Translated by Kristian London — Finnish author Satu Rämö is new on our site, but this is a writer you need to know about, particularly if you love Nordic noir. Her series featuring Icelandic detective Hildur Rúnarsdóttir first arrived in English translation in October 2024 with The Clues in The Fjord, winner of the 2025 Petrona Award for Scandinavian crime fiction. The Grave in the Ice followed in February 2025, but the third in the series, The Shadow of the Northern Lights, is the finest so far.
We find ourselves in Ísafjörður, a tiny port in Northwest Iceland, where Hildur is dealing with two murder cases – one in Iceland and another in Finland, which involves Finnish trainee detective Jakob Johanson. First, the body of a man is found dangling on a hook from the netting of a pen on a salmon farm. Two more brutal attacks are reported before Hildur and Jakob can establish a motive.
Each incident in some way links to the Yule Lads, folkloric tricksters who came down from Mount Esja during Christmas festivities in Iceland to pilfer from and pester local people. For example, a Yule Lad named Meat Hook would use a long hook to steal a family’s Christmas meat through the chimney and Candle Beggar stole children’s candles on Christmas Eve. There are 13 Yule Lads; does this mean there will be 13 attacks?
When the team starts looking at other unsolved cases they unexpectedly find more that fit the pattern. In one, a woman was found outside her apartment building bleeding from the head. Door Slammer was the Yule Lad who liked slamming doors in the middle of the night to disturb people’s sleep. Another man was struck by a car. In his coat pocket a package of hot dogs was found that he knew nothing of. A reference to Sausage Swiper, perhaps? There is one thing connecting the victims – they all were involved with a UK-based animal welfare group.
Meanwhile, Jakob unexpectedly has to travel to Finland to attend a custody hearing relating to his seven-year-old son, Matias. It’s an issue he’s been dealing with since the beginning of the series. While there he becomes entangled in a murder investigation with serious implications for both him, and Matias. To help Jakob navigate this double crisis, Hildur joins him in Finland.
The Shadows of the Northern Lights is the first to reveal the background behind Jakob’s relationship with his ex-wife and his ongoing battle to secure custody of their son, and the focus is very much on his character. In fact, the original title of the book was Jakob. Readers already critical of his ex-wife Lena will find their dislike intensifying as her actions unfold and her vindictive spirit is on full display. Fortunately, Jakob has found a new love in Gudrún, a part-time flight attendant and owner of the local wool shop.
Author Satu Rämö follows a proven recipe common in successful crime books and television series. Each new novel has its own mysteries to solve, but there is an overarching case that runs throughout, which lends continuity, shapes the main character and may also keep readers coming back for the next instalment. Just as Arnaldur Indridason’s Erlendur always puzzled over the disappearance of his younger brother, Hildur is desperate to find out what happened to her sisters, Rósa and Björk.
Hildur has learned to live with their unexplained disappearance along with her mother’s death during her childhood. Book two, The Grave in the Ice, was originally titled Rósa and Björk, and its story clarified certain aspects of the case, although Hildur remains dedicated to finding her missing sister, Rosa. Tinna, Hildur’s aunt, is a grounding force in Hildur’s life, and she enjoys a traditional dinner every Monday evening at her house.
What draws us to The Shadow of the Northern Lights is the characters. Both Hildur and Jakob are portrayed as fallible human beings with unique interests and thoroughly developed backstories. Their individual coping mechanisms offer an interesting contrast. Hildur finds solace and escape in the ocean, heading off to chase waves in her rust-riddled Toyota Land Cruiser whenever possible. Jakob deals with his emotional issues by knitting intricate jumpers for friends and family.
The Hildur series continues to improve, which is sometimes unusual for a crime fiction series. Often, authors start off with a strong debut, only to see subsequent novels diminish in quality. The fourth book is due in 2026 and since its original title is Rakel it will likely tell the story of Hildur’s mother and explain her extreme efforts to protect her children.
Even if you don’t end up reading The Shadows of the Northern Lights, or one of the other fine novels in the series, watch out for the Icelandic television series Hildur. Due next year, it begins an adaptation of the novels.
Zaffre
Print/Kindle/iBook
£9.19
CFL Rating: 5 Stars
