Property and house-hunting horror stories
A Dark Thriller set in NORTH NORWAY
28th January 2026
Into the Dark by Ørjan Karlsson, a dark thriller set in North Norway, translated by Ian Giles.
Ørjan is a newish addition to the cohort of translated Norwegian Noir writers (Into the Dark is his second book to appear in English). There is no doubt he is a worthy addition.
Into the Dark is a scary book. A body is found in the harbour of a small Norwegian coastal community, Not long after a woman commits apparent suicide – but the police have doubts. Detective Jakob Weber and ex-national investigator Noora Yun Sande become involved in both cases. Then a hiker in the forest has a terrifying experience as he comes across an isolated cottage and encounters a man without a face.
Meanwhile there is a clinic for rich but disturbed men in the fishing village, a clinic which soon becomes involved in the plot. The clues get ever more disturbing as Jakob as his team get closer to solving the mysteries and there is, of course, an overlap between the cases. Another person is found dead.
The story moves to a very dramatic and unexpected conclusion.
Into the Dark portrays very well the cold and desolate nature of Arctic Norway. This is where Ørjan grew up and his feeling for the area comes through loud and clear.
The book is true to many of the features of Norwegian Noir. The investigators are all flawed but nevertheless determined to succeed in their pursuit of the perpetrators. The story is gory and possibly not for the faint-hearted.
Into the Dark is an excellent page turning read. Recommended.
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