Asa Larsson Books in Order

How to Read the Rebecka Martinsson Series

If you are diving into the chilly, atmospheric world of Åsa Larsson's crime fiction, there is only one way to go: publication order. The Rebecka Martinsson series relies heavily on character development, continuing storylines, and recurring personal struggles that evolve from book to book. Reading them out of order will spoil significant character developments, relationship changes, and psychological breakthroughs.

The series is set in Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town, located far above the Arctic Circle. The harsh environment, local Sami culture, and community struggles serve as more than just a setting; they act as a central force in the narrative. Here is the chronological list of Rebecka Martinsson's cases as they were published:

1. Sun Storm (also published as The Savage Altar in the UK) (2003 / English translation 2007) – Rebecka Martinsson, a tax attorney in Stockholm, is forced to return to her hometown of Kiruna when a childhood friend’s brother, a prominent religious leader, is ritualistically murdered. Rebecka becomes entangled in the dark secrets of a revivalist church.
2. The Blood Spilt (2004 / English translation 2007) – Still recovering from the traumatic events of her previous case, Rebecka is drawn back to the Arctic north to investigate the brutal murder of a female priest in a small village near Kiruna. Here, she begins working alongside police inspector Anna Maria Mella.
3. The Black Path (2006 / English translation 2008) – A woman's frozen body is found in a fishing ark on the ice of Lake Torneträsk. Rebecka, now working as an assistant prosecutor, teams up with Anna Maria Mella to untangle a complex web of corporate greed, mining interests, and international corruption.
4. Until Thy Wrath Be Past (2008 / English translation 2011) – The remains of a young woman who disappeared decades ago are discovered in a sunken plane. Rebecka and Mella must unearth long-buried secrets from World War II that some residents would kill to keep hidden.
5. The Second Deadly Sin (2012 / English translation 2013) – A grandmother is brutally murdered in her home, and her grandson is found hiding nearby. The investigation reveals a trail of violence reaching back to the early days of the Kiruna mines, forcing Rebecka to confront the dark history of the region.
6. The Sins of Our Fathers (2021 / English translation 2023) – The epic finale of the series. When a forensic pathologist asks Rebecka to look into a decades-old cold case involving a missing boxer, she discovers secrets that tie directly to her own family's history, set against the backdrop of Kiruna's literal physical relocation due to mining damage.

The PAX Series: Urban Fantasy for Younger Readers

In addition to her adult crime fiction, Åsa Larsson co-authored the PAX series with Ingela Korsell, featuring illustrations by Henrik Jonsson. This ten-book urban fantasy series is written for middle-grade readers and is steeped in Norse mythology, magic, and horror. The story follows two foster brothers, Alrik and Viggo, who are chosen to protect a secret library of magical books buried beneath the town of Mariefred.

Although the PAX series has been translated into over 20 languages and has been a massive hit across Europe, there is currently no official English-language translation. For international readers who can access the translated editions, the books must be read in strict chronological order:

• Nidstången (The Nithing Pole / Book 1)
• Grimmen (The Grim / Book 2)
• Mylingen (The Myling / Book 3)
• Bjäran (The Tilberi / Book 4)
• Gasten (The Ghoul / Book 5)
• Näcken (The Nix / Book 6)
• Pestan (The Plague / Book 7)
• Vitormen (The White Dragon-Snake / Book 8)
• Maran (The Nightmare / Book 9)
• Draugen (The Final Judgment / Book 10)

Short Stories and Anthologies

For readers who want to experience every piece of Åsa Larsson's writing, she contributed a short story titled "The Mail Run" (originally published in Swedish as Postmässan) to the crime fiction anthology A Darker Shade of Sweden (2013). This collection, edited by John-Henri Holmberg, features stories from Sweden's top crime writers and offers a great entry point into the bleak, atmospheric style of Swedish noir.

What to Know Before You Start

To fully appreciate Larsson's work, it helps to understand a few unique details about the settings and translations:

• The Kiruna Relocation: The setting of Kiruna is not fictional. In real life, the town is literally being moved building-by-building because mining excavation underneath has made the ground unstable. This massive engineering project plays a crucial role in the atmosphere and plot of the final Rebecka Martinsson novel, The Sins of Our Fathers.
• US vs. UK Titles: Larsson's debut novel is known as Sun Storm in the United States and The Savage Altar in the United Kingdom. They are the exact same book.
• Character Relationships: A major draw of the series is the relationship between Rebecka and police dog handler Krister Eriksson, as well as her professional partnership with inspector Anna Maria Mella. Their personal arcs are as compelling as the mysteries themselves.

Screen Adaptations of Åsa Larsson's Novels

If you want to watch the characters come to life, there are two major adaptations to seek out:

• Solstorm (2007 Film): A Swedish feature film adaptation of the debut novel starring Izabella Scorupco as Rebecka Martinsson.
• Rebecka Martinsson: Arctic Murders (TV Series): A popular television series spanning two seasons (2017–2020) and 16 episodes. The series is famous for changing its lead actress; Ida Engvoll plays Rebecka in Season 1, while Sascha Zacharias takes over the role in Season 2. Eva Melander co-stars as Inspector Anna Maria Mella.