As a kid camping in Arizona, it was a tradition while nestled in our sleeping bags, to tell scary stories. A friend informed me of a similar phenomenon in Norway, which occurs during their extended Easter vacation (it begins the Wednesday before Easter) and pertains to adults. Apparently, it is not uncommon for Norwegians to stock up on mysteries or Påskekrim, "Easter Crime," then head to their cabins (mind you it is still wintery there), for a thrilling, week-long, mystery smorgasbord. The last time Tucson saw snow on Easter was April 4th, 1999; it's unlikely we'll be thus surprised this year.
Nevertheless, try spending this Easter weekend as the Norwegians do! Although Påskekrim is purely a Norwegian tradition, here are some titles from a variety of Scandinavian authors to get you started:
To learn more about Påskekrim, check out this article in the Spectator.
Or perhaps you'd like to dig deeper into the Scandinavian mystery genre, in which case Death in A Cold Climate by Barry Forshaw is a must read.
If I had to choose a favorite Scandinavian mystery, it would be Reykjavik Nights by Arnaldur Indridason.
Which one is your favorite?
