The Alibi: A Nordic Noir Police Procedural

by VM Larsson

Who knows a serial killer better than the victims?A helicopter hovers over the wind farm off the Friland Islands in the North Sea. Two men are lowered onto the platform—one alive, the other dead. Forensic technician Moa Bakke and her team are called in to recover a body found tied to a wind turbine. Meanwhile, forensic technician Fredrik Dal, still recovering from a gunshot wound sustained in the line of duty, seeks refuge on the quiet island. But his peace is short-lived as he’s pulled into the investigation.
What begins with a single body soon spirals into a rash of break-ins and increasingly gruesome murders. As the violence escalates, Moa and Fredrik are forced to question the people around them—and their instincts. In a world where right and wrong blur, where survival means making impossible choices, how far would you go when doing wrong seems like the only way out? And is a serial killer pulling all the strings?

Set on a fictional group of Swedish islands in the North Sea, this police procedural immerses you in a chilling Nordic Noir experience. The books in the Friland Murders series can be read as standalones.

About the SeriesIn the Friland Murders, Detective Inspector Fredrik Dal, Forensic Technician Moa Bakke and their team investigate the most brutal and bizarre crimes haunting the Swedish Friland Islands. This gripping Nordic Noir series transports you to windswept, remote islands, where complex characters confront buried trauma and twisted crimes expose killers shaped by madness, scars, and chilling ingenuity. Uncover the darkness lurking beneath the idyllic islands, where shadows meet suspense.

What readers are
“The beginning of something special in Nordic Noir. A darkly addictive pace and an unforgettable setting—prepare to fall hard for this new series.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐— Reader review

“My first read by this author—and not my last. The blend of chilling atmosphere and razor-sharp twists left me speechless. Pure brilliance.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐— Reader review

“The author has mastered the art of the twist. With every chapter, the tension builds. This is police procedural at its finest.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐— Reader review

“Dark, disturbing, and utterly gripping. A standout in modern Nordic Noir—perfect for fans of gritty, true-crime-style thrillers.” ⭐⭐⭐— Reader review

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2025

About the author

VM Larsson, a Swedish author, is fascinated by how life shapes us into who we are, and she embraces the challenge of capturing the complexities of human nature in her writing.

To perfect her craft, she immerses herself in textbooks and preliminary investigation reports while staying updated on the latest real-life drama in the news. Accurately portraying police procedures is essential for believability but must also serve the story.

When she is not writing, you’ll likely find her strolling along deserted beaches, where the solitude sparks her imagination—perfect for dreaming up tales of serial killers and the heroes who bring them to justice.

Reviews

[Trina 🌻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alibi is a gripping Nordic serial killer thriller that keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next! Right from the first page I was hooked! Descriptive writing that allows you to really feel part of everything going on. Intense and I loved every minute of it! The book went by so fast!

Book 1 of The Friland Murders is available Feb 28, 2025. Thank you to the author for an advanced copy of this suspense filled book!

[Ken Fredette]

What I had a hard time figuring out was that the first few chapters introduced so many people. It was hard to know who the main characters were. But after that you knew who was the person who was the main character. The main characters were Moa and Fredrik and all the others seemed to blend in, in one way or the other. In showing the next book we have Moa and Fredrik working again, well see what happens to them then. Vm Larsson takes us through many scenarios creating different feelings as to who was the Ziggy was. In the end it was explained.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25* - kindle - was really excited to find a Nordic noir genre book on kindle unlimited that actually looked good. I did have to manually add the book to storygraph though because they didn’t have it lol. I can see why it’s an unlimited book (no offense) because although the storyline is good, sometimes a character’s name would be used that wasn’t introduced already (for example they randomly started calling the murdered man by a name so it was like huh who’s this) and then there were some editing issues with incorrect/missing punctuation. They did have a character list at the front though which helped but I found I didn’t really need to refer to it, not like that other unlimited shite Kremlin’s Vote when I was thinking who tf is this. Was a good lil murder mystery that wasn’t particularly exciting but also wasn’t awful - very readable and has some nice twists and turns, I’ll definitely read the next one.

[Ashley Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of crime thrillers, especially those that are European. The Alibi is a Scandinavian Nordic noir police procedural and it had me hooked from the very first page. Moa and Fredrik become entangled in an investigation of a string of violent murders on the Friland islands in Sweden. It is difficult to know who to trust and who should not be trusted at all. There are secrets, lies, betrayals and threats that surround Fredrik, Moa and her team. This story was full of suspense and made me anxious with each turn of the page - chasing down and trying to catch a serial killer will do that. The setting, characters and murders were described very well and I could picture it all in my head like a movie playing out. For anyone who is a fan of crime thrillers and police procedurals, I highly recommend this book which is the first in a series of the Friland Murders.

[Thrillergeek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a real (as we call it in the Netherlands) Scandi thriller. Loved how the story is written, detailed and building more and more suspense. You really want to know what is going on, so you keep reading. The book is like a magnet, and the Scandinavian thrillers tend to have that effect on me😉
This is a story with lots of betrayal. What is the truth if you can't tell it from a lie.. you don't know who to trust.
It was a gripping story that kept me hooked from the first page.