FISKARENS DÖD – THE FISHERMAN’S DEATH
By Hjorth & Thorsson
WHEN AN EXCLUSIVE Mercedes is found at the bottom of the harbour in the small fishing village of Vopnafjörður in eastern Iceland, the police make a gruesome discovery. In the boot of the car lie an elderly man and woman – bound, taped and dead. The victims turn out to be one of Iceland’s most powerful couples: shipowner Þormóður Jónsson and his wife Agnes.
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR HELGA Þóra Jónsdóttir is sent to the scene to lead the investigation. At her side is the taciturn but steadfast police officer Bjarki Guðmundsson, who happens to be first on the scene and quickly realises that the deaths cannot be an accident. The clues lead straight into a closed community where loyalties are strong, everyone knows everyone else, and the fishing industry wields more power than anyone is willing to admit.
AS THEY BEGIN to unravel the family’s history, cracks appear in the well-polished façade. Inheritance disputes, secret affairs, forbidden relationships and international connections emerge. At the same time, the threads lead further and further away from the small village – to Reykjavik, Stockholm, southern Europe and South America. The more they dig, the clearer it becomes that someone had a lot to gain from the couple’s death.
THE FISHERMAN’S DEATH is a dense and atmospheric crime novel in which Iceland’s dramatic nature and barren coastal landscape reflect a darkness marked by greed, power and silence. The relationship between Helga and Bjarki deepens, while their personal loyalties are put to the test. It is a story about what happens when old structures crumble – and about the price of challenging them.
HJORTH & THORSSON continue their acclaimed Helga & Bjarki Series with an ice-cold thriller in which every revelation brings them one step closer to a truth that someone is prepared to kill for.
ABOUT THE BOOK
To be published by Norstedts, Sweden 2026
RIGHTS SOLD
Bulgaria, ERA
Czechia, Albatros Media
Denmark, Politiken
Estonia, Foorum Kirjastus
Finland, Otava
Germany, Rowohlt
Iceland, Forlagið
The Netherlands, HarperCollins NL
Norway, Aschehoug
Slovakia, IKAR
Serbia, Dokaz
Sweden, Norstedts
REVIEWS
Hjorth & Thorsson is a new author duo who mixes Swedish and Icelandic crime traditions while adding a special dark nerve that stays with the reader for a long time. It took just a few pages for me to see that this manuscript was something really outstanding. […] It’s classic Nordic noir at its best!
– Adam Dahlin (Literary Director), Norstedts
Michael Hjorth has of one of the most brilliant criminal minds on the Nordic scene, and I am eager to follow his dark plots anytime, anywhere. Add Bjarni Thorsson’s Iceland to the mix, with its vast, dangerous and unbelievably beautiful landscape, its mythology and edge, and I think the risks of success are immense for this series. Helga and Bjarki are the strongest duo of protagonists I have encountered in a very long time, and I am so thrilled and proud that Aschehoug will be their Norwegian publisher. We’re in for a ride!
– Annette Orre (Editor-in-Chief), Aschehoug
Rowohlt Verlag has published Michael Hjorth for many years and I am a big fan – and I absolutely adore the Iceland crime series he started together with Bjarni Thorsson! I was so thrilled by the pitch of this fantastic series. I love the Icelandic setting and the atmosphere, the plot, the twists, the pace, and above all, the characters, especially Helga and Bjarki! The series has every potential to be a huge success in Germany.
– Nina Grabe (Acquiring Editor), Rowohlt Verlag
When I heard about the new project from Michael Hjorth and Bjarni Thorsson, I couldn’t have been more excited: this new series meets everything that fans of Nordic thrillers are currently looking for. At Otava, we have successfully published the Bergman series by Michael Hjorth and Hans Rosenfeldt for years. The series has been a huge bestseller in Finland, and we know the incredible skill Michael Hjorth has in writing the world’s best Scandinavian thrillers. Now that he is joining forces with Bjarni Thorsson, I can’t help but think that everything to come will be something unique. The magical Icelandic setting combined with the expertise of two top-notch storytellers could not be a more perfect combination for the greatest upcoming success in Nordic thrillers. We can’t wait to launch the series in Finnish.
– Antti Kasper (Publishing Director), Otava
When I first heard about this new project, I dropped everything to get a hold of reading materials. I immediately fell for the pitch, since I am a great fan of crime stories set in Iceland and a big fan of the Sebastian Bergman series. The promise of this new series – the gritty environment combined with the characters of Helga and Bjarki who are confronted with intriguing and bone chilling crimes – makes this already an unputdownable read for the Dutch and Flemish readers, who are very fond of Nordic noir stories. We envision a big, broad readership for the books and look forward to the impact that the series will make in this language territory!
– Soraya Vink (Senior Commissioning Editor Crime/Suspense), HarperCollins Holland
We at Forlagið couldn’t be more thrilled to be the publishers of The Helga & Bjarki Series by Michael Hjorth and Bjarni Thorsson, both extremely talented storytellers. I was immediately captivated by the strong duo of protagonists and the explosive mix of Swedish and Icelandic crime writing tradition, which makes for a compulsive read. I can’t wait to bring this brilliantly constructed, fast paced and highly enjoyable series to the Icelandic readers next year.
– Holmfridur (Úa) Matthíasdóttir (Publisher), Forlagið
ERA has published to great success the Sebastian Bergman novels by Michael Hjorth and Hans Rosenfeldt. And now with the forthcoming Helga & Bjarki Series we are thrilled to experience the blend of Swedish and Icelandic literary tradition, masterfully created by talented duo Michael Hjorth and Bjarni Thorsson. The enchanting and mystic Icelandic scenery, the twists and turns of the story, but most of all the troubled and charming characters Helga and Bjarki will definitely win even more fans of Nordic crime.
– Tsvetelina Decheva (Publishing Director), ERA
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