It seems that I've been looking forward to watching the last series of The Bridge for ages now. The Englishman and I saw the first episode of this dark Nordic Noir TV series with the troubled female detective, Saga Noren, when it was aired in Sweden on New Year's Day. I've since been trying hard to … [Read more...]
Nordic Film Wins at Cannes and Other News
The Square Wins at Cannes 2017 The Square, a film described as a social satire set in the art world, and directed by Ruben Östlund, whose previous film, Force Majeure was critically acclaimed as an 'icily disturbing family drama set in the French Alps', has won this year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes … [Read more...]
Love Nordic Noir? Now Try Nordic Comedy
It's not all Nordic Noir Did you know that there are some excellent Nordic comedy series out on TV now? Although Nordic comedy is often more than tinged with drama, these series are still hugely funny and very watchable. Here are a few of my favourite comedy/dramas that have come out of the Nordic … [Read more...]
5 Books for the New Year
I love January and the new year, because I get more time to read than in the busy time leading up to Christmas. This year, because I am a fully-fledged Driven Woman, included in my reading list for the first time is a self-help book (for lack of any other description), which was recommended to me by … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Learn Your Craft: Advice for New Writers Part 5
In the previous posts I wrote about how practise makes perfect, but I also said that writing, like any form of art is something that can be taught. You need aptitude and talent too, but these two alone may not be enough to make you into a successful author. Learning you Craft In this post I will … [Read more...]
Good news for Finnish translated fiction
Many people ask me for recommendations on Finnish translated fiction. Since the explosion of the Nordic Noir genre, readers are particularly interested in similar books to Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, or the Norwegian Detective Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo, or even something like the Swedish … [Read more...]
The Living and the Dead in Winsford by Håkan Nesser – a review
The Living and the Dead in Winsford is a novel with a slowly building tension, which only gives up on the last pages of this genius psychological thriller. Maria Holinek has decided to spend the winter in a remote Exmoor cottage, with the single ambition to outlive her dog, … [Read more...]
Which Nordic Noir character would you like to be?
I've got a bit of a girl crush on many of the female characters in Nordic Noir fiction, TV and film.It all started with Lisbet Salander, the feisty female sleuth in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy. Who wouldn't want to battle misogyny on the streets of Stockholm? I might not have been able to do … [Read more...]
Cockroaches by Harry Hole – Book Review
It’s a real shame that the Jo Nesbo novels, featuring Harry Hole, the detective with a complicated personal life, have not been translated into English in a chronological order. Perhaps Nesbo's British publishers decided to debut with The Devil's Star, fifth in this series, because the early books … [Read more...]
