English Translations of Scandinavian/Nordic Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

I am reading The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo - working my way through his series, it's really addictive!

Alana wrote: "I am reading The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo - working my way through his series, it's really addictive!"

Isn't it....I remember doing the same and it was quite a journey. At least they are now all out except book two, so you will have quite a nice flow in the development of HH and his story. Enjoy.

Thanks Sharon, I'm going to have another crack tonight and see how I go! Enjoy your day!!

Sharon wrote: "Alana wrote: "I am reading The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo - working my way through his series, it's really addictive!"

Isn't it....I remember doing the same and it was quite a journey. At least they ar..."

I noticed I couldn't find book two - but it didn't disrupt the flow of the series much at all.

Alana wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Alana wrote: "I am reading The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo - working my way through his series, it's really addictive!"

Isn't it....I remember doing the same and it was quite a journey. A..."

No the Cockroaches is due out in English soon. Not sure why it is taking so long. But I had read them all as they came out over the years and was happy to finally read The Bat as he often refers in the various books to the case in Oz and his trip there. Was nice to finally have the full story.

Just finished Farewell to Freedom: A Novel by Sara Blaedel and was put into a weird state if limbo. The guy that murdered got away but left a trail of bodies. And an unexpected result. You're going to have to read this to find out what happened, but you be glad you did.

Currently reading ''Don't Look Back" by Karin Fossum..... my first book by this author (although not the first in the series) and going well so far! Will update once I am done :)

Gray wrote: "Currently reading ''Don't Look Back" by Karin Fossum..... my first book by this author (although not the first in the series) and going well so far! Will update once I am done :)"

Just finished it.....loved The Caller too. Want more.......and time.

Time for Kackerlackorna (aka Torakat on the print I'm reading it as, aka in future will be The Cockroaches, the #2 Harry Hole not yet available in English...)

Just finished Arnaldur Indrðason's Furðu Strandir (Strange Shores). It's the same Erlendur, but it's rather different.

Quentin wrote: "Just finished Arnaldur Indrðason's Furðu Strandir (Strange Shores). It's the same Erlendur, but it's rather different."

Can't wait

Richard wrote: "Quentin wrote: "Just finished Arnaldur Indrðason's Furðu Strandir (Strange Shores). It's the same Erlendur, but it's rather different."

Can't wait"

Not sure what to make of it. Like I said, it's a little different.

Quentin wrote: "Just finished Arnaldur Indrðason's Furðu Strandir (Strange Shores). It's the same Erlendur, but it's rather different."

It says that it won't be out in England until August 18, 2013, so you read it in Icelandic?

Kenneth wrote: "Quentin wrote: "Just finished Arnaldur Indrðason's Furðu Strandir (Strange Shores). It's the same Erlendur, but it's rather different."

It says that it won't be out in England until August 18, 201..."

I did. It's been waiting on the shelf since last year. I was waiting for a long flight so I could read it all in one go, and the opportunity finally arrived.

Quentin wrote: "Richard wrote: "Quentin wrote: "Just finished Arnaldur Indrðason's Furðu Strandir (Strange Shores). It's the same Erlendur, but it's rather different."

Can't wait"

Not sure what to make of it. Li..."

Yeah, definitely different. I liked it very much though. It's slow paced and melancholic - actually more sad than exciting. But Arnaldur is definitely one of my favourite writers.

Fizzycola wrote: "Yeah, definitely different. I liked it very much though. It's slow paced and melancholic - actually more sad than exciting. But Arnaldur is definitely one of my favourite writers. "

Melancholic, that's the word. A very welcome change to read a book that's not set in Reykjavík. I can't help wondering how the Eastfjords setting will come across in the translation. I found it pretty gripping from about the halfway point onwards.

Quentin wrote: "Fizzycola wrote: "Yeah, definitely different. I liked it very much though. It's slow paced and melancholic - actually more sad than exciting. But Arnaldur is definitely one of my favourite writers...."

I read it in Finnish, and we seem to have a very good translator to Arnaldur's books here. All his books have been well translated but this time the translator really had done especially well. I read a lot of Nordic crime but this time I felt I was reading - well - literature. In the best meaning of the word.

Fizzycola wrote: "I read a lot of Nordic crime but this time I felt I was reading - well - literature. In the best meaning of the word"

Arnaldur was fortunate to have his first books translated into English by an excellent translator who did a genuinely magnificent job.
I've read his books in both English and Icelandic, and they actually seem better in English. Bernard Scudder had a very deft touch as a translator and brought out all the nuances as well as it could be done. I haven't read any of the later ones in English, so can't comment on Anna Yates's translations although I'm told she picked up where Bernard Scudder left off.

Have started listening to Arne Dahl's "Misterioso."; not sure what is happening - yet. It is intriguing though.

Jeremy wrote: ""

One of my favorites. I liked his early books best....

Just a reminder and for those that don't already know...this site has excellent lists by author and characters....
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/A_A...

Thanks to all the comments in this group, I found the Rebus novels and am reading them, on the second one now. Thanks, all!

Anne wrote: "Thanks to all the comments in this group, I found the Rebus novels and am reading them, on the second one now. Thanks, all!"

Still my favourites.....enjoy.

HELLO I was wondering if anyone has read the book Midwinter Blood by Mons Kallentoft?

Sakura wrote: "HELLO I was wondering if anyone has read the book Midwinter Blood by Mons Kallentoft?"

It's a real good book to get involved in. Reminds me of a lot of the homes in northern Minnesota where people eek out a living.

Marsha wrote: "I'm 1/3rd the way through The Torso by Helene Tursten. It's just OK. Boring start. Little things bother me, such as the fact that characters don't have voice mail or message machines, or the ant..."

The book was published in 2000! Number two in the series. The chap with the problems is well abused by the rest of the team and esp Irene finds him hard to cope with. The problems in that part of Europe with immigration etc are well expressed in the HT books as in many of the other writers in Scandinavia. The lack of worldliness is also well dealt with considering this is a small community and similar to NA many people never travel and stay put so their viewpoint can be limited to their environment. Throughout the series Irene's boss is the rudder but pending retirement. Gives it a charm.
Here is a list for the rest in case it helps.

Detective Inspector Huss ("Den krossade tanghästen" 1998, translated to English in 2003)
The Torso ("Tatuerad torso" 2000, translated to English in 2006)
The Glass Devil ("Glasdjävulen" 2002,
translated to English in 2007)
Night Rounds ("Nattrond" 1999, translated to English in 2012)
The Golden Calf ("Guldkalven" 2004, to be translated to English in 2013)
Six other novels in this series have yet to be translated. Tursten has also written two non-Irene Huss books.

Am reading 'The Flatey Enigma' by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson - set in Iceland in 1960, is nicely evocative of a rural, seafaring community (could just as easily be the West of Ireland, for me anyway). A young law graduate has been sent to investigate, on behalf of the local magistrate, the news that a human skeleton has been found on a remote outlying island. Running concurrently with the narrative are excerpts from a 'conversation' in relation to the Flatey Manuscript which is an ancient anthology of norse mythology and lore, which contains an unsolved puzzle. Spellbinding, and beautifully narrated, with admirable restraint, which is rare in a crime novel. Highly recommended.

Very interesting discussion to watch. Make a coffee and settle in.

If you didn't make it to the recent British Library talk on the history of Crime Fiction with PD James, Henry Sutton and Jason Webster, you can watch the video recording of it at http://youtu.be/xx5VKnbkDQM

The Story of Crime Fiction
youtu.be
Mark Lawson, who recently wrote and presented BBC Radio 4 series Foreign Bodies: A History of Modern Europe Through Literary Detectives, is joined by crime f...

Billys wrote: "Am reading 'The Flatey Enigma' by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson - set in Iceland in 1960, is nicely evocative of a rural, seafaring community (could just as easily be the West of Ireland, for me anyway)...."

Sounds fabulous. Found it and downloaded. Thank you.

I am reading a number of books at this time. Swamplandia, Unbroken, 11/22/63, The Light Between Oceans.

Sharon wrote: "Billys wrote: "Am reading 'The Flatey Enigma' by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson - set in Iceland in 1960, is nicely evocative of a rural, seafaring community (could just as easily be the West of Ireland, ..."
Hope you enjoy - I certainly am.

I'm blaming Justified series for possibly going on an Elmore Leonard binge... Fire in the Hole has a short story that is pretty much the first episode of Justified.

Marsha wrote: "Billys wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Billys wrote: "Am reading 'The Flatey Enigma' by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson - set in Iceland in 1960, is nicely evocative of a rural, seafaring community (could just as e..."

I agree. I finished reading it a few weeks ago and was captivated by the setting on the rural island.

Junebug wrote: "Marsha wrote: "Billys wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Billys wrote: "Am reading 'The Flatey Enigma' by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson - set in Iceland in 1960, is nicely evocative of a rural, seafaring community (..."

Glad to hear it as just downloaded it.....

Just finished The Greenhouse by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir. This is not a crime novel. It is an interesting development of unmarried people where the male takes the place of the mother. Starts out in Iceland then it goes to Europe somewhere not known by us, but somewhere in Europe.

Have recently finished reading The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler....and absolutely loved it!! A real page turner and a great story

Ian wrote: "Have recently finished reading The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler....and absolutely loved it!! A real page turner and a great story"

I agree! And the other day I finished the second book, The Nightmare, and I really liked that as well.

Kenneth wrote: "Sakura wrote: "HELLO I was wondering if anyone has read the book Midwinter Blood by Mons Kallentoft?"

It's a real good book to get involved in. Reminds me of a lot of the homes in northern Minnes..."

Thank u I have been contemplating whether or not to buy it.... I love the dark settings...

Sakura wrote: "HELLO I was wondering if anyone has read the book Midwinter Blood by Mons Kallentoft?"

I didn't read, but listened and was hooked. I've read three in the series so far.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radi...

Just finished Glass Devil, which I liked even more than Torso for the great unexpected ending.

by Helene Tursten

Mary wrote: "Just finished Glass Devil, which I liked even more than Torso for the great unexpected ending.

by Helene Tursten"

I just finished it, too!
But ha! I guessed the ending about halfway through the book. Okay, three-quarters then. :) Maybe it's because I've read many Thursten books and seen several movies, too.

Fizzycola wrote: "Mary wrote: "Just finished Glass Devil, which I liked even more than Torso for the great unexpected ending.

by Helene Tursten"

I just finished it, too!
But ha! I g..."

Good for you, Fizzycola! I just had no inkling, so hats off to Helene. I'm going to try to do better on the next one.

Mary wrote: "Fizzycola wrote: "Mary wrote: "Just finished Glass Devil, which I liked even more than Torso for the great unexpected ending.

by Helene Tursten"

I just finished it..."

Read them all and sorry to have to wait so long for more
Irene and company but love the films too. Good all around. After The Golden Calf there are six more to be translated......

I'm so lucky - I can read them in the original language so I don't have to wait for translations.

Fizzycola wrote: "I'm so lucky - I can read them in the original language so I don't have to wait for translations."

Yes, you are. Good writer and characters.

Sharon I think I might have a way to watch some BBC stuff if I download BBC on my iPad.... This could take some doing though. Wish me luck.

Doubt if you can other than using BBC iPlayer and pay per view. Or free app FilmOn Plus. But do not know if they work where you are. Let us know.
Then you need to research schedules. Etc.
It may be perhaps best to order DVDs from your local shop or library.