by Jordan Foster (Bookish)

Thanks to Stieg Larsson’s massive-selling Millennium trilogy, crime novels from Scandinavia have run riot across American reading lists — and in the red-hot genre’s latest wave, the dicks are chicks. But even though they rule the bestseller lists in their progressive homelands, these women crime writers can run up against an icy wall of chauvinism from the local competition: Many critics and fellow authors dismiss their talents, lumping their work under the derogatory label “femicrime.” Lucky for us, the kerfuffle hasn’t stopped American publishers from churning out translations as fast as they arrive.

Red Wolf by Liza Marklund
Though American readers are just getting acquainted with Marklund, she’s a powerhouse in Europe, not just as a bestselling author but also as co-owner of one of Sweden’s largest publishing houses. Her series featuring crime reporter Annika Bengtzon is known for its dark feel, savvy tone and plots packed with more twists than a paperclip factory. Oh, and she’s co-written a book with some guy named James Patterson.

The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg
Corpses and small-town secrets abound in Läckberg’s popular series — she’s already written eight novels — set in a remote fishing village. Sweden’s top-selling author, Läckberg expertly balances hardboiled crime with human drama in the evolving relationship of series fixtures detective Patrik Hedstrom and writer Erica Falck.

Until Thy Wrath Be Past by Asa Larsson
Larsson (no relation to Stieg) was raised in a tiny Arctic Circle hamlet called Kiruna; before becoming a full-time writer, she practiced law. Her recurring heroine, Rebecka Martinsson, shares a similar resume. In a land of extremes — white nights and months of darkness — Rebecka pokes around the shadier side of humanity and gets into vast trouble when the spring thaw reveals a body and hints of a decades-old Nazi conspiracy.

Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten
Working the violent crimes beat in Goteborg, Sweden, detective Irene Huss has to balance the demands of the job with the responsibilities of being a mother to twin teenage daughters. But Tursten’s novels aren’t quaint, bloodless affairs: All the ills society has to offer — you’ll even catch a bit of necrosadism (pretty much what it sounds like) — feature heavily in this hardboiled series.

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