Karen Sullivan, Publisher of Orenda Books, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of World English Language rights for Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger’s breathtaking Nordic Noir thriller, SON, first in the Kari Voss series, in a three-book deal negotiated with the authors themselves.
Karen says, ‘Johana and Thomas are both longstanding, exceptionally talented members of the Orenda stable, and both number-one bestselling authors in their respective home countries of France and Norway. When SON was pitched to me, I did not hesitate to secure rights for all three planned books in this electrifying, dark series.
‘I can think of few, if any, crime novels written together by two authors from different countries and in different languages, and this is an incredibly exciting venture, marking the start of what I hope will be longstanding, thrilling partnership. It’s the first time we’ve ever led on the production of one of our international titles, and the entire experience has been deeply inspiring – in fact, a huge honour.
‘In SON, we meet Kari Voss, a psychologist specialising in body language and memory, working as a consultant to the Oslo police. Her own young son disappeared seven years earlier on his ninth birthday, without trace, and she has been riddled with grief and insomnia since that time, ceaselessly searching for clues to his disappearance.
‘When two teenaged girls are found brutally murdered in a family summer home in the small village of Son, outside of Oslo, Kari is called in to help. A friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, and it seems that the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…
‘With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there are dark secrets at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son’s disappearance, but Kari’s own life, too…
‘This is emotive, twisty, brooding crime fiction, with a unique protagonist in Kari, who is able to tell instantly when someone is lying or withholding information. She is determined yet flawed, with a warm relationship with her father and with Constable Ramona, and she grieves for her dead husband and her missing son, while bypassing the official investigation to uncover the truth. Her uncanny ability to act as an almost human lie detector, and to take matters into her own hands when she doubts the investigators, makes for absolutely gripping reading.
‘Johana is known as the Queen of French Noir, with a string of number-one bestsellers to her name (most recently, Yule Island); Thomas’ solo thrillers and his partnership with Jørn Lier Horst have made him one of Norway’s bestselling crime writers. Collectively, their work has been sold in 50 countries, and they are both former journalists. As a team, they have created something fresh and original, and Kari is a fantastic, authentic protagonist.’
Johana and Thomas say, ‘Bringing Kari Voss to life has been the most rewarding creative experience we have had, and we cannot wait to share her stories with you. It’s a dream come true for us to be published first in English, and there’s no better home for SON than our own home at Orenda Books.’
SON will be published in hardback in March 2025, and in paperback in Spring 2026 by Orenda Books. The second book in the series will be published in 2027. International rights will be negotiated by the Salomonsson Agency in Sweden. For more information, please contact Karen@orendabooks.co.uk.
Photo Credit: Pia Bråthen (piabrathen@gmail.com)
