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'Death in a Cold Climate is both intelligent and perceptive. Humble it is not. It is, to my knowledge, the most complete guide to Scandinavian crime fiction yet written in any language, an invaluable companion for anyone interested in the genre.'
- Mons Kallentoft, Financial Times
'Extensive, penetrating and intelligently written, Barry Forshaw's book is the most fulfilling work on the strange genre of Nordic Noir I have ever encountered.'
- Håkan Nesser, author of The Inspector and Silence
'Death in a Cold Climate is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the fictional underbelly of the Nordic psyche, whose popularity has become the publishing sensation of the century. Perceptive, witty and awesomely well-researched.'
- Andrew Taylor, author of The American Boy
'Far more than a checklist, this is the essential guide through the snowdrifts of Nordic Noir.'
Val McDermid, author of The Wire in the Blood
'...Surely this is the Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction, as the UK's foremost crime fiction expert Barry Forshaw has gone definitive here with a triumphant volume that should sit proudly on every crime fiction fan's bookshelf. If you wanted a guide to take you down the dark and deadly streets of crime fiction, Mr Forshaw's your man [...] Entertaining and informative in equal measures, it provides insightful background to the books most crime fans will be familiar with and love, plus bang up to date information on new and upcoming authors and titles to watch out for, all through great essays and interview pieces. With sections from authors, translators & publishers, UK release dates and original dates of publication this is a tombe overflowing with reference and deep research and, above all else, an undying passion for the genre[...]The book closes with a fantastic bibliography and index to enable the volume to be put to use for years to come every time you pick up a new Scandinavian crime fiction title or wish to seek out a new read.'
- Keith B Walters, We Love this Book
'With customary depth and precision, Forshaw gets under the skin of this celebrated genre, uncovering many of its secrets and riches. Like its subjects, this book is hard to put down, and will undoubtedly be returned to time and again.'
- Dr Steven Peacock, University of Hertfordshire, UK
'A fascinating, comprehensive and very enjoyable overview of the publishing phenomenon that is Nordic noir, placing it in a cultural and historical context, with insightful contributions from writers, translators and editors - an essential reading guide for lovers of the crime genre.'
- Laura Wilson, crime fiction critic, The Guardian
'Barry Forshaw's forensic feeling for snow is coloured by the quantity and quality of blood spilled on it in recent years by Nordic crime writers. The dash of publishers to find "the next Stieg Larsson" and their hyping of Jo Nesbø as "the next Henning Mankell" indicates the strength of cold climate killing as a subgenre of crime fiction... This overview of a literary phenomenon is as definitive as any aficionado could hope for.'
- Iain Finlayson, The Times
'The sudden triumphant rise of Nordic mystery stories is a fascinating puzzle of modern literature. With forensic intelligence, captivating characters, riveting clues and sub-plots, Barry Forshaw investigates and satisfyingly explains what happened.'
- Mark Lawson
'Not a stone is left unturned in Barry Forshaw's witty, encyclopedic investigation into the fictional crimes that have made Scandinavia the most talked about region in the world of books. Death in a Cold Climate is a unique and admirable personal testament to the writers, translators and publishers who have dedicated themselves to introducing Scandinavian crime fiction, its many languages and cultures, to the English speaking world. If upon turning the last page of Forshaw's book you are not immediately heading for the nearest bookstore to buy up every Scandinavian crime novel on its shelves, you were probably not meant to read this book in the first place.'
- Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen, University College London, UK
'What Barry Forshaw doesn't know about crime fiction, to borrow an old phrase, isn't worth knowing. A journalist, chronicler of the genre, and talking head for the CWA Awards, with Death in a Cold Climate he covers in depth the extraordinarily popular sub-genre that is Nordic noir...Through interviews with authors and translators, Forshaw offers in-depth takes on the cream of the Nordic crop...an informative and educational effort from perhaps the nation's leading expert in the field.' - Dennis O'Donnell, bookgeeks.co.uk
'...a comprehensive guide to the Nordic noir mystery genre.' - Christopher Silvester, Daily Express
Product Description
Death in a Cold Climate is a celebration and analysis of Scandinavian crime fiction, one of the most successful literary genres. Barry Forshaw, the UK's principal expert on crime fiction, discusses books, films and TV adaptations, from Sjöwall and Wahlöö's influential Martin Beck series through Henning Mankell's Wallander to Stieg Larsson's demolition of the Swedish Social Democratic ideal in the publishing phenomenon The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In intelligent but accessible fashion, the book examines the massive commercial appeal of the field along with Nordic cultural differences from Iceland to Denmark. Including unique interview material with writers, publishers and translators, this is the perfect reader's guide to the hottest strand of crime fiction today, examined both as a literary form and as an index to the societies it reflects.
Includes Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, Håkan Nesser, Karin Fossum, Camilla Läckberg, Liza Marklund, Jussi Adler-Olsen, Arnaldur Indriðason, Roslund & Hellströmand many others.
Includes Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, Håkan Nesser, Karin Fossum, Camilla Läckberg, Liza Marklund, Jussi Adler-Olsen, Arnaldur Indriðason, Roslund & Hellströmand many others.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Barry Forshaw-Death in a Cold Climate,
By
This review is from: Death in a Cold Climate: A Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction (Crime Files) (Paperback)
Barry Forshaw,an expert writer and presenter on crime fiction,has produced a stimulating,extensive and innovative book on Scandinavian crime fiction. He gives space to crime fiction from Sweden,Norway,Iceland, Finland and Denmark,but is at pains to show that whilst these may be lumped together and called Scandinavian crime fiction, there are crucial differences and unique features about each of the above countries which are reflected in the novels. Pretty well all the current authors available at present in English translation are covered,and apart from Forshaw's thoughtful and often provoking comments on many of the books, this volume also includes illuminating interviews with many of the authors.Additionally, and unusually, the book also carries interviews with translators and publishers,which I found most enlightening. This is a very welcome book,that has enhanced my enjoyment and knowledge of the genre.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sloppy but valuable and up-to-date,
By
This review is from: Death in a Cold Climate: A Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction (Crime Files) (Paperback)
"Death in a Cold Climate" is a sloppy book, poorly structured with lots of repetition - sometimes even in the same paragraph - and clunky prose, but nonetheless it is a very valuable and very up-to-date account of the rise of Scandinavian crime fiction, so I'll focus on the positive. The book includes (in approximate descending order of allocated space) Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland, so it includes all the Nordic countries (except the Faroes, which as far as I know haven't yet produced any crime fiction translated into English). There is also some coverage of work by British writers set in Scandinavia, which is a bonus (I have already ordered two Michael Ridpath novels set in Iceland which I was previously unaware of).Forshaw doesn't attempt - wisely in my view - a complete run-down of every Scandinavian crime novel in English, instead covering all the authors that I at least know of, and more, by reference to selected titles. On Henning Mankell, for example, he has perhaps more to say about the non-Wallander novels than the Wallander ones, which is probably sensible given since surely everyone likely to read this book will be more than familiar with Wallander from the books and TV adaptations. Considerable space is given to interviews with authors, translators and English-language editors, and these are in many respects the best parts of the book (although they also suffer from repetition). I found the various discussions on translation particularly interesting, with editors and translators together trying to find the right balance between remaining true to the original text while making the story accessible to readers in a different language. There is of course also considerable discussion about the social and political themes present in most Scandinavian crime fiction, particularly - but not only - in Swedish books, going right back to the Martin Beck books of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, which most authors acknowledge to be the real source of modern Scandinavian crime fiction. Questions are also raised about how long the popularity of this sub-genre is likely to continue, and whether standards can be (or indeed are being) maintained - this is a particularly thorny issue when a purchasing editor is unable to read the work in its original form and has to rely on agents and others. The book demonstrates well the wide variety of Scandinavian crime fiction, all the way from the "purer" crime fiction like that of Ruth Rendell, who seems to be much admired in Scandinavia, to what might be called the "American thriller" type. If there is anything lacking, it is perhaps a rather deeper analysis of what made the Stieg Larsson books so successful, but many others, including Forshaw himself, have done this elsewhere. Jo Nesbø seems to be taking on the mantle of Stieg Larsson, but I find his novels rather over-the-top and prefer the more refined work of authors like Karin Fossum. But the wide variety of styles and subject-matter on offer means there is something for everyone, and is one of the great strengths of Scandinavian crime fiction. Now excuse me, please, I've got some more books to order!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Essential Guide,
By
This review is from: Death in a Cold Climate: A Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction (Crime Files) (Paperback)
Barry Forshaw's latest foray into the world of crime fiction is essential reading for anyone interested (either in passing or depth) in the world of Nordic Noir. From Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo to Jo Nesbo; from Henning Mankell to Steig Larsson; from Hakan Nesser to Anne Holt - the players are there. Forget the Icelandic woes and immerse yourself into this fascinating book. You might need a warm brandy whilst doing it, though!
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