Read and discuss literature with our Nordic Book Club Online! On March 12, we’ll be exploring Thirty Days Of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen, an atmospheric, darkly funny and twisty debut thriller now out in translation by Megan E. Turney about a Danish author who must write a crime novel in 30 days — while solving a murder along the way.
Copenhagen author Hannah is the darling of the literary community and her novels have achieved massive critical acclaim — but no one ever actually reads them. When the acerbic and snobbish writer is publicly challenged to write a crime novel in the span of the month, her editor sends her to Húsafjöður for inspiration, a quiet, tight-knit village in Iceland filled with colorful local characters.
But two days after her arrival, the body of a fisherman’s young son is pulled from the water … and what begins as a search for plot material quickly turns into a messy and dangerous investigation that threatens to put everything at risk, including Hannah. Can she solve the murder and bring peace to the victim’s loved ones, while turning out a bestseller at the same time?
Winner of awards including the Harald Morgensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel and the Crime Fiction Lover Award for Best Crime Book in Translation, Thirty Days of Night has been hailed as “hilariously scathing” (The Times‘ Crime Book of the Year) and “an original and thoroughly enjoyable treat” (The Guardian).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed scriptwriters (including the international hits Rita and Follow the Money) and is known as an advocate for better representation for sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. She recently made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater). Her debut literary thriller Thirty Days of Darkness, first in an addictive new series, won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year and was shortlisted for the coveted Glass Key Award. She lives in Denmark with her young family.