunately, the Scandi Noir market has been flooded since it became more popular, and sadly, not all of them are worthy of the label.

Ewa: I’m not fussed about a subgenre but want a great story that will make me think and reflect, hide behind a sofa, reach for a map, or forget about the world. There are too many favourite authors to list them all here. However, I will say that I have huge admiration for translators who bring these books to life in the English language. Some of them have worked with the same writers over long periods of time and become their English voices. I’m in awe of Neil Smith, Don Bartlett, Ian Giles, Anne Bruce, Kari Dickson, Victoria Cribb, Quentin Bates, Lucy Moffat, David Hackston, Charlotte Barslund. I also always look for connections within and between books. For example, Ørjan Karlsson mentions a character reading Gunnar Staalsen’s novel on a beach in Barcelona. You’ll have to find out which book it is…

6. And finally, where can we find more of your writings?

Jackie: I’m very active on social media as @ravencrime and also have a blog Raven Crime Reads.

Sonja: In the UK, I regularly review for Crime Fiction Lover and occasionally for the European Literature Network. In South Africa, I review for Afrikaans for newspapers and magazines. All my English reviews are available on my blog, West Words Reviews, and on social media under the same handle, e.g. https://www.instagram.com/westwordsreview/

Ewa: I have a blog Nordic Lighthouse and also review various genres for European Literature Network. My earlier reviews are on Crime Review and Euro Crime.

The Butterfly House by Teresa Solana

On 25th September 202624th September 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

As the blog tour for Teresa Solana’s The Butterly House, translated from Catalan by Peter Bush, is coming to an end, allow me to invite you to an extract from the book. However, before that I would like to share posts from other bloggers who have already read the novel. They are: LoveBooks, ReadBooks, Jen Med’s Book Reviews, Blue Book Balloon, AnnaBookBel, Peter Turns the Page, Shots Blog, WildWritingLife Madame Bibi Lophile Recommends, West Words Reviews and Books’n’banter.

Now, Chapter 5 of The Butterfly House: Barcelona at its noirest (Barcelona Nights Book 2):

‘There’s a dead woman in the garden,’ repeated Gerard, struggling to recover his breath.

‘What do you mean?’

Standing in the doorway, a stunned Violeta stared at Gerard’s frightened face.

‘What I said. I found a woman and I think she’s dead. I reckon she’s been murdered.’

‘You’re joking.’

‘I’m not.’

Gerard stood to one side and Violeta took a few steps towards him.

‘Where is she?’

‘Next to the elder tree,’ said Gerard, pointing to a tree by one of the walls surrounding the property.

Violeta stood on her tiptoes and, leaning into Gerard, strained her neck. Straight away she saw the red painted nails on the bare feet sticking out of the green weeds.

‘Oh my God, I think I can see her… Are you sure she’s dead?’

‘I think so, well…’

‘We should go and check…’

They made their way through the bushes of wild mustard that had started to take over the garden at the beginning of spring. Violeta walked towards the body. The woman’s skirt was rolled up, her legs were apart and her knickers had been pulled down to her knees. Violeta averted her gaze.

‘Are you OK?’ asked Gerard.

‘Yes, I just need a moment.’

The stranger lay there, mouth open, eyes shut. To confirm she was dead, Violeta stooped down to find her pulse. As she held out her hand, she saw the woman had several injuries to the chest and stomach, and she instinctively stood up and stepped back. The ground was wet and she almost slipped, but Gerard came to the rescue, grabbed her, making sure she didn’t fall.

‘She’s been stabbed,’ she muttered.

Her heart was pounding, and as she pulled herself up, her legs went all floppy again. She made every effort to stay on her feet, but began to feel nauseous, and realised she was about to pass out. Leaning against Gerard, she made her way to one of the plastic chairs scattered across the garden and sat down.

‘What are you doing?’ asked Gerard.

‘Trying not to faint,’ said Violeta, bending forward and putting her head between her knees.

She had to steady herself. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen a corpse, though it was the first time she’d found herself at a crime scene and not an aseptic autopsy room listening to Octavi droning on about the transformations the body undergoes after death… Besides, that woman was the victim of an attack, not of a random accident or illness. When she began to feel the blood returning to her cheeks, she got up and, with Gerard behind her, returned to the spot where the body lay.

The victim was a young woman, but her appearance didn’t match the aesthetic of the girls who lived in the butterfly house or other nearby squats. She was dressed conventionally, in the fashionable colours of that season, and the gaudy pattern on her blouse hid the blood, injuries and torn material. Violeta stooped down and scrutinised her for a few seconds.

‘She’s been stabbed, though there’s not much sign of blood,’ she said, thinking aloud.

‘And what does that imply?’

‘I’m not sure.’

Gerard’s shouts had also alerted the other house occupants who gradually emerged and congregated in the garden.

‘What the fuck’s happened?’

‘Where are the cops?’

‘I heard someone screaming…’

‘Fuck, I feel shattered…’

Twenty or so squatters lived in the butterfly house, but on weekends that number tripled. Violeta knew what their parties and meetings were like and thought it very unlikely any of them were involved in that woman’s death.

‘For fuck’s sake…’ exclaimed a shirtless young man in jeans, the first of them to set eyes on the corpse. ‘What on earth…’

‘I found her this morning. I went out to get some breakfast and spotted her when I came back,’ said Gerard.

The youngsters recoiled and looked away in horror.

‘Do you know who she is? Does anyone recognise her?’ asked Violeta.

They all shook their heads.

‘She’s not one of us,’ said one male voice. ‘And I don’t think she’s from around here either.’

‘Nor do I…’

‘Poor thing…!’ muttered a girl.

A couple of lads went to approach her, out of curiosity, but Violeta put her body between the corpse and the squatters.

‘Don’t touch anything,’ she warned them. ‘I’m going to call the Mossos.’

‘The Mossos?’ exclaimed a girl.

‘You want to call the cops?’

‘Since when did we ever trust them pigs, I’d like to know?’ said a half-naked lad with dreads as long as Violeta’s.

Violeta recognised his voice: he was an idiot with an alpha-male complex, and, according to some, a snitch.

‘You got a better idea? Just so you know, this is a murder,’ retorted Violeta.

‘They’ll pin it on us. You know the cops have got it in for us. They’ll seize the opportunity to accuse us of being rapists and murderers. As if we didn’t know how they like to set us up!’

‘Fuck, they’ll put us inside!’ shouted another voice.

‘I pass…’

‘So do I…’

Violeta confronted the people protesting.

‘So what do you want to do?’ she exclaimed. ‘Convene a meeting and vote on whether we leave her here, and act as if nothing’s happened?’

‘Violeta’s right. We must tell the police,’ said a female voice.

‘Don’t count on me… I’m outta here.’

‘Me too!’

Most of the young people started to walk towards the house. Ignoring the protests, Violeta took out her mobile and dialled Norma’s number.

‘Nothing will happen to you, kid, your mum’s a cop…’ snapped a dark-haired girl with her fair share of piercings.

‘Fuck off, you!’ shouted Violeta viciously. And addressing the group of youngsters still standing around her, she added, ‘If I were you, I’d go back to the house and give it a good clean. This place will soon be swarming with cops.’

Petrona Award 2026 – Shortlist

On 24th September 202624th September 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn NordicNoirLeave a comment

Outstanding crime fiction from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden shortlisted for the 2026 Petrona Award

Seven impressive crime novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have been shortlisted for the 2026 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The shortlist is announced today, Thursday 24 September, and is as follows:

Snæbjörn Arngrímsson – One True Word, tr. Larissa Kyzer (Pushkin Vertigo, Iceland)
Stella Blómkvist – Murder Tide, tr. Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)
Jón Atli Jónasson – Broken, tr. Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)
Ørjan N Karlsson – Into Thin Air, tr. Ian Giles (Orenda Books, Norway)
John Ajvide Lindqvist – The Writing in the Water, tr. Michael Meigs (Amazon Crossing, Sweden)
Satu Rämö – The Grave in the Ice, tr. Kristian London (Zaffre, Finland)
Antti Tuomainen – The Winter Job, tr. David Hackston (Orenda Books, Finland)

The winning title will be announced on 22^nd October 2026.

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 judges’ comments on the shortlist:

There were 28 entries for the 2026 Petrona Award from six countries (Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). This year’s shortlist sees Iceland represented with three novels, Finland with two, and Norway and Sweden with one novel each. The judges selected the shortlist from a strong pool of candidates with the seven shortlisted authors including two previous Petrona Award winners: Satu Rämö and Antti Tuomainen. Independent publishers Corylus Books and Orenda Books both have two entries on the shortlist with Corylus’s both being translated by Quentin Bates. Amazon Crossing, Pushkin Vertigo and Zaffre have one entry apiece. For Snæbjörn Arngrímsso, Jón Atli Jónasson and Ørjan N Karlsson, this is their first novel in English translation and for John Ajvide Lindqvist this is his first crime novel in translation. The sub-genres of the shortlisted novels range from comedy to noir with the police procedural being particularly well represented this year.

As ever, we are extremely grateful to the 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:

Snæbjörn Arngrímsson – ONE TRUE WORD translated by Larissa Kyzer (Pushkin Vertigo, Iceland)

Following a day of simmering tension on a research trip to an uninhabited island, Júlia snaps and leaves her husband Gíó stranded in the middle of a freezing fjord in the depths of the Icelandic winter, with night drawing in. When she has an attack of conscience and returns he has disappeared without a trace, leaving the reader in suspense as to how complicit, or not, she is in his disappearance.

The blend of psychological thriller and domestic drama is perfectly weighted and Júlia is a flawed and mercurial character. ONE TRUE WORD with its first person, possibly unreliable narration, and its increasing sense of unease, is an extremely clever and disquieting mystery, with a more than satisfying denouement.

Stella Blómkvist – MURDER TIDE translated by Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)

MURDER TIDE is the third English translation in the Stella series and the ninth of the original Icelandic. True to form, Stella has three separate inquiries vying for her attention: a kidnapping, a persistent medium foretelling a death, and a possible mole in the police force.

One would think the inimitable, no-nonsense, whisky-drinking lawyer Stella Blomkvist would have lost her steam by this ninth book, but not a chance. MURDER TIDE is every bit as entertaining as its predecessors. Although parenthood and a new relationship have softened Stella slightly around the edges, the author still packs in plenty of twists, and her snarky inner dialogue remains a joy to read.

Jón Atli Jónasson – BROKEN translated by Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)

Dora struggles to cope with life after taking a bullet to the head. Rado is the child of refugees, his career shunted off the tracks due to his family connections to an organised crime gang. These two broken cops are the only ones available when a troubled teenager vanishes from a school trip, and the trail gets darker the further they pursue it. In a side of Reykjavik no visitor would ever want to see, the mismatched pair tread on all the wrong toes in the search for the missing youngster, but the personal danger to them both does not stop there.

The pace and intensity of the plotting is superb, as various strands in the characters’ lives both professional and personal converge and overlap. The combination of this mismatched duo and the increasing threat of violence and tension that gradually builds, makes BROKEN a dark and compulsive police procedural.

Ørjan N Karlsson – INTO THIN AIR translated by Ian Giles (Orenda Books, Norway)

The stunning Arctic Circle’s Lofoten Islands become their own character in the first novel featuring Jakob Weber, Chief Investigator of Nordland Police. Their beauty both attracts people, and hides dark secrets. When a young woman vanishes during a run, and then an influencer disappears, while promoting the archipelago, Weber’s investigation leads to the earlier death of a Ukrainian refugee found in the ruins of a WWII bunker. Privately he is grieving the death of his wife and trying to deal with childhood trauma. Professionally, he has strong relationships with his colleagues including the newly arrived, detective Noora Yun Sande, who has fled Oslo after being subjected to an abuse of power.

Karlsson writes with a deep understanding of how communities work and their influence on the policing. Recent history, and a sense of authenticity make INTO THIN AIR a powerful and gripping read.

John Ajvide Lindqvist – THE WRITING IN THE WATER translated by Michael Meigs (Amazon Crossing, Sweden)

During a Midsummer Eve party a millionaire, his family and their foreign guests are gunned down at their luxury home on a private island. His childhood friend, ex-cop and now successful writer, Julia Malmors, is at her summerhouse on a nearby island, where she is rewriting her sequel to Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. Frustrated and scared she joins forces with her elusive friend and researcher Kim Ribbing, a white-hat hacker, to find the killers.

With a reversed situation to Larsson’s Salander and Blomkvist, THE WRITING IN THE WATER takes on similar themes and relationships, and creates an original, highly suspenseful semi-homage to Larsson, with a sharp look at society and the impact of people with power, money and international connections.

Satu Rämö – THE GRAVE IN THE ICE translated by Kristian London (Zaffre, Finland)

The follow-up to the Petrona Award winning THE CLUES IN THE FJORD sees Icelandic detective Hildur Rúnarsdottir, and her Finnish sweater-knitting trainee Jakob Johanson, return to solve the murder of a politician and navigate their own complex lives. The disappearance of Hildur’s younger sisters twenty-five years earlier remains a mystery she is determined to solve, while Jakob has his hands full with his ex trying to prevent him from seeing his son.

In a genre typically dominated by male leads, characters like Hildur flip the traditional detective-and-victim dynamic on its head, subverting conventional gender roles and expectations. These well-developed characters, combined with a fresh storyline, ensure THE GRAVE IN THE ICE is a solid police procedural with genuine depth.

Antti Tuomainen – THE WINTER JOB translated by David Hackston (Orenda Books, Finland)

lmari is an unassuming man who embarks on this seemingly simple job to deliver a sofa to a distant destination to secure the money to buy a piano for his daughter for Christmas. Teaming up with an estranged school friend, and pursued by ne’er-do-wells with their own agenda for retrieving the sofa, this seemingly straightforward assignment turns into a perilous game of cat and mouse for our warm-hearted postal worker. The plot soon descends into a Coen-esque style road trip fraught with murderous intent, but with an ultimately life affirming message of comradeship and friendship.

With an impressively precise control, THE WINTER JOB combines humour in the narrative, with a harmonic balance between the dark, the absurd and the slightly slapstick, but never at the expense of the plot and characterisation.

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 – a 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: http://www.petronaaward.co.uk.

Petrona Award 2026 – Longlist

On 27th August 202625th August 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Twelve outstanding crime fiction novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have made the longlist for the 2026 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. They are:

Snæbjörn Arngrímsson – One True Word, tr. Larissa Kyzer (Pushkin Vertigo, Iceland)
Stella Blómkvist – Murder Tide, tr. Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)
Jón Atli Jónasson – Broken, tr. Quentin Bates (Corylus Books, Iceland)
Ørjan N Karlsson – Into Thin Air, tr. Ian Giles (Orenda Books, Norway)
John Ajvide Lindqvist – The Writing in the Water, tr. Michael Meigs (Amazon Crossing, Sweden)
Jo Nesbø – Wolf Hour, tr. Robert Ferguson (Harvill Secker, Norway)
Aslak Nore – The Heirs of the Arctic, tr. Sean Kinsella (MacLehose Press, Norway)
Satu Rämö – The Grave in the Ice, tr. Kristian London (Zaffre, Finland)
Lilja Sigurðardóttir – Black as Death, tr. Lorenza Garcia (Orenda Books, Iceland)
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir – The Wake, tr. Victoria Cribb (Hodder & Stoughton, Iceland)
Karin Smirnoff – The Girl with Ice in her Veins, tr. Sarah Death (MacLehose Press, Sweden)
Antti Tuomainen – The Winter Job, tr. David Hackston (Orenda Books, Finland)

The longlist contains a mix of newer and more established authors including previous Petrona Award winners Satu Rämö, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Antti Tuomainen. Both large and small publishers are represented on the longlist, with Orenda Books having three entries and Corylus Books and MacLehose Press having two apiece. Both longlisted entries by Corylus Books have been translated by Quentin Bates.

The breakdown by country is Iceland (5), Norway (3), Finland (2) and Sweden (2).

Huge congratulations to all writers, translators and publishers!

The Petrona Award 2026 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 and 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 shortlist will be announced on 24 September 2026.

The Hotel Manager’s Guide to Murder by Erlendur Arason

On 22nd July 202622nd July 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn NordicNoirLeave a comment

Having stayed in several hotels in Reykjavik over the years I never had any issues to write home about. Once I was asked to relocate to a bigger room because the heating packed up but I think it was a genuine reason, and not the sudden plan to refurnish the entire floor. Also, I was not familiar with the swanky Bristol Hotel (must be a totally new development) nor had any idea that there is such a serious publication as a manual for anxiety-ridden professional hotel managers. However, to be fair there had never been a reason for me to deal with disposing a body after a weird night. Ever. Hence my excitement to read The Hotel Manager’s Guide to Murder, written by Erlendur Arason and smoothly translated from Icelandic by the maestro of words Quentin Bates. The novel first appeared as an audiobook Leiðarvísir hótelstjóra að morði, published by Storytel last year in Iceland, and now it’s ready to smile enthusiastically to the English-speaking readers while firmly gripping their souls and pulling them into the money-and-power games behind Aurora Borealis, hot geysers and coach trips on that magical cold island.

Erlendur Arason is the new voice in the Icelandic dark crime fiction landscape, and a master of calm but determined storytelling as he turns mundane daily routines into nerve-wrecking string of tense events of the international proportions. Not that the main character Torfi Páll Sævarssson would have known about the extent of complicated criminal tentacles when he first used a word ‘everything’. Ages ago he had moved to Reykjavik from the north of the country and since then had worked in the hospitality industry. Day in, day out. Dutiful, reliable, quietly confident.

His fairly boring life consisted of very early mornings, unchanged tasks at work, constant financial worries, some family tensions (new wife and her two teenage sons, plus his daughter, slightly older than the boys, from the first marriage), and effectively ignoring regular ‘breakfast club’ outside the back door of the hotel building. That last thing he really approves of even if giving hot porridge and hot coffee to a group of homeless people is definitely not a part of the bigger management’s programme. Manuela, the breakfast chef, fights for the silent crowd’s rights to a life-affirming meal.

But those who lost everything and had nothing still deserved to be fed, and to be seen. Hence Raggi and Láki get noticed and get attention, also from the dangerous baddies. That human aspect of the book is especially moving as it shows the author’s empathy and being in touch with the reality of what’s happening in a popular capital besieged by tourists and money. It also brings to mind Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s Áróra series and sharp societal observations.

Sudden promotion and unexpected climb from the near bottom of the employment’s food chain brought more money, additional responsibilities and an acute sense of unease, and then both guilt and fear as demands from the top managers escalated. Some still considered Torfi as a glorified waiter, others gossiped. The main players Ásbjörn and Sigríður accommodated Torfi’s gullibility / innocence and his practical ‘usefulness’ in their scheme, sorry, scam, that involved risky business deals, drugs and well, murder! The contrast between normality of ordinary existence and the attitude of ‘Everyone is expendable. All of us. The skill is in staying useful’ is brilliantly shown during the course of risky wintery period at the hotel when the staff is getting nervous and the guests have no clue whatsoever of any behind-the-scenes drama. There’s a touch of dark humour and hilarity in this extraordinary situation and confrontations with good cop – bad cop duo. That particular pair, Haukur and Dagny, follows different leads and motives as they search for the killer, and their uneasy relationship provides a solid background for much bigger crime.

Now I am looking forward to the next chapter of this story The Hotel Manager’s Guide to Murder: 1 (Reykjavík Shadows) and do hope that at least one person from the intriguing entourage will continue as a close friend to Torfi. Maybe in a different hotel, maybe up North. Enjoying a sandwich with decent Polish sausage or chatting with nice colleagues, and ‘addicted to peace of mind’. Fingers crossed it’s not in the same place.

I would recommend that you read the book and also check posts from the bloggers who are joining The Hotel Manager’s Guide to Murder blogtour.

Synopsis:

Guests at one of Reykjavík’s smartest hotels never know what happens behind the scenes, including what brings a group of down-and-outs to the Bristol Hotel every winter night while the rest of the world sleeps.

When overworked supervisor Torfi finds himself given an unexpected promotion that comes with a respectable pay rise, he takes it as a lucky break, until he’s told to make a murder victim disappear, and that he doesn’t have any choice. That’s when his life rapidly gets a lot more complicated. What isn’t he being told? Torfi doesn’t know, but when police officers Haukur and Dagný start asking awkward questions, he needs to find answers – even though he knows only half of the story.

Longing desperately to go back to his old, boring life, Torfi finds himself desperately out of his depth as his family are threatened and his problems spiral far out of his control.

Påskekrim: Harry, Chastity and Stella 🐣

On 4th April 20265th April 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Time is always right for crime. Or krim, and by that I mean crime fiction. One morning in March at the Norwegian Gardermoen airport I was waiting for a plane to Warsaw. The plane was delayed, delayed and delayed, and then cancelled. Suddenly I was scheduled to fly to Stockholm and then to Warsaw. My original plan was gone. When everything is out of my control, the only thing that remains is to deal with the day and to travel to another place via a book. I spent hours at two big airports and arrived in a hotel close to midnight. However, in a meantime I have been to Wilhelmsburg, so-called ‘problem area’ in Hamburg thanks to Sharks, a tale of greed, power and resistance, by Simone Buchholz, in excellent translation from German by Rachel Ward. That’s where the latest story takes place as the prosecutor Chastity Riley is assigned the case of a brutally murdered American couple found in a derelict villa in this part of the town. She quickly finds herself waist-deep in a murky tangle of city planners, shady investors and vanishing officials. The gentrification machine is rolling on, and someone is sending a very clear message. As November fog settles over the city, Chastity is coughing up blood, her personal life is a slow-motion disaster, and her former colleague, Faller, won’t stop interfering. But nothing’s going to stop her from cutting through the lies – not even the sharks circling ever closer.

I’ve admired Buchholz’s gritty, precise and quick-witted writing since her first book was published in UK by Orenda Books, and I love how she doesn’t shy from pushing her characters into thought-provoking situations without compromising her own sharp and visceral style. She embraces vulnerability and the feeling of camaraderie in tough circumstances: ‘Like I said, aren’t we all just glorious bastards. And my team-building techniques are a blast.’ Beton Rouge, the second book in the series, made huge impression on me, with its originality and dark sense of humour.

My timing regarding writing reviews is often off. Basically I am late to most parties, even if I’m up to speed with what’s going on in the crime fiction world. So as I finished the latest Stella Blómkvist’s book The Murder Pool I was very impressed by the way the main character’s personal story developed over the course of four novels we had a pleasure to read in English thanks to the translator extraordinaire Quentin Bates. I occasionally arrange blog tours for new publications ready to fly into the English sphere, and have done exactly that for Corylus Books. Yet, in this case before I even got to draft my review of the most mature / compelling incarnation of two Stellas: the mysterious author and the controversial heroine, brilliant posts from knowledgeable bloggers began to appear online. So allow me to point you in the direction of their excellent thoughts. Here are comments from Peter turns the page, Raven Crime Reads, amwbooks, Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow, Blue Book Balloon, AnnaBookBel, Jen Med’s Book Reviews, West Words Reviews, Angry Algonquin, Trip Fiction, Madame Bibi Lophile Recommends, Crime Fiction Lover, plus Paul Burke’s reviews of all four books in Aspects Of Crime. It might seem like an information overload but if you’re into high quality writing about books, you probably know these people already, or will enjoy discovering them.

Special time for the unique brilliant and damaged detective Harry Hole will come tomorrow. So far I have watched only one episode (OMG! The tension!) of the new series and Tobias Santelmann is sensational as Harry and Oslo is both realistic and totally unreal. I also wanted to read again The Devil’s Star on which the latest worldwide sensation from Netflix is based. My copy of the book is from 2009 when Jo Nesbø was still being compared to the legendary Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. The translation from Norwegian by Don Bartlett became as iconic as the books themselves.

I’ve been a huge fan Jo Nesbø’s literary and music career for years, and followed in Harry Hole’s footsteps in Oslo: Jo Nesbø’s Knife. I also love his band Di Derre.

I had no time to finish reading One True Word by Snæbjörn Arngrímsson but I’m on it. Translated by Larissa Kyzer this is an original take on the possibly unreliable narrator: After a day of simmering tension on a trip to an uninhabited island, Júlia snaps and leaves her husband Gíó marooned in the middle of a freezing fjord in the depths of the Icelandic winter, with night drawing in. When she regrets her decision and returns, he is nowhere to be found. The police launch a manhunt, but soon their suspicion falls on his wife. She spins them a story to hide her involvement, but she can feel the net closing in.’

I also have a stack of Scandinavian crime fiction books in translation entered for the Petrona Award 2026 but that’s another long story.

Tonight I won’t be heading to a wooden cabin in the forest or mountains as per the longstanding Norwegian tradition of Påskekrim (God Påske with Don Bartlett). No time. No cabin. Yet. But I have my favourite Freya chocolate, enthusiastic daffodils, warm blanket and working TV at home. Plus milk cartons with the annual mystery from Tine, one of Norway’s largest food companies and supplier of dairy products. Outside the last night’s snow has melted, seagulls are discussing the best places for laying their eggs, and my cat is supervising everything that’s happening (or not) in the garden.

Outside the overnight snow has melted, seagulls are discussing the best places for bringing up their chicks and my cat is supervising everything that’s happening (or not) in the garden.

Have a great Easter whatever you do. God påske. Happy Påskekrim 🐣

Scars of Silence by Johana Gustawsson

On 22nd February 202622nd February 2026 By Ewa ShermanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Twenty-three years ago, a young woman was murdered on the Swedish island of Lidingö. The island has kept its silence. Until now.

As autumn deepens into darkness in Lidingö, on the Stockholm archipelago, the island is plunged into chaos: in the space of a week, two teenaged boys are murdered. Their bodies are left deep in the forest, dressed in white tunics and wearing crowns of candles on their heads, like offerings to Saint Lucia.

Maïa Rehn has fled Paris for Lidingö after a family tragedy. But when the murders shake the island community, the former police commissioner is drawn into the heart of the investigation, joining Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery with a shockingly dark heart and as chilling as the Nordic winter.

As they dig deeper, it becomes clear that a wind of vengeance is blowing through the archipelago, unearthing secrets that are as scandalous as they are inhuman.

But what if the victims weren’t who they seemed? What if those long silenced have finally found a way to strike back? How far would they go to make their tormentors pay? And you – how far would you go?

I admit that Scars of Silence really shook me. The sequel to Johana Gustawsson’s chilling gothic thriller Yule Island is also set in the same location, relatively close to Stockholm, yet far away from capital’s bustle and hustle, and explores various relationships existing within a local community. The story also gives space to the process of grieving, allows it to take its own course – if that is possible at all. These two issues – mourning and connections – permeate through memories of the past and the urgency and tension of present events, following the police investigation into two murders.

Johana Gustawsson creates unique tales that combine strong emotions, sober look at the society and masterful storytelling. Her eloquent and engaging writing style keeps the reader fully immersed in the world of fictional characters who nonetheless have their own roots in what has happened in reality before, or what could have happen in any community. Superb translation by David Warriner brings the nuances and subtleties of Swedish environment via French language into the English sphere. The flowing strong narration and attention to minute details helps to navigate the unknown and to decipher new emotions, never losing sight of the consequences of earlier crimes.

From the very first pages of Scars of Silence I felt that, both as a writer and as the main protagonist Maïa, the author learns of the new location, new country, habits and norms. Sweden’s attitudes in a nutshell appear as Gustawsson / Maïa discover beauty of the local customs, calm and wonder of unforgiving nature, and rigid, or very slowly changing, outlook at what should be hidden, not spoken about, forgotten.

However, the author and her heroine are two different persons: she does not become her distraught and devastated French detective trying to cope with the death of her daughter, and the absence of her husband Ebbe.

Tragedies cannot be ignored, even after a long passage of time. The silence, or the paralysis of horrendous aftermath, that follows can become overwhelming and extremely painful and takes over every single action. It needs some direction, maybe distraction. Therefore Maïa, in a way, welcomes the opportunity to bury herself in the old files of quickly solved rape and murder of Jenny Dalenius on Saint Lucia’s Day on 13^th December 1999.The only suspect Gustav Hellström was Jenny’s ex-boyfriend, a rich young man from a prominent family. He served nearly all his time but had committed suicide just weeks before release from prison. For over twenty years his mother Anna fought to prove his innocence until suddenly, seven days later, she had killed herself in the most shocking way at the local school, while live-streaming it on social media. Sophia Akerman, Anna’s mother and Gustav’s grandmother, asks Maïa to help her find the truth of what has happened and to quiet her own doubts and suspicions. This task bonds them in grief of losing a child. ‘There’s no word in Swedish, or in English for that matter, to describe a parent who’s been widowed – or orphaned – from their child.’ ‘There’s a word for it in Sanskrit: vilomah. It means “against the natural order”.’

Maïa focuses on dealing with Sophie’s request while assisting Commissioner Aleksander ‘Aleks’ Storm with search for the killer(s) of Daniel Brink and Roland Lind, and their professional relationship grows from respect and empathy. They struggle to understand motives for copy-cat like killings, especially as a body of another victim is found in Stockholm: ‘We’ve gone from two teenagers, basically the same age, who went to the same high school, lived in Lidingö and played football at the same club, to an adult surgeon in the city.’

One more thing that Maïa and Aleks have in common is that both of them respect the need for quiet: ’Then, we share a necessary silence. A silence which, if spent in solitude, would be filled with infinite sadness. Together, we can carry it differently.’ These thoughts and words had a huge impact on me, too.

The final revenge isn’t sweet, the despair and sadness are huge, and there are no winners. Additionally, the outsider’s take on the lovely winter traditions that should bring peace and calm to the community unravel tensions and shame. Celebration of light and bravery turns to a brutal memory. However, they ‘clear the air’, for a lack of better expression, and seem necessary for the main characters to deal with and acknowledge own pain, maybe to atone, maybe just to breathe a tiny bit easier.

Winner of Petrona Award 2025

On 23rd October 202522nd October 2025 By Ewa ShermanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

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.

Petrona Award 2025 – Shortlist

On 18th September 202518th September 2025 By Ewa ShermanIn NordicNoir2 Comments

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.