📖 About Inspector Erlendur

Inspector Erlendur is a series universe written by Arnaldur Indriðason. The complete collection runs to 14 books across 2 series, published between 1997 and 2014.

The main series is Publication Order of Inspector Erlendur Books with 14 books. It opens with Synir duftsins (1997) and currently runs to Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox (2014).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Inspector Erlendur

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Synir duftsins (1997), book 1 of Publication Order of Inspector Erlendur Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

If you would rather follow the story timeline instead of the release sequence, a chronological order is listed below. It begins with Einvígið (2011).

Each of the 2 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Inspector Erlendur Books in Order

Publication Order of Inspector Erlendur Books
14 books
1
Synir duftsins book cover1Synir duftsins1997Buy on Amazon
Dauðarósir book cover2Dauðarósir1998Buy on Amazon
Jar City / Tainted Blood / Mýrin book cover3Jar City / Tainted Blood / Mýrin2000Buy on Amazon
Silence of the Grave / Grafarþögn book cover4Silence of the Grave / Grafarþögn2001Buy on Amazon
Voices / Röddin book cover5Voices / Röddin2002Buy on Amazon
The Draining Lake / Kleifarvatn book cover6The Draining Lake / Kleifarvatn2004Buy on Amazon
Arctic Chill / Vetrarborgin book cover7Arctic Chill / Vetrarborgin2005Buy on Amazon
Hypothermia / Harðskafi book cover8Hypothermia / Harðskafi2007Buy on Amazon
Outrage / Myrká book cover9Outrage / Myrká2008Buy on Amazon
Black Skies / Svörtuloft book cover10Black Skies / Svörtuloft2009Buy on Amazon
Strange Shores / Furðustrandir book cover11Strange Shores / Furðustrandir2010Buy on Amazon
Einvígið book cover12Einvígið2011Buy on Amazon
Reykjavík Nights / Reykjavíkurnætur book cover13Reykjavík Nights / Reykjavíkurnætur2012Buy on Amazon
Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox book cover14Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox2014Buy on Amazon
Chronological Order of Inspector Erlendur Books
14 books
2
Einvígið book cover1Einvígið2011Buy on Amazon
Reykjavík Nights / Reykjavíkurnætur book cover2Reykjavík Nights / Reykjavíkurnætur2012Buy on Amazon
Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox book cover3Into Oblivion / Kamp Knox2014Buy on Amazon
Synir duftsins book cover4Synir duftsins1997Buy on Amazon
Dauðarósir book cover5Dauðarósir1998Buy on Amazon
Jar City / Tainted Blood / Mýrin book cover6Jar City / Tainted Blood / Mýrin2000Buy on Amazon
Silence of the Grave / Grafarþögn book cover7Silence of the Grave / Grafarþögn2001Buy on Amazon
Voices / Röddin book cover8Voices / Röddin2002Buy on Amazon
The Draining Lake / Kleifarvatn book cover9The Draining Lake / Kleifarvatn2004Buy on Amazon
Arctic Chill / Vetrarborgin book cover10Arctic Chill / Vetrarborgin2005Buy on Amazon
Hypothermia / Harðskafi book cover11Hypothermia / Harðskafi2007Buy on Amazon
Outrage / Myrká book cover12Outrage / Myrká2008Buy on Amazon
Black Skies / Svörtuloft book cover13Black Skies / Svörtuloft2009Buy on Amazon
Strange Shores / Furðustrandir book cover14Strange Shores / Furðustrandir2010Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Inspector Erlendur books are there?
There are 14 books in the Inspector Erlendur collection, organised into 2 series and published between 1997 and 2014.
What is the first Inspector Erlendur book?
The first book is Synir duftsins, published in 1997.
What order should I read the Inspector Erlendur books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Inspector Erlendur books?
The Inspector Erlendur books were written by Arnaldur Indriðason.
Is the Inspector Erlendur series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Inspector Erlendur Books, has 14 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Inspector Erlendur series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1997, and the most recent in 2014.