Writing to thrill, with chills

The author Kristina Ohlsson, well known for her work in the Swedish noir genre, talks about Scandinavian crime thrillers and state secrets.

The Swedish author Kristina Ohlsson. Courtesy Moa Karlberg

It was one of those literary phenomena that seemed to come out of nowhere. Who cared about crime fiction from a bunch of small countries in the frozen north of Europe? A few of us had heard of, and even read, Inspector Kurt Wallander, actor-writer Henning Mankell’s world-weary cop from the flatlands of the Skåne county in the Swedish south. Yet it was Stieg Larsson’s posthumously published trilogy that really woke the world up to the dark side of the Social Democratic Nordic idyll. Jo Nesbø’s madcap Oslo detective, Harry Hole, seemed to seal the deal, and even a small Danish crime drama called The Killing grabbed international attention.

You could say we are now in the second wave of the Scandinavian noir, and, with Sweden being the “guest country” at the book fair, one of the genre’s latest leading lights in crime fiction, Kristina Ohlsson, is being featured. Not that Ohlsson cares particularly for the tag.

“I do not feel part of any group. I am not totally comfortable with any label on my writing,” she says. “I don’t really like the Wallander books. It was not until Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbø came along that I found something that was fast-paced enough for me.” Before that, American novelists Dennis Lehane and Stephen King (“Yes, I know he is not a crime writer,” she laughs) were the names that drew her in.

Ohlsson’s 2009 debut novel, Unwanted, was well-received and was swiftly followed by the more assured Silenced and several other books featuring an elite team of detectives led by tough cop Alex Recht and his civilian-analyst sidekick, Fredrika Bergman, a series that now runs to five novels. The latest, Lotus Blues, is due out in October.

Ohlsson, now in her mid 30s, has worked for both the Swedish security services and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. One of her fields of expertise is the Middle East.

“I had always written, mostly short stories and the beginnings of novels, but never finished them,” she admits. “Then, in 2007, I was so bored with my work that I produced Unwanted, it was published and I found my voice.”

Ohlsson, who has since also turned her talents to children’s fiction, is sure that one of the reasons for her success outside Sweden is the quality of the translator. “It sounds obvious but I was really pleased when my native English-speaking friends enjoyed the books. A good translation is vital.”

She contends that a writer must take a different approach when writing children’s books. “Of course, you must never talk down to children but, as my books are aimed at 9- to 12-year olds, certain subject matters would not only frighten them, but also lose their interest in the story.”

Meantime, the Middle East security expert is keenly anticipating her first visit to Abu Dhabi. “It will be exciting – and a lot warmer than Stockholm right now.”

• Meet Kristina Ohlsson on Thursday at The Tent at 7.30pm, and attend a session about Swedish Noir with Ohlsson and the author Marie Hermanson on Friday at 8.45pm at The Tent