The 2011 Nordic Challenge is hosted by Zee at Notes from the North and runs from January 1 2011 to December 31 2011. The Rules are simple. There is no need to make a list before hand. Any book by any author born in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and/or Sweden) or a book set in a Nordic country. They can be from any genre but I have restricted myself to crime fiction only. There are 5 levels, and I decided to join in at the highest possible level, in a fit of insanity. Valhalla Level: Read 20+ books. My count so far:
- Three Seconds, by Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström
- Yours Until Death, by Gunnar Staalesen
- The Redeemer, by Jo Nesbo
- Red Wolf, by Liza Marklund
- El chino, de Henning Mankell (The Man from Beijing)
- Nadie lo ha visto, de Mari Jungstedt (Unseen)
- The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo
- The Leopard, by Jo Nesbo
- The Abominable Man, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
- Echoes from the Dead, by Johan Theorin
- Mercy, by Jussi Adler-Olsen
- The Inspector and Silence, by Hakan Nesser
- Voices, by Arnaldur Indridason
- Bad Intentions, by Karin Fossum
- The Locked Room, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
It looks like I’m still on track, with only 5 left to reach 20.
A Crime is Afoot 
Very good list. Those Nordic mysteries are hard to put down. I have read 7 this year and am not doing a challenge. I keep trying to read crime fiction from all over the world, but somehow I keep ending up with Scandinavians. I just finished Kjell Eriksson’s The Hand that Trembles, and have Mercy and Outrage on my pile to read. Want to read Ashes to Dust by Sigurdardottir and Asa Larsson’s new book and Anne Holt’s 1222 and Fear Not. The library doesn’t have these so I have to figure out my budget.
I’m staying away from Dregs for now; one book that starts with finding a severed foot is enough for me for awhile. It’s also in the new Eriksson book, and then there was Vargas’ latest book with 18 severed feet.
Thank you Kathy. You have just remind me I have not read any Kjell Eriksson’s yet. I have Last Rituals in my TBR but Ann Holt is not my cup of tea.
José Ignacio – Well-done! You are making excellent progress, and you’ve chosen some excellent books for this challenge.
That’s very kind of you Margot. Thank you.
Dios mío, José Ignacio … ¡el nivel Valhalla 😉 !
Conozco de esos a Mankell, Nesbo, Sjöwall y Wahlöö, Indridason, Theorin y Fossem ¿Cuál del resto te ha llamado más la atención?
Un saludo.
Three Seconds de Roslund & Hellström, ganó este año el CWA International Dagger. Es muy recomendable aunque para mi gusto había mejores libros. Sólo he leído éste de ellos pero Box 21 es considerado mejor libro por algunos de blogeros de mi confianza.
Gunnar Staalesen, tiene pocos libros traducidos o disponibles. Para mi gusto si me pides sólo un nombre me decantaría por él.
También siento cierta debilidad por Hakan Nesser y su sentido del humor. Me gusta su pesonaje pero la resolución de sus casos es algo floja quizá.
Y espero mucho de Jussi Adler-Olsen, sus dos primeras novelas en la serie Departamento Q están ya traducidas en España, la primera promete..
Para finalizar aunque Liza Marklund no es de mi gusto, está muy recomendada y tiene varios libros ya traducidos en España.
Un abrazo
Do you recommend Staalsen and Jungstedt? I haven’t read their books yet.
Certainly I do recomend Staalesen. Jungstend may be in a lower league, though but have heard good things of the last book in her series.
Well done, Jose Ignacio. I wonder if I have read as many Nordics this year? Staalesen and Jungstedt are rather different, I’d say – Jungstedt is like Camilla Lackberg- domestic romance as well as crime, & Jungstedt has a journalism element. Staalesen is more like the classic PI, transferred to Bergen Norway (Jungstedt is Gotland, Sweden).
I’d definitely recommend Dregs by Horst, if you like Staalesen.It isn’t a bit sensationalist and is both a good police procedural and a good account of a man’s feelings and relationship with his (adult) daughter. Reminds me somewhat of Mankell.
Helene Tursten is another possiblity. Also, I thought you had read some Hakan Nesser but maybe I have got that wrong.