English Translations of Scandinavian/Nordic Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

Sharon wrote: "Pat wrote: "I've been reading off genre lately but have just picked up Asa Larsson's The Savage Altar (aka Sun Storm). She will be a guest at the Melbourne Writers Festival in a fortnight and will ..."

I'm also an enormous Asa Larsson fan; I think she's doing something special. So glad to hear she's getting such international acclaim. I'm not sure if you are going to be seeing her in person at either event, but if so, let us know how it goes! :)

Just started Unwanted. First I've read by Kristina Ohlsson. Looking good so far.

Just started which Jim kindly sent me an electronic copy of.

Loving (if that's the right word) Unwanted by [author:Kristina Ohlsson|4090485. Don't want to put it down.

Just began Sun Storm by Åsa Larsson.

Just started Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum so far it's has a similar plot to Camilla Grebe and Asa Träff. Only that were talking about Psychiatric illness.

Took a Break from the Nordic books for a bit, Trying to get into Jo Nesbo's the Leopard right now, I'm not sure if it's me being in the wrong mindset or if the book's just not clicking for me yet. Hopefully it will come together.

Art wrote: "Took a Break from the Nordic books for a bit, Trying to get into Jo Nesbo's the Leopard right now, I'm not sure if it's me being in the wrong mindset or if the book's just not clicking for me yet. ..."

I found it hard to get going too Art....but get going it does!! Phantom is a bit slow too and strange with flashbacks. JN seems to have tried new styles for the last two HH books. Considering he also wrote Headhunters around the same time ..... Curious how you will find them.

Great to hear that it does. I will push through then. Thanks.

Art wrote: "Great to hear that it does. I will push through then. Thanks."

I agree with Sharon Art - give it time.

Sharon wrote: "Ancestral wrote: "It is indeed a curious team assembled in Unwanted; and I will be reading any future released translated into English."

Looking fwd to this....on my iBook shelf but just soooo beh..."

Hello Sharon and Dee, a little help? Stephen Leather, as you probably know, has admitted to using sockpuppet accounts. Investigation indicates that he used them in various unscrupulous ways (I can't think of any scrupulous ways), but anyway, I intend to blog and expose. You two have exposed such writers in the past and know the procedures. Can you help me have him punished by goodreads and every other readers' site for his behavior. It makes me, ummm, what's the word. Sick. That's the word. An example should be made.
Thanks, Jim

James wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Ancestral wrote: "It is indeed a curious team assembled in Unwanted; and I will be reading any future released translated into English."

Looking fwd to this....on my iBook shelf but..."

Sorry Jim but I am not following you on this.....please help.

Sharon wrote: "James wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Ancestral wrote: "It is indeed a curious team assembled in Unwanted; and I will be reading any future released translated into English."

Looking fwd to this....on my i..."

Thanks Sharon, best if you just read for yourself. In fact, I would like your and Dee's opinion before blogging. I sent this to you, thinking Dee would read it anyway, but please pass it along if you think I'm wrong about that. Thanks, Jim

http://murderiseverywhere.blogspot.fi...
http://www.theleftroom.co.uk/?p=1724

http://www.theleftroom.co.uk/?p=1736#...

http://www.theleftroom.co.uk/?p=1736#...

http://stuartneville.blogspot.co.uk/2...

http://storify.com/stevemosby/jeremy-...

Leather sounds like a bullying tosser Jim. I've only read the short The Basement by him which I reviewed as "Quick, short thriller. Bit voyeuristic in places but a great ending." By which I meant that he seemed to really get off on writing the violence.....maybe I had him taped.

Btw just finished Helsinki White which I really enjoyed. Found the political/race elements of your novel very troubling and apposite to be by coincidence reading it in the week that Breivik is declared sane in Norway and gets a minimum jail term of 21 years.....surely he'll never get out?

Naomi would perhaps be good to ask on this topic Jim.
I had never heard of Stephen Leather nor his books.
Not appealing to me either. Just read about him on wiki. Left me cold.
Read the links and am appalled. Shocking behavior.
On that topic, IMO self promotion is a slippery slope that needs to be treated with respect to other writers and readers. Some times too much and to hard a sell is a massive turn off.
I am concerned about self publishing via e book systems too....there are good reasons some books get rejected many times by publishers.

Sharon wrote: "Naomi would perhaps be good to ask on this topic Jim.
I had never heard of Stephen Leather nor his books.
Not appealing to me either. Just read about him on wiki. Left me cold.
Read the links a..."

Thanks for the advice. I'll ask Naomi.

Ian wrote: "Leather sounds like a bullying tosser Jim. I've only read the short The Basement by him which I reviewed as "Quick, short thriller. Bit voyeuristic in places but a great ending." By which I meant t..."

Hi Ian,
Glad you're enjoying the book. The political party potrayed as true Finns is outraged, which pleases me. The reviews here have been good. I notice they stay away from the politics in the book, and since they're intregal to the story, are working hard to avoid them. I understand that. Whatever stance they take, they'll lose both readers and advertisers. I think I'll blog about it soon.

I learned about sock puppet accounts and authors' dirty tricks here. Had never thought of them myself. Like everyone, authors make mistakes, and self-promotion is difficult--how to do it without annoying and shoving names and books down readers' throats ad nauseum. But a deliberate and continuous campaign to self-promote through unethical practices is unacceptable. It makes us all look bad, and most of us are trying very hard to let our books speak for us. I try to never say much about my own work, just let people know that it's out there, and let readers and reviewers decide on it's merits or lack thereof. That's why I repost reviews and articles. In fact, I have some contract negotiations coming up and am building an updated promo pac. I find it humiliating to have to write in the 3rd person about myself and expound upon my achievements and discuss the greatness that is me shit. Unfortunately, it's part of my job.

Hi Ian, can't remember if I responded to this. He might very well get out. Even heinous murderers are sometimes paroled for good behaviour in this part of the world. In his case, it would cause public fury, and I suspect he'll serve his 21 years. But there are no guarantees about that.

James wrote: "Hi Ian, can't remember if I responded to this. He might very well get out. Even heinous murderers are sometimes paroled for good behaviour in this part of the world. In his case, it would cause pub..."
Hi James, following on your recent thread re sock puppets are you aware there is a current thread re this in the Goodreads Feedback group. Thought you might be interested.

Hi James also a post on the UK Book Club Group

Lili wrote: "Hi James also a post on the UK Book Club Group"

By me lol

James wrote: "Hi Ian, can't remember if I responded to this. He might very well get out. Even heinous murderers are sometimes paroled for good behaviour in this part of the world. In his case, it would cause pub..."

I've noticed in various Scandi crime novels that the prison sentences for brutal murders seem remarkably lenient even by the UK's standards. I'm pretty liberal on most things but I think that in the case of people such as Breivik, treat him humanely in prison (unlike it appears they do in the US) BUT the key to the exit door should just be lost.

Only book I could get was The Dog from our August reads.

Rather disappointed.

Ian wrote: "James wrote: "Hi Ian, can't remember if I responded to this. He might very well get out. Even heinous murderers are sometimes paroled for good behaviour in this part of the world. In his case, it w..."

Me too.

Ian wrote: "Lili wrote: "Hi James also a post on the UK Book Club Group"

By me lol"

Thanks Ian!

Straying off the beaten path and reading "Gone" by Mo Hayder.

Thanks Lili. It turns out that there's a ton of material out there for my sojourn into investigative journalism. I'm adding all the links people send me to the list and am looking forward to going through them. I hope some of the info is substantiated, as GR and Amazon will do nothing, as well they shouldn't, without proof positive.

And thanks again, Lili!

Ian wrote: "James wrote: "Hi Ian, can't remember if I responded to this. He might very well get out. Even heinous murderers are sometimes paroled for good behaviour in this part of the world. In his case, it w..."

Hi Ian, you should look into prison conditions in this part of the world. It varies from country to country, of course, but in general, living conditions are good. I was taken on a tour of the main Helsinki precinct and shown the cells and other facilities. The cells were OK. The inmates had a snackbar and a gym. One of my friends got sent up. He had a TV and coffee maker, an ocean view and a sauna time. Could be worse.

Wondering they are allowed to surf the net? If so, I think I wouldn't mind being sent there - sounds more like a holiday than prison :)

I have visited a few prisons in the UK, and certainly not a place for decent folks :)

I hear that the prisons in Norway should be the most comfortable ones.
And that Breivik isn't supposed to have an internet connection.
Talking about Norwegian prisons, http://www.time.com/time/photogallery...
Even just the room is actually bigger than a few I've lived in (only been to a prison once, and that was on tour to see how it was being built, so not comparing prison cells here but rooms I've paid rent for and just lived in. And the prison that was being built had just about the foundations).

Hi James At last I've managed to get a copy of Helsinki White looking forward to reading it. There seems to be some confusion over the title of your next book I see on your page that it is Helsinki Blood, Sharon thought it was called something else, can you clarify please

Norway has a reputation for having comfy prisons, relatively speaking. Of course, it's still living in a concrete box.

Lili wrote: "Hi James At last I've managed to get a copy of Helsinki White looking forward to reading it. There seems to be some confusion over the title of your next book I see on your page that it is Helsinki..."

Hi Lili, next is Helsinki Blood, now available for pre-order. It was supposed to be called something else, can't even remember what, but the publisher decided it wasn't happy with the old title and it ended up with this one.

James wrote: "Lili wrote: "Hi James At last I've managed to get a copy of Helsinki White looking forward to reading it. There seems to be some confusion over the title of your next book I see on your page that i..."

Goodness I am confused. I read a review by Lili of Helsinki Blood...!!!
I had a list notation of publish date 2013 for The Sleep of the Dead.  Changed now to Helsinki Blood.  21/3/13 ... Assume the latter is correct?

Depends on the prisoner. Unless ordered by the court otherwise, yes, they can use the internet. They also receive day and/or weekend and holiday passes, again, depending on the prisoner. This is all generalizations but pretty much standard practices in the Nordic penal systems. The concept is that subjecting people to misery isn't a valid method of reform. It's simply paying a debt to society by taking away your liberty for a time.

Sharon wrote: "James wrote: "Lili wrote: "Hi James At last I've managed to get a copy of Helsinki White looking forward to reading it. There seems to be some confusion over the title of your next book I see on yo..."
It is on my TO READ shelf

It's true. A condition of Breivik's incarceration is that he may not use the internet.

Yep, just a bit of confusion. Helsinki Blood comes next year.

James wrote: "It's true. A condition of Breivik's incarceration is that he may not use the internet."

Excellent.

James wrote: "Yep, just a bit of confusion. Helsinki Blood comes next year."

Looking forward to it very much....

James wrote: "Thanks Lili. It turns out that there's a ton of material out there for my sojourn into investigative journalism. I'm adding all the links people send me to the list and am looking forward to going ..."

James re-sock puppetry have you seen this?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/...

also there's a book on your Goodreads page "The Contenders" author James Thompson I've downloaded it, doesn't look like it's one of yours????

Did you see this tweet James?
A best-selling British crime writer, RJ Ellory, used pseudonyms to pen fake glowing reviews about his “magnificent genius” online while simultaneously criticising his rivals.
telegraph.co.uk · Tweet this story

Sharon here is the full report from the Guardian,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/...

How awful! Authors doing this kind of stuff should be named and shamed! Great job James is doing. Appreciate your thoughts on the conditions of prisons too.

Thanks for sharing the post, Sharon and Lili :)

I posted the article to FB with my comments....

This is a very sick trend and cause for concern for readers as much as for writers! Abuse of social media affects all....don't read this writer IMO.

Perhaps we all should do similar....

Great idea,Sharon. I'm going to share that on my FB also. No, I won't be reading any author who has this kind of unethical behaviour! You're right. It's definitely abuse and no excuse whatsoever!

Couldn't find the article, although I suspect we'll hear of re-re-re-re-sockpuppetry. Thanks though. The Contenders is a mistake, not mine.

James wrote: "Couldn't find the article, although I suspect we'll hear of re-re-re-re-sockpuppetry. Thanks though. The Contenders is a mistake, not mine."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/...

Sharon wrote: "I posted the article to FB with my comments....

This is a very sick trend and cause for concern for readers as much as for writers! Abuse of social media affects all....don't read this writer IMO...."
Of course you realize that GR is bound to be full of fraud reviews as well, and the GR could feed all email addresses into an IP tracer, and know within days who has done what, and when. IF they wanted to. I've done it myself. Child's play.