Asa Larsson Books In Order

Publication Order of Rebecka Martinsson Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Asa Larsson is one of the renowned authors from Sweden, who has written a few noteworthy novels based on the crime fiction genre. She is particularly famous for writing down the Rebecka Martinsson series. Author Larsson was born on June 28, 1966, in Uppsala, Sweden. She was brought up by her parents in Kiruna, which is located to the far north in Sweden. Before going on to become a full time novelist, author Larsson used to work as a tax lawyer. Even today, she is very much attached to the profession which is why she shares it with the chief protagonist of her novel series, Rebecka Martinsson. The first book written by her in the crime fiction series went on to win the award for the best first book by the Association of Swedish Crime Writers. The novel titled Solstorm was released in the United Kingdom under a different title and was nominated for the Duncan Lawrie Dagger award. The second book that followed in the series also won the Best Crim Novel in Sweden award. The other books written in the crime series by author Larsson also became widely popular and were nominated for a prestigious awards over the course of time.

A movie was adapted based on the debut novel of the series in the year 2007. It was titled as Solstorm. Author Larsson is the granddaughter of a well known Olympic skier named Erik August Larsson. She began her writing career in the year 2003 with the release of the first book in the Rebecka Martinsson series titled Solstorm. It was later republished in English in the year 2006 under the titles of Sunstorm and The Savage Altar. Author Larsson is among the most loved authors from a Scandinavian country. Her written works have been translated into more than 20 foreign languages. In the first book of the Rebecka Martisson crime series, author Larsson has introduced Rebecka as a fragile but fierce heroine. Till now, Larsson has written a total of 5 books in the crime and thriller series. The place where she was raised is the northernmost city in Sweden called Kiruna, which is located around 145 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. As of today, author Larsson lives in Mariefield along with her two kids, a horse, and a dog.

One of the initial books written by author Asa Larsson in the Rebecka Martinsson series is titled as ‘The blood Spilt’. This book was released in the year 2007 by the Delacorte Press in the form of a hardcover edition. Author Larsson has set the plot of the book in Sweden and has once again depicted Rebecka Martinsson in the lead role. The start of the book shows the time of midsummer in Sweden. At this time, the light lingers everywhere from dawn to evening, thereby indicating the end of the long and isolating winter. But things do not remain normal as a brutal killer is about to strike a chosen target. The victim turns out to be a female priest, who was believed to have made an equal number of friends and enemies and one of her enemies seems to have hung her to death in her own church. In the events after the incident, a popular lawyer from the city who is renowned to deal with murder cases, enters the crime scene as the parishioners and police try to find out what had actually happened there. Sometime back, Rebecka Martinsson was involved in killing 3 men in order to end a similar series of murders. One of the murders also included a priest. Now, as she returns back to Kiruna to take on the murder case, she comes across a dedicated policewoman who also tries to catch the killer. On reaching her birth place, Rebecka finds that numerous people have turned up to mourn the demise of the female priest. As she begins her investigation on the case, she gets drawn into a mystery that is about to take the life of one more victim. Soon, Rebecka gets clutched into a world of women, hurt, healing, sexuality, sin, and sacrifice. Author Larsson received enormous praises for her efforts to develop the visceral and lyrical prose of the book. Even the critics appreciated her for crafting a purely entertaining, taut, and atmospheric mystery novel. It kept the readers thralled until the last page, as they enjoyed the unforgettable journey of reading the novel. The success of the book can be understood from the fact that it went on to be nominated for several prestigious awards over the years.

Another novel published initially in the series by author Asa Larsson is titled as ‘The Black Path’. It was published by the Delta publishers in the year 2008. This novel is also set in Sweden and features the lead characters in the form of Rebecka Martinsson and Anna-Maria Mella. Author Larsson has depicted a grisly murder mystery set in the haunting backdrop of the northern Sweden. The plot also features a dark drama of twists and turns, showcasing a tale of suspense, hope, menace, and darkness. As the novel starts, a dead woman is discovered near a frozen lake having a lot of torture marks on her body. As Inspector Anna-Maria begins to investigate the case, she realizes that she will need some help in solving it. From the outer appearance of the woman, it was clear that she was an important member of a nearby mining company, which is believed to have spread all over the world. Anna seems to be in an urgent need of an attorney to help her understand certain things and she knows one of the finest in the city, Rebecka Martinsson. Rebecka too seems too desperate to get on the field after a long break. She wants to get over the nightmare of her previous case as soon as possible as it had nearly destroyed her. During her initial investigation of the case along with Anna-Maria, Rebecka learns that the relationship of the victim with her boss and Kallis Mining founder was ominous and complex. Soon, the two women go on to uncover an entangled drama of perversion, criminality, and secrets. In the end, the case turns out to be a shocking and sad tale of a woman’s lonely death, a man’s obsession, and a murderer’s cold heart. Just like the previous books in the crime series, this book too became very successful. It was shortlisted for the Barry Award in the year 2009 in the category of the Best Paperback Original novel. Author Larsson was once again praised by the critics for her efforts and this gave her a huge motivation to move ahead in her writing career.

2 Responses to “Asa Larsson”

1. Ralph moore: 2 years ago

   Just read..2nd Deadly Sin….LOVED IT….WILL LOOK FORWARD TO READING THEM ALL….VERY INTENSE.KEEP THEM COMMING….

   Reply
2. M Baxter: 2 years ago

   I love the ASA Larson books, and hope she will write more! She is obviously very much in tune with rural, Northern Sweden. Heroine Rebecka is superbly portrayed as an adult still very much affected by childhood trauma, in addition to what befalls her in later life.

   Reply