Flat lay of Scandinavian fiction books against textiles.

Vintage_Scandi_fiction_reading_list_2022

Reading lists

10 must-read Scandinavian novels

Knock Knock

A white-knuckle read

A page-turning new Scandi-crime sensation from the publisher of Jo Nesbo.

Scandi-noir fans are in for a treat. Knock Knock is a dark read - not for the lily-livered.

A masterpiece of a thriller. Brutal, gripping, intelligent. It left me breathless.

A tense and detailed thriller...The ending is a twist and a shocker.

[Grens is] an eccentric, alienated, socially inept hero worthy of comparison with Swedish mystery master Henning Mankell's Inspector Kurt Wallander.

If you thrill to the chills of Scandinavian noir, chances are you've read something by Anders Roslund. Roslund has two strong prose styles - dark and darker - and both are on show in Knock Knock.

Anders Roslund is a household name throughout most of the world as a master of crime fiction, and this book is a sterling example of why.

From the first Knock Knock on the door of a murder scene to discovering the killers behind it, this novel is a breathless, suspenseful read...A heart-pounding thriller... Roslund's serpentine plot and visceral character development brings each cliffhanging chapter to a staggering revelation on how tasty a dish of cold, karmic revenge can be.

Breathtaking and terrific...Knock Knock is one of the best crime novels this reviewer has read in a very long time.

Heart-pounding...This terrific mash-up of police procedural and crime thriller has strongly imagined characters, explosive action, and a twisty plot with an unexpected conclusion. It's a must for Scandinavian noir fans.

Grens is an immensely compelling character whose sharp intuition and dedication to justice are reminiscent of Harry Bosch... a tense, sophisticated procedural

One of this year’s very best crime novels, that will keep even the most well-read and quality-conscious crime readers in a breathtaking iron grip from beginning to end.

An edge of your seat thriller about revenge and treachery during three fateful days.

Has punchy prose and plot twists that readers expecting another brooding Scandinavian noir won't see coming

With a novel like this in your hands the desire to read becomes extraordinary; everything else turns into distractions that keep you from lustfully devouring the next page.

Knock Knock is […] a breathtakingly thrilling, heartbreaking story of unscrupulous arms trading, shootings, and all their underlying causes.

Roslund’s crime novel is of the sweaty, action-packed kind, and you read it with a pounding pulse and constant sense of unease. At the same time, it is a gripping and smart plot to consume and ponder.

Anders Roslund is an award-winning journalist and one of the most successful and critically acclaimed Scandinavian crime writers of our time. His books have been read by millions and he is the recipient of the CWA International Dagger and the Glass Key award among many others. His work is published in 36 languages and regularly tops international bestseller lists.

**THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER** 
 
Set over three explosive days, this is compulsive, heart-pounding storytelling that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 
 
He thought she was safe. Then the past came knocking. 
 
Seventeen years ago, Inspector Ewert Grens was called to the scene of a brutal crime. A family had been murdered, with only their five-year-old daughter left behind. The girl was placed under witness protection, but while the case went cold, Grens is still haunted by the memory. When he learns that the apartment where the crime took place is now the scene of a mysterious break-in, Grens fears that someone is intent on silencing the only witness. He must race to find her...before they do. 
 
'A perfect example of Scandi noir' The Times 
 
'Roslund has two strong prose styles - dark and darker - and both are on show in KNOCK KNOCK' New York Times 
 
What readers are saying about KNOCK KNOCK 
'I know what I like and I like this VERY MUCH!!' ***** 
'Spectacular' ***** 
'Absolutely brilliant read' ***** 
'I love this series' ***** 
'Once I started reading it I couldn't stop' *****

Anders Roslund

Nerve-wracking dark suspense with a masterly resolution. Anders Roslund is a marvellously talented author.

Erik Axl Sund, bestselling author of THE CROW GIRL

Anders Roslund is one of the best in the genre, always with an important agenda

One of the country's top suspense novelists.

[Roslund] is a brilliantly talented crime writer that has succeeded once again.

An extremely nerve-racking page-turner...Above all there is something about the language and character portrayals, something that feels stripped down and vulnerable, that makes this new novel completely unputdownable.

Sweet Dreams is unrelentingly thrilling...The combination of edge-of-the-seat thrills - and the occasional bit of explosive action - along with strong portrayals of both investigative police, next of kin and Grens and Hoffman, makes this a piece of crime poetry of the very darkest shades.

Devilishly thrilling. /.../ Anders Roslund's novel Sweet Dreams kept me awake far into the early hours in order to finish reading.

A riveting and well-written thriller about a difficult subject matter.

Anders Roslund has created a most thrilling tale.

"Dramatic, thrilling, and very disturbing...Yet another masterpiece by this brilliant star...the prose manages to be breathtakingly seductive and pulse triggering at the same time.

Pulse-raiser about nightmare case... Grens' own journey is nicely intertwined with the plot...Clever intrigue and twists.

A nerve-wracking dark suspense full of twists and turns

*THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER* 
 
'Nerve-wracking dark suspense with a masterly resolution. Anders Roslund is a marvellously talented author' Erik Axl Sund, bestselling author of THE CROW GIRL 
 
'A perfect example of Scandi noir' The Times 
 
*** 
 
Two little girls go missing on the same day in Stockholm. Their disappearances are never explained. In time, the investigations are abandoned. 
 
A chance discovery puts Detective Ewert Grens back on the trail five years later. His own personal trauma makes him determined to find out what happened to these children who were snatched from a supermarket and a car park and never seen again. 
 
His search leads him into the recesses of the dark web and the discovery of a paedophile ring that can only be cracked from the inside. Grens is forced to call upon his retired partner, Piet Hoffman, the best undercover operative he knows, to try to infiltrate the group. 
 
They will have only one chance - but are they up to the darkest challenge of their lives? 
 
*** 
 
'If you thrill to the chills of Scandinavian noir, chances are you've read something by Anders Roslund. He has two strong prose styles - dark and darker' New York Times 
 
'A complex, white-knuckle read' Observer 
 
FROM THE WINNER OF THE Crime Writers' Awards International Dagger and the GLASS KEY AWARD.

Anders Roslund

Praise for Sweet Dreams

Nerve-wracking dark suspense with a masterly resolution. Anders Roslund is a marvellously talented author.

A perfect example of Scandi noir

A complex, white-knuckle read

Nerve-wracking dark suspense with a masterly resolution. Anders Roslund is a marvellously talented author.

A perfect example of Scandi noir

A complex, white-knuckle read

Nerve-wracking dark suspense with a masterly resolution. Anders Roslund is a marvellously talented author.

A perfect example of Scandi noir

A complex, white-knuckle read

Books by Anders Roslund

Articles featuring Anders Roslund

10 must-read Scandinavian novels

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter