Thirty Days of Darkness

Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen is an atmospheric debut thriller that combines dark humour with gripping suspense. The story follows Hannah, an esteemed Danish literary author who is celebrated in the academic circles but largely unread by the general public. Her latest bout of writer’s block and mounting frustration leads her to make a rash decision: she derides genre fiction publicly and is subsequently challenged to write a compelling crime novel in just thirty days. To find the necessary inspiration, Hannah's editor sends her to the remote Icelandic village of Húsafjöður. The village is a tight-knit community filled with vibrant and eclectic characters, offering Hannah a seemingly perfect setting to craft her story. However, her quest for a plot takes a dramatic turn when the body of a local fisherman's young son is discovered. The idyllic village's tranquillity is shattered as Hannah becomes entangled in a real-life mystery. What begins as an assignment to simply fulfil a bet evolves into a dangerous game. As Hannah digs deeper into the community’s secrets, she uncovers truths that put her own life at risk. With every twist and turn, she must navigate the treacherous path of her investigation, which threatens to expose dark secrets and personal vulnerabilities. Atmospheric and richly detailed, Thirty Days of Darkness marks the beginning of an exhilarating new series. Madsen masterfully crafts a tale that is at once a critique and a celebration of genre fiction, laced with wit and darkly humorous observations. ‘An original and thoroughly enjoyable treat’ Guardian BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Dark and sharp … A lot of fun’ Val McDermid

‘Witty, dark, meta, ingenious and hugely compelling. I LOVED the Icelandic setting and satirical observations’ Will Dean

‘Hilariously scathing. Satirises genre fiction while creating a first-class example of it, full of suspects, red herrings and twists … wit and originality make it a joy to read’ Mark Sanderson, The Times CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR

Winner of the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel
Shortlisted for the Glass Key Award
Winner of the Crime Fiction Lover Award for Best Crime Book in Translation
Longlisted for the CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger
Shortlisted for the Capital Crime Fingerprint Awards: Best Debut

COMING SOON TO NETFLIX.

Copenhagen author Hannah is the darling of the literary community and her novels have achieved massive critical acclaim. But nobody actually reads them, and frustrated by writer’s block, Hannah has the feeling that she’s doing something wrong. When she expresses her contempt for genre fiction, Hannah is publicly challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days. Scared that she will lose face, she accepts, and her editor sends her to Húsafjöður – a quiet, tight-knit village in Iceland, filled with colourful local characters – for inspiration. But two days after her arrival, the body of a fisherman’s young son is pulled from the water … and what begins as a search for plot material quickly turns into a messy and dangerous investigation that threatens to uncover secrets that put everything at risk … including Hannah… Atmospheric, dramatic and full of nerve-jangling twists and turns, Thirty Days of Darkness is a darkly funny, unsettling debut Nordic Noir thriller that marks the start of a breath-taking new series.

---

‘Dark and atmospheric … a bleak and beautiful evocation of Iceland, and Hannah is a pitch-perfect depiction of the bombastic neurosis that we writers know so very well’ Harriet Tyce

‘Such a clever, original twist on the Nordic Noir tradition – darkly humorous and utterly captivating’ Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

‘A fantastic debut … Darkly funny, tense and a lot of poking fun at crime-writing’ Tariq Ashkanani

‘Delightfully dark’ Antti Tuomainen

‘So atmospheric’ Crime Monthly

‘An absolute gem … a superb mix of humour and dark, twisty crime fiction with an added layer of contemplation regarding what makes books 'literary'. The Icelandic setting is perfectly drawn … Not to be missed' Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

‘Shades of Fargo and Twin Peaks – and there’s no higher praise than that. Absolutely brilliant!’ Rod Reynolds

‘A truly original thriller that perfectly balances humour and suspense’ Vogue

‘A hugely enjoyable read with thrills and laughs, as Hannah sticks her nose in where it’s not welcome’ Michael J. Malone

‘So satisfying … a truly great read’ Lilja Sigurðardóttir

‘A skilful, witty mash-up, playing with tropes of romantic fiction (yes, that popular genre writer turns up in the village and is not so bad after all) and crime fiction (closed community, dark secrets) … really entertaining’ Aly Monroe

'This reminded me somewhat of the more recent, meta efforts of the great Anthony Horowitz’ The Bookbag

‘The most original thriller of the year: realistic, suspenseful and romantic to the very last page. And just when you think you've got the plot figured out, the plot twists again' Politiken