There must be something in the cold arctic air that makes Scandinavia such an incubator for contemporary mystery/thriller writers. Although Stieg Larsson may be the most popular name in the genre, Joe Nesbo may just be the grittiest of a group of contemporary writers who use the starkness, isolation and bitter cold of the region to their advantage to create a brand of brutal, harsh, dramatic suspense noir fiction that has resonated with readers across the globe...
(also discussed: Arguably By Christopher Hitchens, FINALLY! A Locally Produced Guidebook To St. Louis Produced by and for St. Louisans, Neighborhood By Neighborhood By Amanda Doyle, Charles Dickens: A Life By Claire Tomalin, A History of The World In 100 Objects By Neil MacGregor)

