English Translations of Scandinavian/Nordic Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

This month of October 2025 we have starting out 10 books to chose from. We will add books as they become known to us. Goodreading.

1) Treasure: Book Twelve of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga by Octavia Randolph to be published on the 1st of October 2025. Viking. 513 pages.

Treasure sought. Treasure surrendered. Treasure passionately guarded.

Hrald, Jarl of Four Stones, has forfeited the golden treasure of his wife, Pega, the richest heiress in Mercia. The shrewd and powerful Lady Æthelflaed, daughter of Ælfred, King of Wessex, knows just what to do with that gold, and with the young woman to whom it belongs. She moves with swift decision. Hrald must undertake a startling penance for the harm he has caused. The one reward at the end will be his right to again wed Dagmar, the daughter of the late King of the Danes in Angle-land. If he survives.

At Kilton, Lord Edwin is brought an urgent message, with an offer he has little choice but to accept. Its royal sender will soon follow and demand an answer. Edwin's older brother Ceric, and his wife, the Welsh Princess Dwynwen, are constant reminder to Edwin of a happiness he fears beyond him. A threat to Kilton reminds all of the fragility of peace.

Far from their Gotland base, the traders Runulv and Eskil, armed with goods and silver from Sidroc the Dane, seek treasure in Miklagårdr, known to the Byzantines as Constantinople. Silk and spice were their goal. Now they must strive to hold on to the treasure they have paid dearly to win.

2) Vaim by Jon Fosse to be published on the 7th of October 2025. Norway. 144 pages.

By Nobel Laureate in Literature Jon Fosse, Vaim begins a trilogy of novels set in a remote Norwegian fishing village.

Jatgeir travels from the fishing village of Vaim to the city in search of a needle and thread. Cheated twice, he returns to his boat, where he falls asleep as waves rock the hull. Soon he is awakened by a voice: a woman is calling his name from the quay. There stands Eline, the secret love of his youth—and the namesake of his boat—with a packed suitcase. Eline pleads to come aboard. In what follows, this single encounter reverberates across three stories: three narrators, three deaths.

The first new work from Jon Fosse since he was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature, Vaim is a spectral novel that wanders and watches, imbued with things half-seen, perhaps not of this world yet still caught in its rhythms. The first in a trilogy of novels, it continues his investigation into the human condition: the subtle encounters that come to define our lives and our deaths, and what lies in the threshold between what is and what is longed for.

3) A Place in the World: Stories by Bill Gaythwaite to be published on the 7th of October 2025. Denmark. 216 pages.

The eleven stories in A Place on the World are character-driven portrayals depicting various lives transformed by random events or twists of fate. A young woman living on the coast of Maine confronts her painful past when her little brother comes to visit after being released from rehab; A hopeless gay hustler, in for the long con, instead finds himself falling in love while vacationing in Denmark; a failed New York City actor afraid of commitment goes on a comic rant and embraces an epiphany while cat-sitting for a friend. In separate, first-person narratives, a struggling husband and wife take turns describing the impact of a scandalous crisis on their marriage; a settled suburban dad arrives at a beach house for the weekend, only to realize he robbed one of the other houseguests thirty-four years earlier. In this poignant, engaging collection, Gaythwaite offers compassion and surprising optimism while celebrating astonishing resilience in the face of life’s persistent challenges.

4) Dancing in the Dark by Helene Holmström to be published on the 14th of October 2025. France & Sweden. 313 pages.

A treasure off the coast of France yields a journey through history in an intoxicating novel about a passion for wine, the complexities of love, and the fulfillment of long-held dreams.

Bente Hammar used to be a popular TV sommelier in Stockholm. Her career in limbo, she’s hounded by memories of her father, a wine connoisseur and failed dreamer. But Bente won’t give up. Then she hears from a friend whose diving expedition has yielded a shipwrecked treasure off the coast of an old bottle of wine with a Swedish inscription dating back to 1944. Translating it, and chasing its curious history, is the fresh start Bente needs.

Didrik Holgersson is a celebrated historian, blindsided when his wife asks for a divorce. He’s questioning his own next choices in life when Bente urges him to participate in her quest. It’s perfect timing. Working together, Bente and Didrik head to France and begin to unravel a tangled story of wine, war, and forbidden love during the French Resistance.

In bringing that story back to light, Bente and Didrik discover that after more than eighty years, it also holds the power to change both their lives.

5) Urban Legends from Sweden: Echoes from the Forests and Frozen Lakes Urban Legends from Sweden by F.T. Weaver to be published on the 15th of October 2025. Sweden. 134 pages.

Have you ever wondered what fears haunt the land of pristine forests and frozen lakes?

Beyond the sleek designs of IKEA and the safety of Volvo, a darker, older Sweden whispers its secrets. In the shadows of Stockholm's subway, a silver train waits for passengers who will never return. From the depths of a city pond, a handsome musician plays a melody that promises only a watery grave. And in your favorite pizza, you might find more than just the usual toppings...

In Urban Legends from Sweden, author and cultural explorer F.T. Weaver has unearthed 13 of the nation's most chilling and revealing tales. This book is not just a collection of scary stories; it's a journey into the Swedish psyche. Each legend, from ancient folkloric horrors like the Näcken to modern anxieties about cursed souvenirs and haunted furniture stores, is retold as a gripping, atmospheric short story that will leave you checking the locks.

But the terror doesn't end with the final sentence. Each tale is followed by a "Cultural Insights" section, a fascinating deep-dive that

It's an essential volume for anyone who loves horror, folklore, and discovering the hidden fears that define a culture.

Dare to discover the echoes from the forests and frozen lakes. Scroll up and click "Buy Now" to begin your journey into the shadows of Sweden.

6) Sparks in Iceland by Mandi Lynn Bell to be published on the 21st of October 2025. Iceland.

When you find out your best friend has feelings for you, do you pretend like nothing happened, or do you set him up on a date with someone else so he can get over you?

Harper is about to fly to Iceland and have the trip of her dreams when her roommate cancels last minute. Her childhood best friend, Luke, saves the day when he volunteers to take her roommate's place. It’s a win-win. Harper gets to go on her trip, and her roommate doesn’t lose her money. It all feels like a great idea until Harper realizes they would be sharing the same hotel rooms, and sometimes even the same bed.

Things only get worse when she accidentally reads a text on Luke’s phone, revealing that he has feelings for her and plans to confess them on the trip. Harper is left in a downward spiral, wondering how someone she sees as family could have romantic feelings for her. In an effort to gently turn him down, Harper tries to set Luke up on a date with someone else while they’re in Iceland. However, her plan backfires when jealousy emerges right as Luke begins to move on.

Has Harper fallen for Luke too late, or is there still a chance for this lifelong friendship to turn into something more?

Sparks in Iceland is a stand-alone book in the Flying in Love Series. If you love closed-door romances where you wonder how the characters will get their acts together and confess their feelings, then you’ll love Harper and Luke’s story.

7) Cold Mercy by L.T. Ryan to be published on the 21st of October 2025. Sweden.

Winter doesn’t forgive. Neither does she.

When a fisherman cuts a hole in a frozen lake and sees a face staring back from the ice, Stockholm detective Avril Dahl is sent north to a town that keeps its sins under snow.

Norrdal has three cops, long nights, and a body pulled from Frostsjön. The victim is a young reporter who knew too much and trusted the wrong person. With the autopsy days away and evidence vanishing under fresh snowfall, Avril has to rebuild the woman’s last hours from scratch, one small-town secret at a time.

The trail winds through a crowded bar, a source who only talks off the record, and a community that closes ranks. The boyfriend is grieving. The truth is not. And somewhere in the dark, a ghost from Avril’s past is still watching. If Avril can’t drag the truth to the surface before the next storm rolls in, the lake won’t be the only thing keeping its dead.

Cold Mercy is a tense, atmospheric Nordic thriller with a fierce heroine, a frozen-lake murder, and a town built on silence. Bundle up. This case cuts to the bone.

8) Black as Death by Lilja Sigurðardóttir to be published on the 23rd of October 2025. Iceland.

When the chief suspect in the disappearance of Á ró ra' s sister is found dead, and Á ró ra' s new financial investigation leads to the street where her sister was last scene, she is drawn into a shocking case that threatens everything … The chilling, twisty, award-winning series continues…

When the fate of Á ró ra' s missing sister, Isafold, is discovered, Á ró ra is relieved that she can halt a search that has taken over her life, even if the mystery remains unsolved. But when Isafold' s boyfriend – chief suspect in her disappearance – is found dead in the same place that Isafold' s body was found, Á ró ra begins to lose her grip on reality.

To distract herself, she dives headfirst into a money-laundering case that her friend Daní el is investigating. But she finds that there is more than meets the eye, and once again, all leads point towards Engihjalli, the street where Isafold lived and died, and a series of shocking secrets that could explain and endanger everything…

Atmospheric, dark and chilling, Black as Death is the much-anticipated finale to the addictive, twisty An Á ró ra Investigation series, as Á ró ra and her friends search for answers that may take them to places even darker than death…

9) Winter of Love: A Scandi Noir Crime Psychological Thriller by to be published on the 24th of October 2025. Scandinavia.

The next book in the exciting new series of Scandi Noir thrillers featuring Detective Frida Skardet from the author of the Cold Secrets series, Tom Quiller. Pre-book the second in the NORSE KRIMOLOGI strand now.

THERE'S A NEW DATING APP IN TOWN AND IT HAS A DEADLY DIFFERENCE

10) The Wake by Yrsa Sigurdardottir to be published on the 25th of October 2025. Iceland.

**'The undisputed Queen of Icelandic Noir' Simon Kernick**

AMONG THE MOURNERS AT A FUNERAL, ONE OF THEM IS A KILLER...

A group of young professionals travel to the Westman Islands off the coast of Iceland to attend an old friend's wake. Their reunion soon turns into a living nightmare, as the memories of a party they attended at university, and desperately tried to forget, come rushing back.

When two bodies are found on a rocky beach close to the refurbished lighthouse keeper's house that the group had stayed in, medical examiner Iðunn is sent to provide the local police assistance.

For Iðunn, who grew up on the island, this takes her back to the heart of her complex family and the ghosts of her own past she would prefer to keep at bay.

But as the deadly secrets soon become insurmountable, can any of them escape unscathed?

A chilling, isolated thriller from the legendary Icelandic crime writer and international bestseller, perfect for fans of C. J. Tudor and Ragnar Jónasson.

11) Shadow of the Samhain Moon: Draugr undead monster romance by Jaylee Austin to be published on the 21st of October 2025. U.S.A. 203 pages.

The Scandinavian legend of the undead draugr, Nordic guardian warriors of treasure and the burial mounds of ancient tombs. Tropes fated mates, chosen one and sacrifice.

As autumn descends upon the quaint Scandinavian town of Norskeby, Minnesota, the annual Harvest Festival is on the brink of celebration. Amidst the vibrant pumpkins and ghostly decorations, the townsfolk remain blissfully unaware of the ancient Norse burial ground that lies beneath their feet, a resting place of dark secrets and vengeful spirits.

Elin Bjorn, the town's spirited yet introverted librarian, has always felt an inexplicable pull towards the rich myths of her Scandinavian ancestors. But as Halloween approaches, her fascination with the tales of Draugr, the vengeful undead warriors guarding their treasures takes a dark twist.

Join Elin and Ragnor in this spellbinding tale of love, sacrifice, and the eternal battle between light and darkness, where the true harvest lies in the heart's strength and the unbreakable bonds of the soul.

12) Coming. Apart. by Edy Poppy to be published on the 7th of October 2025. Norway. 125 pages.

In the stark, poetic voice that garnered her novel Anatomy. Monotony. cult status in Norway and abroad, writer and performance artist Edy Poppy offers a vision of sexuality and alienation unlike any other.

The sharp, sensual stories of Coming. Apart. chart the unraveling of relationships in all their complexity. From rural Norway to Berlin, Edy Poppy follows characters caught between intimacy and escape—lovers who drift, clash, fracture. A couple’s erotic games slip into something darker. A woman retreats to the countryside, shadowed by memory. Another navigates obsession, ambivalence, and solitude with uneasy clarity.

Written in a voice that is both visceral and exacting, Edy Poppy's first story collection moves along the fault lines of connection and desire. Blurring fiction and lived experience, Poppy offers a fierce meditation on what it means to stay—or leave.

13) Open Grave by Kjell Eriksson to be published on the 16th of October 2025. Sweden. 287 pages.

Kjell Eriksson has made a huge splash around the globe with his series set in his native Sweden. Already a star in Europe and the Nordic countries, Kjell Eriksson has American critics raving.

In Open Grave in the Ann Lindell series, Professor Bertram von Ohler has been awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine. This news causes problems in his otherwise quiet upper-class neighborhood. Not everybody is happy with the choice of winner. Mysterious incidents start to occur. Boyish pranks say the police, but what follows is certainly not innocent amusement. Police inspector Ann Lindell becomes involved in the case and immediately is transported back into her own past.

Eriksson has been nominated for the Best Swedish Crime Novel five times.Open Grave, the sixth book in his critically acclaimed and internationally loved series, is a chilling novel about renunciation and revenge.

14) The Winter Job: The darkly funny, touching new thriller from the author of the Netflix hit LITTLE SIBERIA by Antti Tuomainen to be published on the 23rd of October 2025. Finland.

Sofas, secrets and a snowbound road to trouble…

Helsinki, 1982. Recently divorced postal worker Ilmari Nieminen has promised his daughter a piano for Christmas, but with six days to go – and no money – he's desperate.

A last-minute job offers a transport a valuable antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland.

With the sofa secured in the back of his van, Ilmari stops at a gas station, and an old friend turns up, offering to fix his faulty wipers, on the condition that he tags along. Soon after, a persistent Saab 96 appears in the rearview mirror. And then a bright-yellow Lada.

That's when Ilmari realises that he is transporting something truly special.

And that's when Ilmari realises he might be in serious trouble…

A darkly funny and unexpectedly moving thriller about friendship, love and death – The Winter Job tears through the frozen landscape of northern Finland in a beat-up van with bad steering, worse timing, and everything to lose…

15) Vengeance of the Damned: A Viking Age Novel by Eric Schumacher to be published on the 2nd of October 2025. Viking. 298 pages.

Vengeance of the Damned is the gripping, final novel of Schumacher’s award-winning series chronicling the life and adventures of Olaf Tryggvason, one of Norway’s most controversial kings.

It is AD 995. Driven from his homeland as a lad, the long-wandering King Olaf Tryggvason has finally returned to Norway with an army at his back and vengeance on his mind. But Olaf does not just want to rule the Northern kingdom. He has more ambitious plans for the realm and will put to the sword anyone who stands in his way.

His cruel campaign sets him on a collision course with his former oath-brother-turned-enemy, Torgil. Unable to escape the coming clash, Torgil and his band of outcasts face the new king and his battle-hardened warriors. From the land of the Swedes, to the islands of the Vik, and finally, to a place called Svold off the coast of Denmark, Olaf and Torgil match their wills and their cunning in this brutal, action-packed conclusion to Olaf’s Saga.