3 Compulsively Readable Thrillers

Set in the tiny, remote Icelandic village of Siglufjördur, this spine-tingler is a sequel to the best-selling Snowblind. But you needn't have read a word of that first Nordic thriller to enjoy this one. The story opens with the murder of the chief of police. The sole local police inspector left alive is under tremendous pressure to find the shooter, setting everyone in this peaceful backwater on edge. Previously, the biggest news in Siglufjördur was the weather. Now, as the days turn dark and winter arrives "as if autumn had been lost somewhere on the road north," there's also a national media storm to contend with. Soon, the unhappily married mayor, his deputy (who is determined to be his next wife), a career drug dealer and a quiet old woman are entangled in the investigation. The ending is a satisfying surprise. But what really makes Nightblind stand out is its vivid cast of characters, whose fears, ambitions, rivalries and longings are movingly universal.