In 2006 UK publisher Quercus posthumously published a book by Swedish journalist Steig Larsson. In Sweden it was titled Men Who Hate Women, and it was to be the first book in the Millennium trilogy. That book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and since its release more than 18 million copies have been sold worldwide and with it Scandinavian crime fiction in general has enjoyed an incredible surge in popularity. This continues to grow with every new release by the likes of Jo Nesbø, Henning Mankell, Anne Holt and the multitude of other excellent writers from the lands of ice and snow. Larsson may have passed away in 2000, but he certainly left a legacy we’re enjoying to this day.

New Scandinavian crime novels are coming out all the time, but with these hard economic times, here at Crime Fiction Lover we decided to look into the best bargains out there that are available digitally. My pick of the best buys available on Kindle for less than £4 has an unintentional but distinctly Swedish feel to it.

Roseanna by Maj Sjӧwall and Per Wahlӧӧ
Regarded by many as the grandparents of modern Scandinavian crime fiction, this is the husband and wife writing team’s first novel in their Martin Beck series. Published in 1965, the story revolves around Beck and his squad’s investigation into the brutal rape and murder of an unidentified American tourist, whose body has been found in a canal. This is police procedural at its best and at 99p, it’s a real bargain.
Buy now on Amazon.co.uk

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
The first book in Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, the original Swedish title evokes the main theme of the book: sexual violence against women. Disgraced investigative journalist/publisher Mikael Blomkvist is offered an assignment by the rich industrialist Henrik Vanger. He spends a year looking into the disappearance of Vanger’s niece, Harriet, 40 years earlier. In the process he enlists the help of the other central character in the series, Lisbeth Salander who is the victim of grave sexual violence perpetrated by her legal guardian. At £3.59, if you haven’t already read this book, it’s definitely worth a punt before the English language version of the film is released in January.
Buy now on Amazon.co.uk

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson
Following on from the success of the first book, we re-join Salander and Blomkvist almost a year later. A young journalist and his girlfriend are brutally slain just before they’re due to publish a report on sex trafficking in Sweden. When Salander’s legal guardian is found dead – murdered with the same weapon – Salander finds herself accused of the killings. However, Blomkvist is convinced she’s innocent and sets out to uncover the truth. It’s an investigation that will not just place them in extreme danger, but also sets in motion a chain of events, which  go on to be the focus of the final instalment. This is currently priced at £3.39. If the first two books have captured you imagination, you can complete the series for just £2.44.
Buy now on Amazon.co.uk

The Leopard by Jo Nesbø
Currently priced at £3.19, this is the latest release in the Norwegian crime writer’s Harry Hole series.The book opens with Harry having disappeared off to Hong Kong. He’s on a leave of absence following the events in his previous outing, The Snowman. He’s in a bad way when he’s discovered by new crime squad officer, Kaja Sollness. Harry is eventually persuaded to return to Oslo and rejoin his team to investigate two murders where the victims have small puncture wounds inside their mouths and appear to have drowned in their own blood. It’s not until a female MP is murdered in a park, and none of the more senior officers can agree whether the deaths are actually linked, that he finally decides to investigate.
Buy now on Amazon.co.uk

The Ice Princess and The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg
The ultimate bargain – two books in one download for only £2.99! The Ice Princess was one of my favourite reads of 2010, although it was actually published in 2009. These two books are the first two in the Erica Falck/Patrik Hedstrӧm series by award-winning Swedish author, Camilla Läckberg. In The Ice Princess we see Erica returning to her home town of Fjällbacka to the news that a childhood friend has been found dead in an icy bath with her wrists slashed. But is it suicide? Local detective Patrik has been assigned the case and the pair join forces to uncover the truth.

In The Preacher, Erica and Patrik are now living together and expecting their first child. The peace and tranquillity of Fjällbacka is suddenly transformed by the discovery of the remains of two tourists who disappeared 20 years earlier, but a fresh body is found with them. Shortly afterwards a young girl goes missing, and Patrik finds himself investigating a family feud.
Buy now on Amazon.co.uk

Have you spotted any better bargains? If so share them below by posting a comment.