Erlendur Books in Order
Detective Erlendur Sveinsson of the Reykjavík police is a gloomy, solitary man haunted by the loss of his younger brother in a snowstorm when they were boys. He is drawn to cases of the missing and the long dead, and his investigations uncover hidden stories of Icelandic life. His colleagues Elínborg and Sigurður Óli take the lead in some books.
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Series facts
- Books
- 11
- Published
- 2000 to 2014
- First book
- Jar City
- Latest
- Into Oblivion (2014)
- Setting
- Set in Reykjavík
The reading order
Every Erlendur book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1Jar City2000With Erlendur SveinssonAn old man is found murdered in his flat in Reykjavík, with a cryptic note left on his body.Buy on Amazon
- 2Silence of the Grave2001With Erlendur SveinssonA human skeleton is found on a building site on the edge of Reykjavík, buried decades ago, and Erlendur uncovers a story of violence in a family during the war.Buy on Amazon
- 3Voices2002With Erlendur SveinssonA hotel doorman, dressed as Father Christmas, is found stabbed in the basement of a Reykjavík hotel just before Christmas.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Draining Lake2004With Erlendur SveinssonAfter an earthquake, the water level of a lake drops, revealing a skeleton tied to an old Soviet radio transmitter.Buy on Amazon
- 5Arctic Chill2005With Erlendur SveinssonA young boy from an Icelandic and Thai family is found stabbed to death in the snow.Buy on Amazon
- 6Hypothermia2007With Erlendur SveinssonA woman is found hanged at her summer house by a lake.Buy on Amazon
- 7Outrage2008With ElínborgWith Erlendur away, Elínborg investigates the murder of a young man in his Reykjavík flat, and finds evidence that he preyed on women.Buy on Amazon
- 8Black Skies2009With Sigurður ÓliSigurður Óli investigates a blackmail case that turns to murder, in the years of Iceland’s banking boom.Buy on Amazon
- 9Strange Shores2010With Erlendur SveinssonErlendur returns to the remote East Fjords, where his brother disappeared, and looks into the disappearance of a woman during a storm many years ago.Buy on Amazon
- 10Reykjavik Nights2012With Erlendur SveinssonAs a young police officer on night patrol, Erlendur becomes obsessed with the death of a homeless man found drowned in a pond.Buy on Amazon
- 11Into Oblivion2014With Erlendur SveinssonIn 1979, a body is found in a lagoon near the American military base, and a young Erlendur works with his mentor, Marion Briem.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Jar City. Reykjavik Nights and Into Oblivion are prequels about the young Erlendur and can be read at any time.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Erlendur Sveinsson | Elínborg | Sigurður Óli | Eva Lind | Marion Briem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jar City | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 2 Silence of the Grave | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 3 Voices | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 4 The Draining Lake | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 5 Arctic Chill | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 6 Hypothermia | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 7 Outrage | ·Minor | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 8 Black Skies | ·Minor | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | |
| 9 Strange Shores | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 10 Reykjavik Nights | LLead | ||||
| 11 Into Oblivion | LLead | MMajor |
Characters in the Erlendur books
5 characters from Arnaldur Indriðason’s chart, with the number of Erlendur books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Erlendur SveinssonDetective Inspector in Reykjavík | 11 | Jar City 2000 |
| ElínborgDetective and Erlendur’s colleague | 9 | Jar City 2000 |
| Sigurður ÓliDetective and Erlendur’s colleague | 9 | Jar City 2000 |
| Eva LindErlendur’s troubled daughter | 9 | Jar City 2000 |
| Marion BriemErlendur’s mentor | 3 | Jar City 2000 |