WRITER

Karin Fossum

1954 - Today

Karin Fossum

Karin Fossum (born 6 November 1954) is a Norwegian author of crime fiction, often referred to as the "Norwegian queen of crime". Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Karin Fossum has received more than 145,014 page views. Her biography is available in 24 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 23 in 2019). Karin Fossum is the 2,492nd most popular writer (up from 2,540th in 2019), the 146th most popular biography from Norway (down from 141st in 2019) and the 24th most popular Norwegian Writer.

Memorability Metrics

150k
Page Views (PV)
54.50
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
24
Languages Editions (L)
10.51
Effective Languages (L*)
1.47
Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

The Water's Edge

Fiction, Mystery

Walking through the woods one warm September day, Reinhardt and Kristine Ris pass a man who is in a state of agitation. Unusually in a small town, he does not return Kristine's smile and drives off in a hurry. Near the end of their walk they make a terrible discovery: lying in a cluster of trees is the lifeless body of a young boy. It is a moment that will change their lives for ever. Inspector Sejer is called to the scene, but can find no immediate cause of death. As the weeks go by, the appeal for the man seen in the woods to come forward remains unanswered. A once peaceful community is deeply shaken and the children lose the sense of complete freedom they had enjoyed. Then a second boy goes missing.

2009

Djevelen holder lyset

Konrad Sejer (Fictitious character), Mystery, Murder

"Fossum's elucidation of the criminally degenerate mind is first-rate' Mail on SundayHas anyone seen Andreas?'Andreas's disappearance is a mystery to all, including his inseparable friend Zipp. But its not easy for Zipp to come forward with details of the last time he saw his friend - they had been following an old woman, an easy target for some quick cash, and Andreas boldly followed her into her home brandishing his knife, the next moment he was gone. Zipp waited anxiously outside but Andreas failed to reappear.Inspector Sejer and his colleague Skarre are baffled but while the confusion in the outside world continues, a chilling and heart-stopping drama is unfolding inside the old woman's home. In a plot in the tradition of Stephen King, Fossum deploys her trademark skill of looking realistically, terrifyingly, into the minds of criminal and victim. Appearances aren't always to be believed, and people are not always what they seem.

1998

Don't Look Back (An Inspector Sejer mystery)

Fiction, Mystery

[From] Norway's Queen of crime-an engaging-atmospheric thriller' Daily MailBeneath the imposing Kollen Mountain lies a small village where the children run in and out of one another's houses and play unafraid in the streets. But the sleepy village is like a pond through which not enough water runs - beneath the surface it is beginning to stagnate. When a naked body is found by the lake at the top of the mountain, its seeming tranquillity is disturbed forever. Enter Inspector Sejer, a tough, no-nonsense policeman whose own life is tinged by sadness. As the suspense builds, and the list of suspects grows, Sejer's determination to discover the truth leads him to peel away layer upon layer of distrust and lies in this tiny community where apparently normal family ties hide dark secrets. Critically acclaimed across Europe, Karin Fossum's novels evoke a world that is terrifyingly familiar. Don't Look back introduces the tough, ethical Inspector Sejer to British readers.

2003

He Who Fears the Wolf

Fiction, Mystery

As yet, the crime novels of Karin Fossum are something of a well-kept secret, known to a growing band of aficionados but not to the larger crime readership. In fact, Fossum's highly atmospheric and involving books are among the best being produced in the genre today. Don't Look Back was a psychological thriller that was both economical and forceful, and He Who fears the Wolf is an even more persuasive piece of writing. Like the best of Ruth Rendell, this is a dark and unsettling novel...' Barry Forshaw, Crime TimeA boy arrives - breathless and aghast - at his police station, to report the discovery of a horribly maimed body outside an isolated house in the woods. Yet there was another person in the woods that day - standing nearby, hidden within the trees, was the mysterious figure of the local misfit, Errki. The next morning a bank in the nearby town is robbed at gunpoint. The gunman takes a hostage and flees. As his plans begin to come apart he, unlike his passive hostage, rapidly loses control. Meanwhile the search for the killer has developed into a manhunt - everyone is looking for the enigmatic Errki.

2004

Se deg ikke tilbake!

Fiction, Murder investigation

1997

Den som frykter ulven

Police in fiction, Police, Fiction

2003

Se deg ikke tilbake!

Fiction, Murder investigation, Fiction, mystery & detective, general

1997

He Who Fears the Wolf

2006