Winter’s cold chill is right around the corner, and Scandinavian mysteries and thrillers are bound to give you a different kind of icy sensation. Grisly murders, dark settings, and daring detectives connect these tales to make your blood run cold.
The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup
When a serial killer begins leaving handmade dolls at his murder scenes, two detectives struggle to put aside their differences and follow forensic clues linking the case to a politician’s kidnapped daughter.
Bleak; Gruesome
The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund
Series: Victoria Bergman novels, 1
Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg investigates a serial killer who is targeting children.
Disturbing; Suspenseful
The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
Series: Patrik Hedstrom mysteries, 1
After she returns to her hometown to learn that her friend, Alex, was found in an ice-cold bath with her wrists slashed, biographer Erica Falck researches her friend’s past in hopes of writing a book and joins forces with Detective Patrik Hedstrom, who has his own suspicions about the case.
Leisurely-paced; Compelling
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Series: Department Q, 1
Chief detective Carl Morck, recovering from what he thought was a career-destroying gunshot wound, is relegated to cold cases and becomes immersed in the five-year disappearance of a politician.
Atmospheric; Suspenseful
Unseen by Mari Jungstedt
Series: Detective Anders Knutas mysteries, 1
In the midst of preparing for the midsummer tourist season, the island of Gotland is rocked by the brutal killings of a young woman and her dog, a crime that becomes only the first as a serial killer terrorizes tourists and locals alike and brings Inspector Anders Knutas into an alliance with journalist Johan Berg to find the murderer before more women die.
Intricately Plotted; Fast-paced
Call Me Princess by Sara Blaedel
Series: Louise Rick and Camilla Lind novels, 1
Copenhagen Detective Inspector Louise Rick searches for an online predator who has brutally attacked a young woman in her home, a crime that prompts Louise to set up an online profile on the dating site where the predator is soliciting women.
Suspenseful; Gritty
The Mockingbirds
The Year of the Witching
