The Inspector Erlendur is a Crime Fiction / Mystery series by Arnaldur Indridason, made up of 14 books published between 1997 and 2014. It begins with Synir duftsins (1997), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox (2014), spanning 17 years of storytelling.
Inspector Erlendur series: frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Inspector Erlendur series?
Start with Synir duftsins (1997), the first book in the Inspector Erlendur series by Arnaldur Indridason. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.
How many books are in the Inspector Erlendur series?
There are 14 books in the Inspector Erlendur series by Arnaldur Indridason, published between 1997 and 2014.
What is the first book in the Inspector Erlendur series?
The first book in the Inspector Erlendur series is Synir duftsins, published in 1997 by Arnaldur Indridason.
What is the latest book in the Inspector Erlendur series?
The most recent book in the Inspector Erlendur series is Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox (2014) by Arnaldur Indridason.
About the Inspector Erlendur series
Arnaldur Indriðason's Inspector Erlendur novels are the bleak, brilliant heart of Icelandic noir. Erlendur is a melancholy Reykjavík detective haunted by his brother's childhood death in a snowstorm — a loss that shapes his obsession with missing persons and the buried griefs of others.
The series is steeped in Iceland's landscape, weather and history, and Indriðason excels at the slow excavation of old secrets and the way past tragedies poison the present. These are quiet, sombre, deeply human mysteries.
Erlendur's personal story and his fractured family deepen across the series, which is best read in order from "Jar City" (the first translated into English).