Karin Fossum Books in Order (Updated February 22, 2026)

Karin Fossum is a Norwegian author known for psychologically sharp crime fiction. Her reading order breaks into three buckets: the long-running Inspector Konrad Sejer novels, a newer Eddie Feber series (mostly discussed in Scandinavian markets so far), and a small set of standalone/non-series books.

Find your starting point in 10 seconds

• You want classic Nordic police procedural with deep character focus: start with Eva’s Eye (Inspector Sejer #1).
• You want a strong mid-series entry that shows her style quickly: try Don’t Look Back (Inspector Sejer #2).
• You want a short, standalone psychological jolt: read I Can See in the Dark.
• You want her newest investigator line: start with Deadly Dragon, Remorseful Dog (Eddie Feber #1) (availability in English varies).

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What actually “needs” an order?

Instead of a continuity map, use these two rules:

1. Follow the investigator’s track.
   If the same detective name is on the spine (Sejer or Feber), read that series in order for the cleanest character arc.
2. Everything else is grab-and-go.
   Her non-series novels and poetry/short-story collections don’t require any sequence.

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Inspector Konrad Sejer series (recommended order)

These are the books most English-language readers mean when they say “Karin Fossum.” Each title is a complete case, but Sejer’s life and working relationships move forward over time.

1. Eva’s Eye (also published as In the Darkness in some markets): Sejer’s world opens with a case that establishes the series’ tone, quiet dread, close observation, human motives.
2. Don’t Look Back: A missing-person case turns into something darker, and the series’ emotional realism becomes clear early.
3. He Who Fears the Wolf: A violent incident draws Sejer into a tense pursuit shaped by fear, misunderstanding, and chance.
4. When the Devil Holds the Candle: A small transgression triggers a chain of harm, with Sejer arriving to make sense of what people set in motion.
5. Calling Out for You (also published as The Indian Bride in some markets): A bride’s disappearance becomes a case about loneliness, vulnerability, and what can’t be undone.
6. Black Seconds: A child vanishes, and the investigation tightens around a limited window where every minute matters.
7. The Murder of Harriet Krohn: A seemingly straightforward death opens into unsettling questions about privacy, cruelty, and hidden lives.
8. The Water’s Edge: A body is found, and the case pushes Sejer into a web where everyone’s account feels incomplete.
9. Bad Intentions: A morally knotty case where small choices and bad timing build toward irreversible consequences.
10. The Caller: A threatening voice and a spreading fear test how quickly a community can turn suspicious.
11. The Drowned Boy: A death by the water pulls Sejer toward a truth that refuses neat explanations.
12. Hellfire: Sejer faces a case shaped by memory, long consequences, and what people keep buried.
13. The Whisperer: A later-series investigation that leans into how violence can grow quietly inside ordinary routines.
14. The Darkening: A family tragedy demands answers, and Sejer must separate accident, blame, and concealment.
15. Lovely Creature: A teenage girl is found dead, and the case threads through beauty, danger, and the stories people tell about each other.

Note on editions: English-language availability is strongest for the earlier Sejer run; later Sejer titles may appear under Norwegian titles or may not be widely available in English in all regions.

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Eddie Feber series (new investigator line)

This is Fossum’s newer detective series featuring Eddie Feber, and it’s best read in order.

1. Deadly Dragon, Remorseful Dog: Introduces Eddie Feber and his unconventional energy in a case that mixes community observation with a sharp psychological edge.
2. The Night Runner: A frightening pattern of attacks escalates as Feber races a killer whose logic is part of the threat.
3. Farewell, Farah Diba: A child’s disappearance becomes a deeply personal case that also reveals more of Feber’s private life.
4. First There Was Darkness: A darker entry that leans into atmosphere and the slow approach of something inevitable.
5. Come Home, Amadou: Feber investigates a long-ago disappearance as memory, silence, and old fear return with force.

Availability note: These books are well-documented in Scandinavian publication, but English-language releases can be uneven, check your preferred retailer/library listing for translated editions.

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Standalone novels and other books (no series order)

These don’t rely on Sejer or Feber and can be read whenever you want a break from the detective lines.

• The House of Crazy: A non-series novel that explores fragile lives and the cost of crossing certain lines.
• Jonas Eckel: A standalone built around identity and consequence rather than an ongoing detective arc.
• The Night of November 4th: A standalone with a compressed, ominous feel where one night changes everything.
• Broken: A standalone focused on rupture, what snaps inside a person, and what follows afterward.
• I Can See in the Dark: A short, intense standalone that plays with guilt, fear, and the terrible relief of being “caught” for the wrong thing.
• We Who Are Dead: A slim poetry book rather than a crime novel, best approached as a separate side of her writing life.

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Recommended reading plans (pick one)

• The “start from the beginning” plan: Sejer #1 → #15 in order.
• The “best first impression” plan: Don’t Look Back → The Indian Bride → Black Seconds, then decide whether to go back to #1 or keep moving forward.
• The “standalone sampler” plan: I Can See in the Dark, then jump into Sejer #1 when you want a longer arc.

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Latest status

• Most recently documented Sejer novel: Lovely Creature (Sejer #15).
• Most recent Eddie Feber novel: Come Home, Amadou (Feber #5, 2025).

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FAQs

Do I have to read Inspector Sejer in order?
It’s recommended. Each case stands alone, but Sejer’s relationships and personal history build steadily across the sequence.

Why do I see different titles for the same book?
Some translations were retitled by market. The most common examples are Eva’s Eye / In the Darkness and Calling Out for You / The Indian Bride.

What if I only want the books that are easiest to find in English?
Start with the earlier Inspector Sejer list (especially books #2-#10) and add I Can See in the Dark as a quick standalone.