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Asa Larsson is a Swedish author that writes mystery novels. Reviewers use the term ‘Nordic Noir’ to describe her work. The author is a native of Uppsala. She also attended Uppsala University.
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Order of Rebecka Martinsson Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun Storm / The Savage Altar | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Blood Spilt | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Black Path | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Until Thy Wrath be Past | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Second Deadly Sin | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Sins of Our Fathers | 2023 | Description / Buy |
Åsa Larsson Anthologies
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Darker Shade of Sweden | 2013 | Description / Buy |
Even though she started writing fiction in the early 2000s, many of her fans discovered her work in the 2010s when translations of the author’s novels gained prominence internationally.
Ardent Larsson followers have praised the translations for beautifully reproducing the author’s stories in new languages without making significant changes or diluting the themes.
She’s best known for creating Rebecka Martinsson, a heroine that shares some of Larsson’s traits, including her history as a tax lawyer. The setting plays a critical role in the Martinsson books.
Larsson goes to great lengths to bring the far north of Sweden to life, keenly manifesting its essence and the culture permeating the dwindling community Martinsson calls home. The characters and the landscape have a symbiotic relationship.
You must understand one to make sense of the other. The location’s eccentricity appeals to foreign audiences that have yet to experience the stark darkness of the freezing winters and the mosquitos that accompany the summer.
The foreigners in Larsson’s books are repelled by life in this isolated geographical region. But Martinsson, the protagonist, feels right at home. She’s drawn to the peace that comes with the shorter days and silent nights, which, in turn, speaks volumes about her state of mind and the desires that drive her.
Crime fiction writers from nordic countries have a reputation for immersing their followers in exotic locations. In that regard, Larsson’s not unique. Although, her fans will tell you that Larsson is unrivaled in this field.
Interestingly, the author doesn’t mimic her colleagues in this genre, who frequently treat tourists as enemies, a virus hellbent on exploiting and ultimately ruining their homes. In the author’s stories, nature is indomitable. Nothing can disturb it, not even the enthusiastic tourists that occasionally stumble through Kiruna.
Asa Larsson Awards
Larsson won the Swedish Crime Writers’ Association Prize for ‘Solstorm.’ The same book received a Duncan Lawrie International Dagger Award nomination in the UK. But the title had changed to ‘The Savage Altar.’
‘Det blod som spillts’ and ‘Till offer at Molok’ won Best Swedish Crime Novel Awards.
Asa Larsson Books Into Movies
The Rebecka Martinsson books became a successful TV series. Additionally, ‘Solstorm’ became a Swedish film in 2007.
Best Asa Larsson Books
When the author isn’t writing, you can find her caring for her husband, children, and chickens in their rural home. Larsson’s best books include:
Sun Storm: Rebecka Martinsson left Kiruna in disgrace a long time ago. If it weren’t for Sanna, she wouldn’t have returned. But she couldn’t help it. There was a time when she adored Sanna’s brother. The fellow had used his charisma to create a revivalist church.
But his life was cut short when someone murdered him. Rebecka returned to Kiruna because Sanna was still her friend and she needed all the help she could get to escape the suspicion haunting her.
Keeping the ambitious prosecutor at bay wouldn’t be easy. For Rebecka, it would mean reliving the darkness she had escaped when she left Kiruna. But she had no choice. It was the only way to find a killer with demented motives.
The Blood Split: Rebecka Martinsson was just a tax lawyer. Murders and mysteries were not her strong suit. And yet, she stumbled into an investigation and killed three men.
The trauma wreaked her mental well-being. Rebecka’s sleep was tumultuous. Additionally, she had become withdrawn, refusing to face the demons of her past. The last thing she expected was for a new mystery to engulf her.
Rebecka had accompanied a colleague to a meeting with the church council when a strange murder came to her attention. Someone had killed a female priest sadistically before hanging her from a chain.
The priest’s determination to fight for equal rights for women made her a controversial figure. Some people opposed her projects, which included starting an all-female Bible study group and organizing self-defense classes for women.
Rebecka would have preferred to steer clear of the mystery. But the investigation had stalled because some of Mildred’s critics saw her death as an opportunity to unravel her schemes. Rebecka couldn’t stand by. She had to act.
When Does The Next Åsa Larsson book come out?
Åsa Larsson doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Sins of Our Fathers and was released on July, 25th 2023. It is the newest book in the Rebecka Martinsson Series.