Thursday, October 29, 2026Thu, Oct 29
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Icelandic crime authors on why chilly noir tops the charts

Iceland Noir, the Reykjavík crime festival founded in 2013 by both authors and Quentin Bates, helped turn the country's quiet chills into a bestselling export; dessert not included.

On air: Chip Darnell and Kenji Moonfield on BBN After Hours
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Photo: Ragnar Jónasson
Photo: Appelsinan · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

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  1. Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorIcelandic crime novels keep topping the charts in one of the safest countries on earth, and authors Ragnar Jónasson and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir say the draw is that it's cold and silent.

  2. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSafest country, darkest books. Everybody's keeping the crime in the paperbacks.

  3. Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorTheir festival, Iceland Noir, reportedly began over a curry in Reykjavík.

  4. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA murder festival planned over a curry. The real mystery is who paid.

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Photo: Kacy Bao · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
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