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The Crow Girl’s Authors Recommend the Best in Scandi-Noir
Eric Axl Sund, the name behind our darkly compelling Thriller of the Month for October The Crow Girl, is actually the pen name for authorial duo Jerker Eriksson and Håkan Axlander Sundquist. Here, the two authors debate the pros and cons of a writing partnership and recommend their choice of the best Scandinavian noir.
Writing four-handed is not always easy. You have to trust each other, put the prestige aside. But, when it works, it's amazing. Two brains working with the same text, towards the same goal. We are very different in many ways, which means that we often complement each other, but at the same time it creates conflict areas. It's a lot like making music together. We switch roles between rhythm section (bass + drums) and lead singer. When one of us screams loudly, the other one adjusts and lowers the voice.
One big advantage is that we are each other's editors and critics. We are often only meters away from each other so it is possible to get immediate response to a text. We will immediately know if a text works or not.
The downside, of course, is that we have to share royalties!
The Invisible Man from Salem by Christoffer Carlsson - Creepy and uncomfortable reading.
The Man on the Balcony by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö - Another writing partnership and the champions and pioneers of the genre.
The Father by Anton Svensson - A horribly believable domestic thriller.
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason - Dark and moody, with wonderful characters.
And coming next year to the UK in May, don't miss Yrsa Sigurdadóttir's The Reckoning a hugely exciting, densely plotted, multifaceted and compelling thriller.
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