Best Nordic Books of 2025
The final pages have been turned, the last review written, and so it’s that time of year to reflect and share Nordic Watchlist’s Top 10 Best Nordic Books of 2025.
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The Lake by Jørn Lier Horst – Book Review
Nordic Watchlist reviews The Lake by Jørn Lier Horst. Water washes away all sins the saying goes, but in Jørn Lier Horst’s latest Wisting novel, The Lake, an unusually hot Norwegian summer sees a dried lakebed become the stage for a masterfully woven mystery, where every secret unearthed reshapes the lives of those left behind… Continue reading The Lake by Jørn Lier Horst – Book Review
Hidden in Memories by Viveca Sten – Book Review
From family secrets and old grudges to chilling murders at a luxury ski resort, Hidden In Memories, Viveca Sten’s latest installment of the Åre Murders, has it all. As the body count rises, discover why the past is never as far away as we think…
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The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason – Book Review
Nordic Watchlist reviews The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason The past often comes back to haunt us, but in the case of Arnaldur Indridason’s The Quiet Mother, the past returns not only to haunt but to exact vengeance. In a busy Reykjavik apartment block, the murder of a single woman puzzles detectives. With no apparent… Continue reading The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason – Book Review
The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek – Book Review
Check out Nordic Watchlist’s The Winter Warriors book review. Churchill once said: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Readers would do well to heed that advice when reading Olivier Norek’s The Winter Warriors, a chillingly brutal look at The Winter War, fought between Finland and Russia between November 1939… Continue reading The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek – Book Review
Scars of Silence by Johana Gustawsson – Book Review
Johana Gustawsson’s Scars of Silence is a chilling, atmospheric crime novel set against the snowy backdrop of Lidingö, Sweden. When a Lucia Day tradition turns deadly, detectives Storm and Rehn must unravel secrets buried for 25 years. With vivid characters and a masterful blend of past and present, this story grips from the first page…
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The Shadow of The Northern Lights by Satu Rämö – Book Review
Nordic Watchlist reviews The Shadow of The Northern Lights by Satu Rämö. Book 3 of Hildur series sees the Detective Hildur investigate murders tied to Iceland’s Yule Lads legend.
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The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen – Book Review
Read our review of Antti Tuomainen’s The Winter Job – a darkly comic road trip through frozen Finland, where a desperate dad, a mysterious sofa, and a cast of bizarre characters collide in a whirlwind of mayhem. This unconventional adventure will keep you glued to your seat.
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The Wake by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir – Book Review
In The Wake, the gripping second novel in Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s Black Ice series, five old university friends reunite on Iceland’s Westman Islands for a funeral — but a chilling note and a rising body count suggest their past is far from dead. With masterful twists, dual timelines, and a creeping sense of dread, Sigurðardóttir delivers…
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A Lethal Legacy by Guđrún Guđlaugsdóttir – Book Review
Ever wondered what secrets are hiding in a quiet Icelandic farmhouse? In Guđrún Guđlaugsdóttir’s A Lethal Legacy, journalist Alma Jónsdóttir dives into a family mystery after an elderly farmer’s death. Forget fast-paced action, this story is all about slow-burning drama, sibling rivalry, and secrets that refuse to stay buried.
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Snowblind/Fadeout by Ragnar Jónasson – Book Review
A decade ago, English readers got to read Snowblind, the first of Ragnar Jónasson’s six-book Dark Iceland series. Now finally we also get to read Fadeout, the prequel that started it all back in Iceland in 2009 with a tenth anniversary special edition of both Fadeout and Snowblind. What set Ari Thór Arason on his…
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To Cook A Bear by Mikael Niemi – Book Review
With the upcoming adaptation of Miakel Niemi’s book To Cook A Bear coming to Disney+ in October Nordic Watchlist revisit the famous Swedish novel.
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Black As Death by Lilja Sigurđardóttir – Book Review
In Black As Death, the much-anticipated final instalment of Lilja Sigurđardóttir’s Áróra Investigates series, we finally get answers to the disappearance of Áróra’s sister. Sigurđardóttir though never takes the obvious route and this gripping tale takes a contemporary tale of financial crime and interweaves it with flashbacks that finally solve this five-book long mystery.
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The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson – Book Review
A famous crime writer vanishes, her friends at a loss to know where she is. Her books are an international sensation, but secrets in her personal life haunt the author – could these have driven her to do something reckless? Fact is often stranger than fiction, and that was the exact situation for Agatha Christie,… Continue reading The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson – Book Review
The Sleepwalker by Lars Kepler – Book Review
A good thriller is often described as ‘the stuff of nightmares’ but in Lars Kepler’s The Sleepwalker that is literally the case. For seventeen-year-old Hugo, sleep is a troubled thing. He suffers from severe somnambulism, or sleepwalking. When undergoing an episode his sleepwalking is accompanied by vivid nightmares of him running to escape a murderous… Continue reading The Sleepwalker by Lars Kepler – Book Review
The Girl With Ice In Her Veins by Karin Smirnoff – Book Review
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was an international phenomenon on both page and screen. Stieg Larsson’s original trilogy of novels has continued to grow after his death, with Karen Smirnoff now adding the eighth installment = The Girl With Ice In Her Veins. The question is though is it now time to call time…
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Death Of A Diplomat by Eliza Reid – Book Review
Former Icelandic First Lady Eliza Reid’s debut novel, Death Of A Diplomat, draws heavily on her knowledge of ambassadorial receptions, but this modern take on Agatha Christie is no pastiche. A debut that proves Reid can stand proudly alongside the masters of the genre while bringing something distinctly her own to the table.
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Murder Tide by Stella Blómkvist – Book Review
Nordic Watchlist reviews Murder Tide, the third English translation penned by Stella -a pseudonym whose true identity still remains the biggest unsolved case,
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Wolf Hour by Jo Nesbø – Book Review
There’s a challenge for any author of a successful long-running series to try and break free and write a standalone work. For Jo Nesbø, his Harry Hole series continues to sell millions of copies worldwide, a trend that looks only to increase with the forthcoming Netflix adaptation. Nesbø’s latest offering, The Wolf Hour, isn’t a Harry… Continue reading Wolf Hour by Jo Nesbø – Book Review
Broken by Jón Atli Jónasson – Book Review
Broken – a word with many different connotations. For the two central protagonists in Jón Atli Jónasson’s debut English novel, Broken, what could be seen as a derogatory description of them actually turns into their greatest strength. Iceland is not exactly known as a crime hotspot, but who do you turn to when most of the Reykjavík police… Continue reading Broken by Jón Atli Jónasson – Book Review
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