Jørn Lier Horst Books

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Jorn Lier Horst is a Norwegian author who writes mystery and crime fiction novels. Born in 1970 in Bamble, Telemark, Horst worked as a Senior Investigating Officer. He spent a decade unraveling criminal cases, some of them more complicated than others.

The experience came in handy when he entered the publishing field. His time with the police gave the author a unique perspective. He spent hours talking to murderers and rapists. The insights he gained are invaluable.

The author understands what makes bad people tick. He knows, more or less, why ordinary individuals would turn to a life of crime. The author can also find the good in the most demented minds.

His protagonists reflect these traits. Horst understands that Chief Inspector Wisting is an anomaly. After all, most fictional detectives are miserable men with numerous vices. No one understands them, and they tend to sabotage every personal relationship they form, particularly in the romance department.

Nonetheless, their peers praise them because of their inexplicable ability to single-handedly solve impossible cases. Horst knows too much about police work to suspend his disbelief when he encounters such stories.

He understands that most cases are only solved through a collective effort. He also knows that successful detectives have healthy personal lives. This mindset endears characters like Chief Inspector Wisting to the author’s followers.

They appreciate the fact that he works with other investigators to right wrongs. They’ve also commended Horst’s novels for their social dimension. His books mirror his perception of reality. Horst believes that society has become colder and more violent.

The author doesn’t stray too far from the crime fiction genre’s tropes. His antagonists eventually lose. Technically, the good guys always win. However, the societal problems that gave birth to the criminal remain.

This allows Horst to draw attention to the social systems that routinely fail his fellow citizens. Like many of his peers, Horst’s settings are small Norwegian towns. He blames the fascination with Norwegian settings on their beautiful scenery. The snow-covered mountains and long coastline lend themselves to picturesque descriptions.

Additionally, the violence Horst covers is more shocking when contrasted with the gorgeous vistas in the vicinity. The author’s books are eye-opening because they reveal to foreigners that a country as wealthy as Norway is just as susceptible to injustice.

Horst takes inspiration from unsolved mysteries. Unanswered questions trigger his imagination. He can’t help but wonder what would happen to a cold case if a stubborn investigator dug past the superficial level to the hidden layers beneath. How far would they go to bring the right person to justice? What would they sacrifice?

Jorn Lier Horst Awards

Horst has won The Riverton Prize, the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize, the Petrona Award, the Martin Beck Award, and the Glass Key Award. He’s also received CWA International Dagger and Edgar Award nominations.

Jorn Lier Horst Books Into Movies

The William Wisting books became a TV series in 2019. Horst also wrote the Detective Agency No. 2 and CLUE books, which received adaptations.

Best Jorn Lier Horst Books

The author has shocked readers by revealing that he writes his books in Excel before transferring them to Word. Horst’s best books include:

The Katharina Code: Chief Inspector William Wisting is still haunted by Katharina. The woman went missing over two decades ago. Wisting never found her. So, on the anniversary of her disappearance, he visits her husband.

Wisting also re-reads her file, searching for answers he never thought he would find. But things have changed. First of all, another woman has gone missing. Secondly, Katharina’s husband is nowhere to be found. What does this mean? How are the two cases connected to Katharina’s disappearance?

Closed for Winter: Newly separated, Ove Bakkerud was looking forward to some much-needed peace and quiet at his summer home, especially now that the tourists were gone. But then burglars ransacked his cottage. Even more disturbing was the dead man next door. Someone had beaten him to death.

For Inspector William Wisting, this latest murder was something new. He was determined to find the culprit now that his daughter had decided to stay in one of the cottages against his wishes.

Can he crack the case before she pays the ultimate price? What about the dead birds falling from the sky? How are they connected to the corpses on the deserted archipelago?

When Does The Next Jørn Lier Horst book come out?

Jørn Lier Horst doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Snow Fall and was released on November, 23rd 2023. It is the newest book in the William Wisting Series.

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