Nordic Noir discussion

New Year, New currently reading thread...

how is everyone starting off 2013?

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Why reading of course!!

But of course :)
And the next 5-10 books are kind of queued already.
Happy new year y'all where ever anyone happens to be... I think it's next year already in Australia. And in 16 minutes by Jim...

There is a Nordic Noir reading list at NYPL, complete with series running order and audio pronunciation of the authors, two things I've always found hard to find in one place!

Thanks, Jeremy! That's cool...not to mention I found a new author!

who is new to you N?

Karin Alvtegen...I don't think I have read anything by her before.

really - I thought you had - hmmm, potential author of the month

Oh, whoopsie..they start to all run together.

There is a Finnish pronunciation of Inspector Vaara series names, words and phrases on my site. If you're interested: http://jamesthompsonauthor.com/site/m...

I read the second Nina Borg book, Invisible Murder. I can't warm up to Nina, but the plots are interesting.

I'm reading Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum, first in the Inspector Sejer series.

In the Darkness is the first of the Inspector Sejer series, though it's not on Goodreads for some reason. I just purchased it on Amazon.

So far this year I've finished Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End: The Story of a Crime, The Bat (Jo Nesbo), Silence of the Grave, Missing, Mind's Eye, and Sidetracked.

I've had a lot of time to waste on planes. Just started Lime's Photograph, but will probably take longer on that one.

Just finished Jan Costin Wagner's Silence, and now I need something with more adrenaline... :)

Thanks Brad for the tip on the Inspector Sejer series. I'll look for In the Darkness.

I'm seeing In The Darkness on Amazon but not readily available in the US - looks like it has to come through a 3rd party seller

Dee wrote: "I'm seeing In The Darkness on Amazon but not readily available in the US - looks like it has to come through a 3rd party seller"

You know, I wonder if that it means it will be available in the US next year or later this year. I am half tempted to order it,but I am so far ahead in the series, I don't know if it is worth it.

Just completed Jo Nesbo's stand alone book Headhunters
Totally disappointed in this one, I knew before reading that it would be much different from his Harry Hole books but was still expecting a great read. What a let down!

I felt the same. But, look at the movie they made out of the book. It's pretty good and has a lot of action and suspense.

Haven't been reading much noir but I am reading a historical by a Swedish author called Sonata for Miriam: A Novel and I really love the way she writes.

I am really enjoying Lifetime by Liza Marklund. Not sure if it can be read as a stand alone. My initial reaction has been no, but it is really good without me reading all the books in the series. I have read the first two.

Has Jo Nesbo's first Harry Hole mystery "The Bat" been translated into English and available for purchase anywhere?

I got it off Audible in audiobook, so i'm guessing yes

I had it shipped from England.

I had mine shipped from UK too. It's I think also available in Canada (may be cheaper than UK shipping). Cockroaches isn't available in UK either yet...

I am trying a new German author Nele Neuhaus. Her book Snow White Must Diewas translated. I am kind of ticked off because it is #4 in the series. I am not enough into it to see how it will work out.

OMG...I can't believe how bland Snow White Must Diewas. I was so bored by it. 2 stars.

makes me glad I didn't spend an audible credit on it

Now, Diane loved it. It was just too "soft" for me. I couldn't get into any of the characters. It was talked about being more psychological, but I didn't even see that.

I thought it was psychological, maybe a little Minette Walters but I agree it did not have the coldness and unpretentiousness of most of the Nordic novels. This was German, so it takes a little getting used to. I don't think I have read many books that had been translated from the German. Our adult services librarians are all loving it, and one is actually from Germany. But again, that is why so many different books are written and also what makes for good discussions. Naomi and I usually agree quite a bit so it is always interesting to see the ones we disagree on.

good point - Naomi and I tend to agree more than disagree (unless it is about romances, then I always rate higher than her)...

Diane wrote: "I thought it was psychological, maybe a little Minette Walters but I agree it did not have the coldness and unpretentiousness of most of the Nordic novels. This was German, so it takes a little get..."

You know, Diane, I have read a number of German mysteries and I thought this was mild compared to some of them. Also, to me it focused too much on "feelings".

You know me...I like the GORE!!! lol I get to live vicariously!!!! lol

Is there a list for German mysteries or thrillers? Would like to read a few more so I can compare.

I know I have stumbled upon them. Let me see if I can find something.

You could count Jan Costin Wagner as a German, or as a Finn - he's a German living in Finland, and kind of writes Finnish crime. But he's still kind of of German. You decide which. :)
There's a thread in the other group listing a bunch of authors in "the rest of Europe", meaning not Scandinavia. German crime authors don't seem that popular. Stopyourekillingme lists these http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/Loc... - so not that many, especially if you don't like crime set in earlier decades.
If Dutch could be OK as in "nearly German", perhaps Van De Wetering's series of Amsterdam cops might do. I think most of them are from the 80s. If you like Håkan Nesser's Van Veeteren series, you might like VDW, since Van Veeteren was supposed to be an homage for him.

Since I got hooked on Justified (TV series), I'm sensing I might soon be on full-blown Elmore Leonard binge. Fire in the Hole had the one short story which essentially was the first episode of Justified...

Naomi wrote: "I know I have stumbled upon them. Let me see if I can find something."

Ingrid Noll is a German writer worth checking out. Also Zoran Drvenkar. I read a book of his called 'Sorry' recently. It was interesting, pretty brutal stuff. Also definitely worth checking out Jakob Arjouni, a German writer of Turkish origin who died well before his time a few weeks ago.

Crime fiction is hugely popular in Germany and there's a whole bunch of German writers who have not been translated.

I can imagine the reactions of my Dutch and Flemish friends if I were to describe them as 'nearly German...' It's not something I'd dare say in their hearing...

Elmore Leonard's greatness is with his early works--up to around the time they made a movie of 'Get Shorty'. After that, he became infatuated with fame and the famous and his writing suffered greatly. His last several books have not been worth my time. read the early books, particularly those set in Detroit.

Justified is my favorite TV show right now, and Elmore Leonard does not appear to have much to do with it, if anything. His son is listed as the Executive Producer, but Tim Olyphant is the real creative control now from what I've read.

For novels set in Weimar Germany, Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series is top-notch and Jonathan Rabb has a Berlin Trilogy in this era. Bernie Gunther continues after the war, too.

Not German authors, but the feel of Weimar and the rise of Hitler comes through in both books. Both writers are worth your time.

Michael Ridpath, best known for his financial thrillers and more recently for his novels set in Iceland, has a new one coming out later this year (I think), set in pre-WW2 Berlin.

Quentin wrote: "Michael Ridpath, best known for his financial thrillers and more recently for his novels set in Iceland, has a new one coming out later this year (I think), set in pre-WW2 Berlin."

LOVE Michael Ridpath.

Richard, are there any Leonard books you'd list as your favorites? Get Shorty as a book was not the greatest. I want to try some of the best ones so I'd like to add some to my list of stuff to hunt for.

I'd never dare to say to a Dutchman how close the Dutch and the German are. But until you find some German crime books that are available in English and are not written to be happening around 1930s or 1940s, at least the Dutch ones are a bit more closer to Germany than Håkan Nesser's Van Veeteren's "Sweden-like" gibberish location to Sweden. - More German authors definitely should be translated.

I ended up sending Michael an email. The only book of his that I have as coming out in the US is Meltwater but that is #3 in his series. It isn't a HF/mystery.

Naomi wrote: "You know me...I like the GORE!!! lol I get to live vicariously!!!! lol"

For GORE I recommend Sebastian Fitzek. He has two out about a guy who kills kids and collects their left eyes. Available on Amazon UK I think.

Steven T. wrote: "Naomi wrote: "You know me...I like the GORE!!! lol I get to live vicariously!!!! lol"

For GORE I recommend Sebastian Fitzek. He has two out about a guy who kills kids and collects their left eyes...."

Don't like gore against kids. Do like gore though!

Quentin wrote: "Naomi wrote: "I know I have stumbled upon them. Let me see if I can find something."

Ingrid Noll is a German writer worth checking out. Also Zoran Drvenkar. I read a book of his called 'Sorry' rec..."

Thanks Quentin. I have a friend who still has family in Germany, and she loves Petra Hammesfahr, but only two of her books have been translated in the states.

Naomi wrote: "I ended up sending Michael an email. The only book of his that I have as coming out in the US is Meltwater but that is #3 in his series. It isn't a HF/mystery."

Michael's new book is called Traitor's Gate. If you can find his Facebook page, there's a picture there of the cover. It's out in June on this side of the pond.
We have an agreement not to read each other's books, at least, not the Icelandic ones so that we can avoid any cross-pollination. But this one I will be able to read and I'm looking forward to it.
But my daughter has read his Icelandic books and she tells me they're the business.

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up Quentin!

LOVE HIS ICELAND BOOKS! I have Meltwater staring me in the face every day and I am so behind in reviews, I can't get to it!

Steven T. wrote: "Naomi wrote: "You know me...I like the GORE!!! lol I get to live vicariously!!!! lol"

For GORE I recommend Sebastian Fitzek. He has two out about a guy who kills kids and collects their left eyes...."

I know what you mean, I refuse to translate books where kids are the victims.

Anna, I enjoyed the books Leonard wrote in the 1980's the most, roughly GOLD COAST through RIDING THE RAP. Once you get to 2002 and TISHOMINGO BLUES, his writing falls off a cliff. I think I enjoyed KILLSHOT the most, but it has been awhile.

Many don't know he started his career as a writer of Westerns, so his novels through 1970 are more John Wayne stories than crime novels. You should be aware of that.