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🖤 Nordic Noir 🖤 books that have been made into movies and TV shows
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items Sometimes you just can't get enough of the very special brand of darkness that is specific to Nordic Noir. Whether you prefer reading books or watching movies/TV shows, here are some gems you will be able to find in both formats.
Sections
4
Denmark 🇩🇰
Finland 🇫🇮
Norway 🇳🇴
Sweden 🇸🇪
Denmark 🇩🇰
The Keeper of Lost Causes is the first in the series of 11 books in the Department Q series. It forms the basis for the Dept. Q. show on Netflix, which I have personally quite enjoyed.
Jussi Adler Olsen - The Keeper of Lost Causes
A six episode show available on Netflix. This is one of my favourite books, but be warned that it's not for the faint of heart. Fun fact is that Søren Sveistrup created the original, Danish version of The Killing, which is also a great Netflix series...
Søren Sveistrup - The Chestnut Man
Part two of The Chestnut Man saga has just come out as a book, but will be on Netflix before you know it. I can't wait to both read the book and then watch the show because I really liked the first part!
Søren Sveistrup - Hide and Seek
Finland 🇫🇮
This is a movie available on Netflix. Antti Tuomainen's writing differs slightly from the typical Nordic Noir genre because of its dark humour and moments that will have you going like "huh?"
Antti Tuomainen - Little Siberia
Norway 🇳🇴
This book is the basis for the 2011 movie starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones).
Jo Nesbø - Headhunters
Now on Netflix! Jo Nesbø needs no introduction as he is easily the most well-known Norwegian crime writer and 13 of his detective Harry Hole novels have been translated into English. The show has 9 episodes.
Jo Nesbø - The Devil's Star
William Wisting is one of my favourite Nordic Noir detectives and I read about 7 of the translated 14 books. The Caveman isn't the beginning of Wisting's story, but the show Wisting (available through Amazon Prime/Acorn TV) begins with this book.
Jørn Lier Horst - The Caveman
Sweden 🇸🇪
Sun Storm is the first in the series of 6 books that the show Rebecka Martinsson is based on, which is available on Amazon Prime. After Emelie Schepp's Jana Berzelius, Rebecca is my second favourite heroine of the "damaged prosecutor" genre. You genu...
Åsa Larsson - Sun Storm
This book is the basis for Jana: Marked for Life on Amazon Prime/Crave. Jana Berzelius is my favourite heroine of the "damaged prosecutor" genre. There are 3 books in total, all fairly hard to find in English.
Emelie Schepp - Marked for Life
This is another fairly disturbing book so be warned! I only now realized it has been adapted for the screen in 2025 with the first season out and the second currently in development. The 6 episodes are available on Amazon Prime/Acorn TV.
Erik Axl Sund - The Crow Girl
This first book in the series about detective Joona Linna served as the inspiration for a movie with the same name. It is available through Amazon Prime in Swedish with English subtitles.
Lars Kepler - The Hypnotist
A Nearly Normal family is adapted to screen fairly accurately by the eponymous mini series on Netflix. An 18 year old girl is set to stand trial for a murder of a man while her parents struggle to understand what she did and why she did it.
M.T. Edvardsson - A Nearly Normal Family
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo needs no introduction, mostly due to its Hollywood adaptation to a movie in 2011, which is available on Netflix. The Swedish version (which I preferred) came out 2 years earlier and is available on Amazon Prime.
Stieg Larsson - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hidden in Snow is the first book that The Åre Murders on Netflix is based on. The show is only 5 episodes long, but apparently a new season is coming!
Viveca Sten - Hidden in Snow
Hidden in Shadows is the second book that the 5 episode The Åre Murders on Netflix is based on. The cool thing is that the series was actually filmed on location in Åre, Sweden.
Viveca Sten - Hidden in Shadows
Still Waters is the first in the series of 10 books that the show Sandhamn Murders is based on. It is available on Amazon Prime.
Viveca Sten - Still Waters