Scandinavian crime writing

[John Dean]

The hugely influential Publishers Weekly has identified Scandinavian crime writer Stieg Larsson as the stand-out author of 2010, based on his phenomenal performance when it comes to the bestsellers charts. Larsson‘s books have sold in huge quantities since his death in 2004 from a heart attack, suffered at the age of 50.

Publishers Weekly said: “If we had to name the author of the year, it would be Stieg Larsson. With a combined weekly total of 202 weeks on the 2010 bestseller charts and an impressive 59 of those in the One spot, his Millennium trilogy—The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest—outpaced all other bestsellers.”

His success has highlighted the astonishingly rich crime writing scene in Scandinavia, which is producing. As readers of my blogs will know, I am fascinated by the impact environment can have on writers and I have written in the past about how the atmospheric landscape and distinctive climate of an area can inspire and influence writers’ work. Never was it more true than in Scandinavia.