Only the Dead
Vidar Sundstøl
Translated by Tiina Nunnally
Steeped in the rich history of Lake Superior’s rugged North Shore, this follow-up to the Riverton Prize–winning The Land of Dreams pursues two tales through a bleak and beautiful landscape haunted by the lives and dreams of its Scandinavian immigrants and Native Americans. Lance Hansen finds himself equally haunted by the complex mysteries that continue to unravel around him.
The second in the Minnesota Trilogy is exquisitely written, lyrically descriptive, and mystically mysterious.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Tags
A Norwegian tourist has been found murdered on the shore of Lake Superior—right where an Ojibwe man may have been killed more than one hundred years earlier. Four months later, the official investigation is supposedly over but still not resolved, and U.S. Forest Service officer Lance Hansen, drawn into the mystery by his grisly discovery of the body, is uncovering clues disturbingly close to home.
His former father-in-law, Willy Dupree, may hold the key to the century-old murder of Swamper Caribou. And his own brother, Andy, might know more than he’s telling—more than he should know—about the recent homicide. The relationship between the brothers takes a dangerous turn as their annual deer hunt becomes a deadly game.
Steeped in the rich history of Lake Superior’s rugged North Shore, this follow-up to the Riverton Prize–winning The Land of Dreams pursues two tales through a bleak and beautiful landscape haunted by the lives and dreams of its Scandinavian immigrants and Native Americans. Hansen finds himself equally haunted by the complex mysteries that continue to unravel around him.
$14.95 paper ISBN 978-0-8166-9899-8
$.00 cloth/jacket ISBN 978-0-8166-8942-2
168 pages, 5 3/8 x 8, September 2015
Vidar Sundstøl is the acclaimed Norwegian author of seven novels, including the internationally best-selling Minnesota Trilogy, which he wrote after living on the North Shore of Lake Superior for two years. The first volume of the series, The Land of Dreams (Minnesota, 2013), was nominated for the Glass Key for best Scandinavian crime novel of the year.
Tiina Nunnally has received numerous awards for her translations of Scandinavian literature, including the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize for her translation of Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter.
Short
Vidar Sundstøl is an acclaimed Norwegian author of seven novels, including the internationally best-selling Minnesota Trilogy.
Short
Tiina Nunnally has received numerous awards for her translations of Scandinavian literature.
The second in the Minnesota Trilogy is exquisitely written, lyrically descriptive, and mystically mysterious.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Like the central movement of a dark Grieg symphony, this brief second installment of Norwegian author Sundstøl’s Minnesota Trilogy resounds with two stunning variations on a single theme: the complex motivations behind murders that link brotherhood, love, and death. Readers will eagerly await The Ravens, the trilogy’s conclusion.
Publishers Weekly
This is a creeping-paced and suspense-filled follow-up that covers a very short period of time.
Duluth News-Tribune
Sundstøl’s outstanding second entry in his acclaimed “Minnesota Trilogy” measures up to the first installment with its quick pace and succinct plot.
Library Journal
The most extraordinary aspects of this second book are the incredibly rich descriptions of the wild topography of Minnesota’s North Shore—the land, the trees, the water—and the meticulous rendering of the threatening weather.
Norwegian American Weekly
Entirely compelling, engrossing, and so grimly effective that it silenced me for hours afterward. It may be the most powerful work of suspense I’ve ever read.
Kingdom Books
Genuinely gripping. An unexpected but surprisingly enjoyable follow up to the first book in the series.
Euro Crime
The second in Sundstøl’s Minnesota trilogy is a darker, more meditative mystery than the first, shot through with Gothic Romanticism and chilly metaphor.
Star Tribune
Well worth the wait.
Lavender Magazine
This is a beautiful, atmospheric, and disturbing novel, and it’s more vivid, real, and psychologically complex than most conventional thrillers.
Mysterious Bibliophile
Who knew a mystery based in part on genealogy and local history could be so engaging?
Globe and Mail
Intense, thoughtful, and profound.
Mystery Scene
A compelling read that is hard to put down. With unique, realistic characters and the dangerous Minnesota background, this novel captures readers until the bitter end. For those looking for a psychological thriller that will make them question their beliefs and actions, Only the Dead will not disappoint.
Big Muddy
Only the Dead offers a lot of information that doesn’t change the game, but subtly advances the plot. It is a testament to the author’s skill that for long stretches, during which very little happens in the outside world, he manages not just to maintain, but to increase the tension.
Los Angeles Review of Books
About This Book
Related Publications
Related News & Events
'Only The Dead' is "genuinely gripping"
The Star Tribune reviews Vidar Sundstol's 'Only The Dead'
Euro Crime: The Ravens is 'an intriguing finale to an unusual trilogy'
'Only The Dead' is "genuinely gripping"
Euro Crime blog's Laura Root reviews Only The Dead by Vidar Sundstol
The Star Tribune reviews Vidar Sundstol's 'Only The Dead'
Carole E. Barrowman from The Star Tribune reviews 'Only The Dead' by Vidar Sundstol
Euro Crime: The Ravens is 'an intriguing finale to an unusual trilogy'
Review of Vidar Sundstol's climactic last installment in the Minnesota Trilogy.
Terrific review of ONLY THE DEAD in Publishers Weekly
ONLY THE DEAD is the second installment in Norwegian author Vidar Sundstøl’s Minnesota Trilogy. THE RAVENS, the third and final volume, is due out in Spring 2015.
Hunting Season: Revealing the Threat in Only the Dead
Review of the second book in Vidar Sundstol's Minnesota Trilogy series.
"The rule of silence, once broken, lets all kinds of weird things bubble up."
Barbara Fister for Scandinavian Crime Fiction reviews Vidar Sundstol's ONLY THE DEAD.
Scandinavian Crime Fiction on 'The Ravens'
Review (with spoiler alert!) of the third installment in Vidar Sundstol's Minnesota Trilogy.
Scandinavian Crime Fiction: An interview with Vidar Sundstøl
Barbara Fister interviews the author of the Minnesota Trilogy upon publication of its final installment, THE RAVENS.
Los Angeles Review of Books: Vidar Sundstøl's Minnesota Trilogy
Elise Moser on The Ravens and Only the Dead and The Land of Dreams.
Possible TV series to be set on the North Shore
Vidar Sundstol's Minnesota Trilogy (The Land of Dreams; Only the Dead; The Ravens) in development as a potential TV series.