Nordic Noir

Nordic Noir is, in its most general sense, crime fiction from, or set in the Nordic countries. It has been appreciated outside its homeland for its spirit of cynicism, melancholia and angst. Most of the stories are set in real-life places, open to visit. The dark style and often brutal nature of the crimes described is arguably inspired by the wide open spaces with nary a person in it and the long dark cold winters at high latitudes.

Understand
"I am not bossy. I am efficient."

- Saga Norén, The Bridge

The Nordic countries have had a prolific crime fiction scene since the mid-20th century. In the 1990s it got international attention, with cinematics of the Martin Beck stories, and the Danish Pusher series. Nordic Noir differs from British country-house detective stories and Hollywood crime fiction. While inspired by film noir, the exteriors are more often rural than urban, with the femme fatale usually replaced by an independent heroine. The stories are usually police procedurals (often buddy cop stories), but in some cases (such as Pusher) told from the criminal's point of view. Nordic Noir enjoys a particular avid fanbase outside its native Scandinavia in Germany and both German language translations and works by German authors in a similar style (sometimes even set in the Nordic Countries) are widely available.

Destinations
The Millennium series has a separate article. Most destinations are in Stockholm.

Go next
As mentioned above, Germany also loves crime fiction and besides the affinity towards Nordic Noir, the domestic series "Tatort" and "Polizeiruf 110" (originally a GDR production in response to West German Tatort) are particularly popular and notable for their style where the setting is often rather central to the plot with local landmarks prominently displayed even when most of the actual shooting takes place in studios or other cities.