Thirty Days of Darkness

Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen translated by Megan E Turney is a debut Nordic Noir thriller that marks the start of a new series.

Hannah, an award-winning writer, is challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days. Her snobbish attitude is that although her books have fewer readers, her writing is far superior to Jørn Jenson, a successful crime writer. She is convinced that writing a popular fiction novel is easy and agrees to the challenge. Her editor, Bastion, sends her to Iceland so she can devote the next 30 days to her novel.

On Hannah's arrival, she is picked up by Ella, a local woman who she will stay with over the coming month. However, a few days in Ella's nephew, Thor is found dead. Convinced this is not an accident, Hannah starts to investigate Thor's death, much to the annoyance of the local police man. As the days stretch on, things turn more sinister and Hannah's own safety is in jepody. Can Hannah solve the murders and find the killer as well as writing her crime novel?

Hannah is the most unlikeable antagonist at the start of the novel. She is opinionated, self-righteous and rude. However, as the novel progresses, Hannah's determined to solve the mystery surrounding Thor's death softens her hard outerior, allowing the reader to see a more rounded and vulnerable side.

Although Thirty Days of Darkness is a crime thriller, there was plenty of humour and romance that weaved its way throughout the novel. For me, it had the right balance of genres and themes, making this such an enjoyable thrilling read. The Icelandic scenery was atmospheric, adding to the murdererous and locked-in feel of the story. There were twists and turns along the way with mysterious characters that kept me guessing until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed it

This book was highly publicised by Orenda on Twitter, and rightly so. It's a highly enjoyable read, with plenty of dark humour.
I will admit I didn't find Hannah very likeable at first, particularly her snobbish attitude towards genre fiction, and her sneering attitude towards Jorn. Her tenacity coupled with her interactions and obvious concern for Ella, soon won me over.
I look forward to catching up with Hannah in the future.