Reykjavík Literary Agency is thrilled to announce a major six-book deal for Steindór Ívarsson‘s Cold Blood Series, with Gyldendal Astra acquiring Swedish, Danish and Finnish rights to all six titles, including books five and six, which are still to be written.
Acquiring editor Emilie Harild Gaardboe said:
“We found Drained immensely captivating, with a pace that keeps the pages turning and a deeply human tragedy at its core. The story’s connection to the blood mare industry gives the book a strong sense of place and a premise that feels both uniquely Icelandic and universally compelling. It’s exactly the kind of crime fiction we love to publish.”
Alongside this, Gyldendal Norsk Forlag has pre-empted Norwegian rights to book one, Drained. Siren Marøy Myklebust, Editorial Director for Crime and Commercial Fiction, said:
“Nordic noir at its finest, Drained is raw, elegant, and unsettlingly believable. Combining relentless suspense with deeply human conflicts, it offers a fascinating glimpse into Icelandic society while delivering a gripping plot and unforgettable reading experience.”
The Cold Blood Series follows Detective Rúna and her partner Hanna as they work Reykjavík’s most disturbing modern-day murders, only to find each case rooted in a decades-old injustice. Drained opens the series by drawing on Iceland’s controversial blood mare farming industry, grounding its crime plot in a distinctly Icelandic setting while delivering the suspense and emotional depth that define Steindór’s writing. The book was nominated for the Icelandic Crime Fiction Award in 2023, with the two subsequent instalments, Carved and Masked, following suit in 2024 and building the series’ reputation for tightly plotted, socially engaged Nordic Noir.
Steindór Ívarsson is one of Iceland’s most widely read and decorated authors, with a fanbase among the largest of any active Icelandic writer and seven Icelandic Audiobook Award nominations to his name. RLA is pleased to see such strong early support for the Cold Blood Series across the Nordic region and looks forward to bringing it to further markets.
