English Translations of Scandinavian/Nordic Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

I'm getting anxious. We have three books so far for September, they are: The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz who is the new author for Stieg Larsson. Published on September 1, 2015. The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen to be published in the USA on September 8, 2015. And the last one is Black Tongue, The by Marko Hautala to be published on September 22, 2015. As always I'll add new books as they become known. Good reading.

Jus finished having started on Sunday so i wont post much more on here jus yet as most of you have maybe jus started, suffice to say I've done a small review & penned a few thoughts about it all within the review without giving away an plot/story reveals.

Andy wrote: "Jus finished having started on Sunday so i wont post much more on here jus yet as most of you have maybe jus started, suffice to say I've done a sm..."

Half way and enjoying the read and build up........

Yes I found it a very good & plausible story in many ways which has kept me entertained the last few days!

I just pre-ordered the Kindle version of The Hanging Girl from Amazon today. I'm looking forward to it, but it's been so long now since I've read a Dept Q book that I'm going to have to get reacquainted with the characters. I can't wait to see what Assad is up to in this one.

Pamela wrote: "I just pre-ordered the Kindle version of The Hanging Girl from Amazon today. I'm looking forward to it, but it's been so long now since I've read a Dept Q book that I'm going to have to get reacqua..."

We just watched the film of Department Q one, The Keeper of Lost Causes! Surprisingly good film.....

Just finished Johan Theorin's The Voices beyond. I enjoyed it. Central character aged pensioner Gerdof Davidson, who lives on the island of Oland. Theorin's strength is his depiction of the visual, sounds and smells. I felt this story was a little incredible and confusing at times. As it jumped from the present to the past. From one character to another. I compare Theorin to Jorn Lier Horst rather than Mankell, Indridison or Nesbo. My favourite book of his is Echoes from the Dead and The Quarry.

Helen wrote: "Just finished Johan Theorin's The Voices beyond. I enjoyed it. Central character aged pensioner Gerdof Davidson, who lives on the island of Oland. Theorin's strength is his depiction of the visual,..."
Helen Ive just finished The Darkest Room and adored it - Not what I was expecting at all. Many years ago I went to Oland with my family and it was a bleak & windswept island so I was able to imagine the countryside as I was reading. I've reserved The Quarry at my library so look forward to another "adventure for the mind" on Oland.

Angela wrote: "Helen wrote: "Just finished Johan Theorin's The Voices beyond. I enjoyed it. Central character aged pensioner Gerdof Davidson, who lives on the island of Oland. Theorin's strength is his depiction ..."
Well Angela. How interesting. That is how the environment is described in the book. Cold, isolated and bleak. Everyone knows each other. The book has a touch of the supernatural. Memories go back a long way. So if your great grandfather had a fight with a neighbour well today it is remembered. A little like most isolated communities which are bound together because of the climate. Theorin is interesting because he touches on the history of the island. This recent book discusses migrants who went away to discover a better life. Like most people there is a yearn to return to the place of your childhood. This is the theme of this book. I also like the fact the hero is an aged care resident.

Makes me want to read this author now. Thanks.

The Girl in the Spider's Web took a while to get where Lisbeth is in the book. Not quite Stieg Larsson but close.

I don't think you'll be disappointed, Sharon. I've enjoyed every one of Theorin's books. I think Voices was the first book I read and enjoyed every one thereafter.

Listen and you can hear the pages turning.

I was able to get Still Waters by Viveca Sten today as a Kindle book, so I have changed the start date as of today. It still says the publication date as October 1, 2016.

Mary wrote: "I don't think you'll be disappointed, Sharon. I've enjoyed every one of Theorin's books. I think Voices was the first book I read and enjoyed every one thereafter."

Mary. Hope you have not been confused. Arnold Indridision wrote Voices Which was great. This is a different book The Voices Beyoind by Johan Theorin. Just been released in English. Both great books. Great authors.

"What Are You Reading?" should be your topic header that you talk about authors that are not under the header "September 2015 read-along."

Well I did learn some facts, but I don't think Stieg Larsson would have ended the story on a good note. Will never know.

Kenneth wrote: "Well I did learn some facts, but I don't think Stieg Larsson would have ended the story on a good note. Will never know."

According to the publisher, Stieg had planned this series to span 10 books. I figure they'll continue the series with David Lagercrantz writing the next few...

Kenneth wrote: "I was able to get Still Waters by Viveca Sten today as a Kindle book, so I have changed the start date as of today. It still says the publication date as October 1..."
So did I -- and free for Prime members!

I got it free too from Amazon and I'm reading it now. Half way through and liking it although the translation put me off at the beginning. There were too many "gottens" in it. I was always taught that the word "gotten" wasn't in the English language but have noticed that younger writers use it a lot and "I just haven't gotten used to it" or as I would say " I just haven't got used to it". As the book progressed I have noticed it isn't used so much as the past participle of "get" or maybe I'm not as aware of it as I'm enjoying the book and not thinking of the grammar.

Pamela wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "I was able to get Still Waters by Viveca Sten today as a Kindle book, so I have changed the start date as of today. It still says the publication d..."

Pamela I am in the U.S. and it is not free here. Just wondering where you are? :)

So what do we make of the "new" Salander character, I use the word new as that would be my take on it all?

None of her dark humour surfaces & comes across as a little too "matter of fact" as a result, could have been so much more mileage with her interaction with the young child I thought too.

That aside I did very much like the Girl in the Spiders Web & look forward to more of the series.

Andy wrote: "So what do we make of the "new" Salander character, I use the word new as that would be my take on it all?

None of her dark humour surfaces & comes across as a little too "matter of fact" as a res..."

I was very disappointed and reflected that in my review. Enjoyed the original three books and films, very much. This seemed like the American remake of the film! With no spirit nor personality. Good effort but not worth the money to continue with....

Lori wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "I was able to get Still Waters by Viveca Sten today as a Kindle book, so I have changed the start date as of today. It still says th..."

I was able to get it free as a special offer. I think it is because I am a member of Amazon Prime.

There were too many "gottens" in it. I was always taught t..."


What about the expression ill-gotten gains? This website says it has been around since the mid-1800s.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/i...

Lori, I am in the US.

Gary wrote: "There were too many "gottens" in it. I was always taught t..."

What about the expression ill-gotten gains? This website says it has been around since the mid-1800s.
http://idioms.thefreedictionar..."
It's right in that instance but it still rankles when used in everyday speech.

I am almost finished the book and nothing much has happened except for that one dramatic save of August. Lots of description but very little actual mystery or intrigue. I am struggling to finish it. Lost interest really. I was so looking forward to it.

I am at the half way point of The Hanging Girl. I really like the way Jussi writes his novels, not so much a "who done it", rather "here are these characters who have become your friends trying to catch the killer" The reader knows about the killer half way thru the book. Easily my favorite writer now.

His humor was pretty much nonexistent in the Marco Effect and I didn't care for it. The Hanging Girl is back to the great writing I had come to expect.

Pamela wrote: "I just pre-ordered the Kindle version of The Hanging Girl from Amazon today. I'm looking forward to it, but it's been so long now since I've read a Dept Q book that I'm going to have to get reacqua..."

You'll be happy!

Kenneth wrote: "The Girl in the Spider's Web took a while to get where Lisbeth is in the book. Not quite Stieg Larsson but close."

I don't think you would get feel for the characters if this was your first. The story was okay but I felt I would never have gotten involved with series if it depended on this latest addition.

I'm just about to start the latest book, "The Girl in the Spider's Web". The library notified me last week that it was in so I had to quick get out my copy of "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet"s Nest" and read it before starting the newest book. AT the time I read the first two Millennium books, I knew I was hooked on Scandi mysteries. I figured I would read the third one later on after I sampled other Scandi writers. Never thinking there would be another book after Stieg Larsson passed away. Not sure how I feel about someone else writing on this topic but we'll see.

Mary wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "The Girl in the Spider's Web took a while to get where Lisbeth is in the book. Not quite Stieg Larsson but close."

I don't think you would get feel for the charact..."

I read it and IMO if you had not read the first three the characters would be very hard to figure out....NOT SL!

Just bought the Hanging Girl from Amazon. This is one of my favourite series at the moment and although I think the price for an e-book is a bit steep, I can't wait to read it.

I am about a third of the way through "The Hanging Girl", and am enjoying it so far. I find the protagonists in this series to be such interesting characters, and I enjoy the touches of humor, such as when Assad misuses words and is corrected. While the plot seems a little far fetched at times, it still pulls me along and holds my interest. I cannot say the same for Vivica Sten's "Still Waters", which I have finished but didn't particularly enjoy. The main characters are so boring! I guess I prefer my Scandi Crime protagonists to be more flawed, even to the point of almost being unlikeable at times. I also just didn't feel the dark mood in Sten's book, which is one of the things I enjoy about Scandi crime. When I am reading a book by Mankell or Nesser, for example, I feel as though I'm there in the cold and the darkness, but not so in "Still Waters". Perhaps it was lost in translation to English, but whatever the case, it seemed rather flat to me.

Finished The Hanging Girl and thought it was the best Jussi Adler-Olsen book so far.

Mary wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "The Girl in the Spider's Web took a while to get where Lisbeth is in the book. Not quite Stieg Larsson but close."

I don't think you would get feel for the charact..."

I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book....but sure am glad I did. I think he did a fine job.In fact....I liked this book better than the 3rd one in the trilogy. And yes...you would be lost if you hadn't read the first three....but that stands to reason if you are writing the 4th in a series. If a fifth book comes forth...I will read it too. However,after all is said and done...why would an author choose to become famous riding on someone else's coat tails??? Is it the $$$$?

Kenneth wrote: "Finished The Hanging Girl and thought it was the best Jussi Adler-Olsen book so far."

Glad to hear that! I have my copy sitting on my book shelf. Have to finish Frog Music first. Now...there is an interesting book!

I won a copy of The Girl in the Spider's Web thanks to Goodreads. Super happy, now the wait for the book. Finished The Hanging Girl and loved it. Nothing wrong with taking a writing project for the money, there is so little of it in the business.

Pamela wrote: "I am about a third of the way through "The Hanging Girl", and am enjoying it so far. I find the protagonists in this series to be such interesting characters, and I enjoy the touches of humor, such..."
Interesting, my kindle also tells me that I am now 30% into The Hanging Girl and I also have to say that unlike in the previous books, I haven't really connected with the story yet. I find the characters around the crime so far as yet quite undefined and I don't really "care" for them yet, which especially in the last two, I did more or less from the first word. I love the detective trio, but for me there are a few too many Assad getting hold of the wrong wording. This in book 6, is getting a bit stale. However, it has gripped me enough to really want to know what is going to happen and who know what. And I am definitely ready to find out Assad's backstory, I feel this has been withheld now for long enough. One can but hope! Looking forward to going back to it, but unfortunately got to work today. Bother!!!

I'm enjoying this book, love the characters.

Just finished "The Girl in the Spider's Web". I enjoyed the book but I believe I'm done with the Millennium series. Maybe because I read it back to back with the The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (which I loved!!!) and saw the difference in the way it was written. Not as much ZIP! Not everything was resolved in this book so I feel another one will be coming. But I think I'll just say: RIP Stieg Larsson. No one could write it as good as you!

That was exactly my conclusion as well.

Still Waters by Viveca Sten. I could relate to Nora and Thomas in the story because I have diabetes and have been in the Coast Guard. So I find that the story was realistic and will read the second book when it comes out at the end of March 2016. Now on to The Black Tongue by Marko Hautala, just received it today on my Kindle.

Just started The Black Tongue today. So far so good.

I just picked up " The Hanging Girl " from the library as well. Probably going to start it in a few days.

It's very good.

Finished The Black Tongue by Marko Hautala, it seemed to be a science fiction thriller. Ended on a thriller note.

Finished the Hanging Girl now. Have to say, I was quite disappointed, having absolutely loved the previous books of the series. The book feels more rushed than its predecessors, the characterisations and description of the crimes and their reasons was not as well explained as especially in the prvious three books. Also, I feel it is time that we are allowed to find out what Assad's story is and what rally happened the night Carl and Hardy where shot and why. At the end of the book I thought we might get at least one answer, but it turned into another teaser, which I am getting fed-up with.