Påskekrim, The Norwegian Detective Fest

Påskekrim, the Norwegian Easter phenomenon

Påskekrim

the Norwegian love of reading crime novels and watching detective series over Easter

Påskekrim or Easter crime sounds more Nordic Noir than Scandinavian koselig, but it's a huge phenomenon here over the Easter period. Sales of crime novels spike over Påske more than at any other time of year. Maybe this is due in part to the number of people taking cabin trips and wanted to disconnect from technology, or maybe it's the Norwegian love of Nordic noir.

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There's a story that the whole concept of Påskekrim started in 1923 when two young crime novelists named Nils Lie and Nordahl Grieg launched their new book. To make a bit of a splash the novel was advertised as though a true crime had taken place headlining on the front page of a national newspaper, and was launched the day before Palm Sunday. And so Påskekrim took off.

TV and radio did not follow suit so quickly. Regular TV broadcasts in Norway didn't start until 1960 and Easter week was considered a "quiet week" when detective series would have been completely inappropriate. But in 1980, The Third Man by Graham Greene was presented as an "Easter Crime" on radio and the phenomenon was established and shows no signs of waning.

Over Easter book shops and newsagents have huge a range of detective novels from all over the world and great lists of ideas to add to our reading lists.

Norway's national TV station compiles a list of the top detective series to watch over Easter and even schools and kindergartens have fun detective sessions for the kids.

If you want to enjoy a bit of Påskekrim like a Norwegian, here are the most popular books and TV series in Norway right now:

TV series:

1. The Sister

2. The Irregulars

3. McDonalds and Dodds

4. Those Who Kill (A Danish series)

5. Sommerdahl - Mørdene (A Danish series)

6. The Bay

7. The Pembrokeshire Murders

8. Unforgotten

9. Bloodlands

10. Grace

Books:

1. Wisting by Jørn Lier Horst

2. Det Du Ikke Vet by Hanna Kristin Rohde

3. Mayday by Grethe Bøe

4. Dear Child by Romy Hausman

5. The Kingdom by Jo Nesbø

6. Frøssent Gull by Cilla and Rolf Borjlind

7. Long Bright River by Liz Moore

8. The Sentinel by Lee Child

9. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

10. The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier

Some of my links will take you to Amazon simply because it's easy to look there and not because I am doing any kind of advertising.

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