Karin Fossum


Karin Fossum is a Norwegian author of crime fiction, often referred to as the "Norwegian queen of crime".

Early life

Karin Mathisen was born on 6 November 1954 in Sandefjord, in Vestfold county, Norway. She currently lives near Oslo. Fossum debuted as a poet with Kanskje i morgen, her first collection published in 1974 when she was just 20. It won Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris. For a time she worked in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted with rehabilitation of drug addicts.

Writing career

Fossum began her literary career as a poet. She is the author of the internationally successful Inspector Konrad Sejer series of crime novels, which have been translated into 25 languages and honoured with several awards.
She won the Glass Key award for her novel Don't Look Back, which also won the Riverton Prize, and she was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger in 2005 for Calling Out For You.
La ragazza del lago, internationally released as The Girl by the Lake, is a 2007 Italian thriller-drama film directed by Andrea Molaioli, in his directorial debut. It is based on the 1996 novel Don't Look Back.

Inspector Sejer Series

:
  1. 1995 - Eva's Eye / In the Darkness ; English translation 2012
  2. 1996 - Don't Look Back ; English translation 2002
  3. 1997 - He Who Fears the Wolf ; English translation 2003
  4. 1998 - When the Devil Holds the Candle ; English translation 2004
  5. 2000 - Calling Out For You ; English translation: 2005; American translation: The Indian Bride, 2007
  6. 2002 - Black Seconds ; English translation 2007
  7. 2004 - The Murder of Harriet Krohn ; English translation 2014
  8. 2007 - The Water's Edge ; English translation 2009
  9. 2008 - Bad Intentions ; English translation 2010
  10. 2009 - The Caller ; English translation 2011
  11. 2013 - The Drowned Boy ; English translation 2015
  12. 2014 - Hell Fire ; English translation 2016
  13. 2016 - The Whisperer ; English translation
The character of Sejer appeared in a series of Norwegian TV adaptations starring Bjørn Sundquist in the role, with Christian Skolmen as Sejer's partner Jacob Skarre.

Other writings