Arnaldur Indriðason

In what is the fifth installment of the Inspector Erlendur series, Arnaldur Indridason this time brings his audience into the normally quiet suburbs of Reykjavik as a young Thai-boy who was only ten years old is found dead and frozen to the sidewalk during mid January. All the evidence says that this wasn't accidental as he's also found with stab wounds in his stomach, so it is with this that Erlendur has his next case. It then soon transpires that the boy's half-brother is also missing and nowhere to be found, so they must work out whether he played a part in the crime or if he's just fearful for his own life.

The best place to start is the Inspector Erlendur series, the earliest of Arnaldur Indriðason's multi-book series: it opens with Synir duftsins (1997) and runs to 14 books across 1997–2014, ending with Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox (2014). Arnaldur Indriðason's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.

Arnaldur Indriðason has 32 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1997 and 2025. 27 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Inspector Erlendur series with 14 books — and 5 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.

Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Arnaldur Indriðason's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Inspector Erlendur (1997–2014, 14 books), Young Inspector Erlendur (2011–2014, 3 books) and Reykjavik Wartime Mystery/Flovent and Thorson Thrillers (2013–2016, 3 books), plus 1 more.

This guide splits Arnaldur Indriðason's 32 books into 4 named series and 5 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Inspector Erlendur (14 books, 1997–2014); Detective Konrad (7 books, 2017–2025); Young Inspector Erlendur (3 books, 2011–2014); Reykjavik Wartime Mystery/Flovent and Thorson Thrillers (3 books, 2013–2016).