Nordic Noir

There's a chill in the air. Yes, I know it's practically spring (and some of us are enjoying 80-degree weather), but a cold wind is ushering in a fabulous new trend for mysteries. It's Nordic Noir, featuring twisty tales and freezing landscapes. Long nights and little sun seem to produce taciturn detectives and deeply disturbed villains. Here are three of my favorite dark tales.

The Keeper of Lost Causes
by Jussi Adler-Olsen
His name may not be familiar to those of us in countries other than his native Denmark, but Adler-Olsen is one of his country's top crime writers. This first installment in the Department Q series shows us why.
Carl Mørck was also at the top of his game, until a shootout with a criminal left him with a wound, and a serious case of survivor's guilt. He's shocked when he is promoted as soon as he returns to his detective post, until he finds out he's in charge of a cold-case department with few prospects for success. Saddled with an assistant he doesn't understand, in a steamy basement office with leftover goods, Mørck is prepared to sleep his way through the job. That is, until a missing person's case grabs his attention.
This engrossing mystery is as dark as any in Nordic Noir, but with a gentle sense of humor that lightens the mood, and puts you firmly behind Department Q and its lost causes. The next book from Adler-Olsen (The Absent One) will appear in August, just in time to cool us down. (Penguin Group - 2011)

Hypothermia

by Arnaldur Indridason
Blowing in from the island of Iceland is a cold tale of suicide. Or is it murder? Inspector Erlunder has a feeling that all is not as it seems, even though the coroner has deemed the death a clear suicide.
A loner by nature, Erlunder follows his hunch, quietly probing the idea that the victim did not hang herself and was helped to her death. But who did the deed? Was it the grieving husband who seems to have something to hide? Or perhaps it was one of the many psychics that the poor woman visited after her own mother's death.
At the same time, Erlunder is visited by the father of a long-ago missing person. The same intuition leads him to re-examine the details of that case, determined to find resolution in both mysteries.
This is the sixth book in what is known as the Reykjavik Thriller series, but the first I've read. After finding myself pulled into the spell of Indridason's writing, I'll be searching out the previous five. (Picador - 2011)

The Leopard

by Jo Nesbø
I first discovered Jo Nesbø with The Devil's Star and I've been hooked ever since. His taut writing and fast-paced storylines are reminiscent of Stieg Larsson, but better.
Don't get me wrong, I love Larsson's trilogy, but I do think it could have used a little editing to quicken the pace and clear out a few "dead" spots (pardon the pun). Unfortunately, at 528 pages, the only thing about this book that gave me pause, other than the unexpected turns, was the fact that it would have been much better if it had a been a bit shorter. See tomorrow's post on editing.
Meanwhile, back to The Leopard, which is still an amazing return to detective Harry Hole's strange world. As defective as the criminals he hunts, Hole has descended into his addictions and is hiding in Hong Kong. He refuses to return home, until he's enticed there by the idea that another serial killer is on the loose. Two women have died, but there is nothing at all to link them except very strange stab wounds in their mouths. Hole travels back to Norway and then to the Congo in his quest to track an elusive animal.
Nesbø is a thrilling writer who never fails to surprise – I have to say that the murder weapon in this case completely freaked me out. If you've never read his books, see my review here of The Snowman. (Knopf Doubleday - 2011)

And now for a personal note - happy birthday to my daughter, Aana! I can't wait to see how the story of your life unfolds.

How to Travel

Back in the day, I had to be a little creative about my travel. I would buy a book in the airport, leave it on the plane, and buy another when I landed. Or I would give myself a hernia by packing 10 books in my carry-on bag. Or I would run to the nearest book store when we arrived in our destination city. And yes, I have paid the fees for overweight bags because I had too many hardbacks in the suitcase.

This was all an attempt to keep me entertained. Because when I travel, I have to read. It keeps me from noticing the kid behind me who is kicking my kidneys. It alleviates the uncomfortable feeling I get when the man next to me (and it's always a man) takes the armrest and refuses to share. Reading keeps me calm during take off and landing. And it gives me something to do when the flight is delayed and we're sitting on the tarmac for four hours for no reason and they won't let us off the bloomin' plane. Not that I'm bitter.
The Nook has made my life easier now that I can carry hundreds of books in one tiny package. It fed my addiction on my recent trip West, and I am almost embarrassed to admit that I read four books while I was gone. You can see what I read by clicking here.
I'm not normally a "talker" on planes, and I've been known to hide behind my book. But then, occasionally, I'll see someone carrying a book that makes me happy.
Last night, on the way back from Los Angeles, I met Laura. She was on her way to New Orleans and she was carrying Jo Nesbo's The Leopard. Coincidentally, I had just finished that very book while in Los Angeles - and it was amazing. I had to tell her that while we were waiting to board and then, what do you know, but she is in 11E and I'm in 11D.
This was good for two reasons. First, we talked books. I told her that if she likes Nesbo, she has to read Hypothermia and The Keeper of Lost Causes.
Second, we didn't have to talk anymore. Laura wanted to read. I wanted to read. It was the perfect seatmate scenario. And she didn't hog the armrest. I even ended up giving her the Denise Mina book that I finished on the flight.
So to Laura, wherever you are, thanks for being such a good travel partner. Enjoy your book!