FictionNon-fictionChildren's & YAAuthorsAbout us

Representing the authors and titles of Cappelen Damm for translation and adaptation rights worldwide.

Catalogue

  • Fiction
  • Non-fiction
  • Children's & YA
  • Authors

Agency

  • About us
  • Rights catalogues
  • Rights deals
  • News
  • Fairs & events

Get in touch

rights@cappelendamm.no
Stortingsgata 28, Oslo

© 2026 Cappelen Damm AS · Rights & AgencyPrivacy & cookiescappelendamm.no

Crime & thriller

Literary fictionCrime & thrillerNarrative non-fictionChildren's & YASelf helpCook booksCrafts & hobbies

Browse

FictionNon-fictionChildren's & YA

Foreign rights

Rights sold

Genre

Children's Books902Literature and Fiction722Narrative Non-fiction336Self Help179Crafts and Hobbies146Mystery and Crime143Cook Books107UpLit82

Published

2025 and newer2020–20242015–20192014 and older

Rights sold to

Clear all filters

84 titles with rights sold

Mystery and CrimeRights soldClear all
The Drowned Boy
Literature and Fiction / Mystery and Crime2014 · 224 pp

The Drowned Boy

Karin Fossum

"He´d just learned to walk" she said. "He was sitting playing on his blanket, then all of a sudden he was gone." A 16-month-old boy is found drowned in a pond right by his home. Chief Inspector Sejer is called to the scene, as there is something troubling about the mother´s story. As even her own family turns against her, Sejer is determined to get the truth. This is the eleventh book about Inspector Sejer. Fossum´s Inspector Sejer novels are invariably morally and psychologically complex affairs, but The Drowned Boy might well be her crowning achievement to date. IRISH TIMES Karin Fossums minimalist police procedurals have a stealthy way of mutating into richer, if also darker, psychological studies of criminals and their victims.NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW A gripping story, balanced, believable and compassionate.GUARDIAN

Rights soldSold to 9 territories
1234567
(DEVIL’S SPAWN)
Mystery and Crime2014 · 336 pp

(DEVIL’S SPAWN)

Elisabeth Gulbrandsen / Chris Tvedt

In the first book about crime squad investigator Edvard Matre, Av jord er du kommet, Edvard's sweetheart Victoria killed the man who murdered her friend. Edvard helped her to dispose of the body. At the end of the second book, Den blinde guden, Victoria travelled back to Bergen and confessed to the murder.Djevelens barn starts with the case against Victoria being dropped due to lack of evidence. Edvard has so far avoided being fired due to his involvement, but he has been transferred to a new department set up to look into cases of missing child asylum seekers. All Edvard wants is to get his old job as a homicide detective back.One day, a worried young woman comes into his office. A thirteen year old boy has disappeared from the reception where she works and no one seems to care. Against his will, Edvard starts looking into the case, but soon he realises that something is very, very wrong.In Bergen, Victoria can't live with her guilt. She is obsessed with the idea of finding out the identity of the man she killed. She eventually receives help from recently retired policeman Preben Jordal, who also struggles to put the case from his mind. But finding out more about a murder is not without danger. Just because it's done and buried doesn't mean it's dead…There is little more to say except to congratulate on a smartly completed work... Superbly exciting and intelligently plotted.’VG‘Den blinde gudenis Chris Tvedt’s second book about DI Edvard Matre. The first one was good, the second one just as good.’DAGBLADET ‘This is a story which accelerates immensely. The tensions built into several storylines are tightened at the same time throughout the 92 brisk chapters. Well plotted, elegantly invented and, definitely, no happy end. This will become a TV series, the only question is how soon.’BERGENS TIDENDE Crime fiction with thriller features and multiple tense, slowly unravelling storylines.’ADRESSEAVISEN ‘Chris Tvedt and Elisabeth Guldbrandsen occasionally write great passages that are fit to be filmed. The heart-breaking opening scene and the videoed account of the robbery hit the reader where it hurts.’BERGENSAVISEN ‘Den blinde guden is one of the more believable narratives that have so far emerged out of this autumn’s flow of crime fiction. Believability doesn’t make any less exciting than everybody else’s hunts for serial killers, but rather the opposite.’ DAGSAVISEN

Rights soldSold to Denmark
Hellfire
Literature and Fiction / Mystery and Crime2014 · 256 pp

Hellfire

Karin Fossum

A rusty old caravan sits in a forest grove. The door is open and a four or five year old child lies inside. The child's body has been chopped into pieces and is nearly drained of blood. An adult woman, presumably the child's mother, lies on a sofa, also stabbed to death.This is brutal even for Konrad Sejer. The deceased are Connie, who works as home help for the elderly, and Simon, her son. There are many characters in this book, but the central figures are Connie and Simon as well as Mamma Mass and her 21-yearold son Eddie. Both are single mothers not in contact with the fathers of their children. As Connie works as home help, we also encounter many other people and their destinies in the homes she visits. The author switches deftly between chapters set in 2004 and chapters set in 2005, or rather, before and after the murders. This increases the tension, and the reader is able to participate in solving the mystery of who the killer is. There are many clues leading in different directions. Helvetesilden deals with topics such as poverty in a wealthy Norway, the situation of the elderly and the absence of a father. But above all it makes for very exciting reading. ‘Helvetesilden is one of Karin Fossum’s best crime stories. … In her writing, Fossum expertly captures the nuances of everyday life and the way in which living people struggle to make sense of life. She does it with a subdued tone and an unwavering dedication to her characters. … In Helvetesilden, the story approaches a point which is heartbreaking rather than thrilling. This novel shows that Karin Fossum is in a class of her own as a crime writer.’DAGSAVISEN ‘Here she delivers what must be one of her most penetrating and moving novels. An author at the height of her creative ability. … The composition is almost a stroke of genius in itself, as for a long time we are at a complete loss as to how Fossum intends to fuse the parallel storylines. … The way she does it demonstrates both her mastery of her trade and her formidable ability to portray tormented minds without diminishing them through inconsequential platitudes about insanity and other dissociative diagnoses.’AFTENPOSTEN ‘The opening scene showcases Fossum at her best – the dank camper van, the heat and the brutal murders. The detailed, subdued tone; the grotesque in the middle of the everyday.’DAGBLADET ‘A really high-grade crime novel should delve deep into human motivation, both that of the main characters and the supporting characters, so that the hero and antagonist are not merely presented in black and white. And not least, the language should be functional, precise and efficient. There are not many people who write like this within the extensive crime genre. Karin Fossum is one of few who can. She writes high-quality crime of the best, international standard. She has now focused her attention on a novel which, in my opinion, has to be one of her very best. It is called Helvetesilden. So disturbing, riveting and painful that you can’t help but be drawn in.’TØNSBERG BLAD ‘And just like Ibsen, Fossum’s use of language is beautiful - precise, expertly calling to mind images without ever employing a single superfluous word… it is a sheer joy to reunite with old companions Sejer and Skarre ... Their best attributes are put to the test, and yet again they pass with flying colours. The same can be said for Karin Fossum.’DRAMMENS TIDENDE ‘Intricate and surprising.’VARDEN‘Karin Fossum is the most literary of the Norwegian crime writers ... The novel is skilfully composed, and several of the characters from Helvetesilden will remain with the reader long after the final page has been turned.’ADRESSEAVISEN‘Karin Fossum has mastered the art of describing the exhausting everyday lives of individuals. We come to understand how a monstrous double-murder can occur, and Fossum writes with a wonderful and affectionate eye for detail and the bonds that connect people.’OPPLAND ARBEIDERBLAD‘It is a joy to observe the weaving together of the three parallel stories contained within the novel - the author is in her element in this respect. The way in which she describes the crime and that which is hidden in the shadow of madness reveals an empathetic logic from which many members of society can learn a great deal. Karin Fossum is truly a writer unlike all others.’TRØNDER-AVISA‘The tight focus on the protagonists and the tempting darkness lurking beneath the surface makes this no typical tale of murder and police investigation. Instead, this is a story of human destiny, buried history and painful feelings that grip the reader and refuse to let go until long after the book has ended.’TELEMARKSAVISA‘Helvetesilden is a strong sequel to Fossum’s earlier psychological novels - glittering prose situated within a framework that both fascinates and inspires the reader.’GJENGANGEREN‘Yet again, Karin Fossum delivers an impressive piece of work - one would expect no less...’LO-MEDIA

Rights soldSold to 9 territories
The Anthill Murders
Mystery and Crime2014 · 432 pp

The Anthill Murders

Hans Olav Lahlum

In my mind I've been standing here waiting every evening for weeks. But tonight, Monday the 24th of April 1972, is the first time I've actually done it. Of course I've stood waiting for women before, but never out here – and never like this. My watch shows ten to eleven. It's a dark, drizzly night. The rain further increases my excitement. When I left home I still doubted whether I would and could go through with this. Maurtuemordene is the seventh book about K2 and Patricia. There's a serial killer on the loose in Oslo. Young women are being found strangled in different parts of town. The killer leaves a strange, child-like drawing of an ant next to every body. The first victim is a pretty theology student, the next a somewhat flamboyant jazz singer and then, an heir to one of Norway's largest fortunes. But soon there'll be more. K2 gropes blindly for a link between the victims, but can't find anything other than the obvious – that they've all been murdered. Even Patricia's sharp mind and non-traditional reasoning falls short. K2 is in danger of losing his title as Oslo's undisputed best detective. His boss is anything but pleased, and the pressure grows with every hour that passes. This year's novel by Hans Olav Lahlum is an astounding psychological thriller. Previous books in the series have been sold to Denmark, Korea and the UK. ‘Despite having written many crime novels, he is still to receive the prestigious Riverton Prize for Best Crime Novel of the Year. Maurtuemordene should be one of the candidates for the prize in 2014.’ 6 out of 6 TVEDESTRANDSPOSTEN ‘Maurtuemordene is a very thoughtful and gripping story where brutality leads the way into a cold society where individuals often cannot find their footing.’ GJENGANGEREN

Rights soldSold to Greece and United Kingdom
The Drowned Boy
Literature and Fiction / Mystery and Crime2013 · 224 pp

The Drowned Boy

Karin Fossum

Konrad Sejer is back! In Carmen Zita og døden, Sejer is very present indeed, not only as the thoughtful, incisive crime investigator but also the human being Konrad Sejer, with problems of his own to deal with. The picture of his beloved Elise hangs on the wall of his sitting room and, every day, he shares some thoughts with her. The dog Frank Robert, a Chinese Shar- Pei, is always at his side. His evenings usually end with a whisky with water and a lonely cigarette. This time, Skarre arrives at the scene first. A small child has drowned in a pond. One unguarded moment and the very worst thing has happened. The young parents are devastated and everything indicates that the death was an accident. But Skarre is taken aback by something about the mother, and tells Sejer of his impressions. As always in cases of sudden death, an investigation is begun and Carmen, the child’s mother, proves to be somebody rather special. Selfish, shallow, spoilt and crazily vain. This novel has everything you have come to expect from Karin Fossum’s crime fiction; a terrible incident and well-drawn, exciting pictures of the people involved, solid police work and a surprising turn of events. And, as ever, literary writing at a high level. ‘Karin Fossum is among our foremost authors, regardless of genre. This because of her unique ability to create real people and her deep understanding of the human soul. She has always mastered this, but never better than in Carmen Zita og døden.’Drammens Tidende‘As usual, Fossum shines with her descriptions of her characters and unpleasant exploration of the human soul. And no other couple of investigators have left such a mark in the souls of crime fiction readers than Konrad Sejer and Jacob Skarre.’Trønderavisa‘Among Fossum’s finest novels … another novel from Karin Fossum with a strong literary quality all the way, wisely distributed portions of revealing details and quivering suspense.’Dagsavisen‘Karin Fossum shows us how the crime novel can be more than sheer entertainment literature. … Well-written and gripping about the hidden murders.’Dagbladet ‘Around the fascinating Carmen character a room for reflection opens up, related to the much debated sorting society. To this comes Sejer’s and Skarre’s not entirely coordinated religious contemplations. … Karin Fossum always gives the reader the solid pleasure of being in good hands, simply because she has something to tell which exceeds the mastery of this genre’s machinery.’Aftenposten

Rights soldSold to 9 territories
The Blind God
Mystery and Crime2013 · 432 pp

The Blind God

Elisabeth Gulbrandsen / Chris Tvedt

In the previous Tvedt crime novel, Av jord er du kommet, we met his new hero, Edvard Matre, investigator with the crime squad. Matre is also the leading character in the new crime story, Den blinde guden. An exceptionally brutal robbery ends in murder. Edvard Matre and his team are investigating. The trail leads them to a group of violent right-wing extremists, but, to Edvard’s total frustration, he is told by the PST, the Norwegian security services, to keep off. Which is easier said than done. In the end, Edvard has to make up his mind about what matters most: ‘The safety of the realm’ or a woman’s life. At the same time, he also has to deal with the growing suspicion that one of his own people may have lives on his conscience. Chris Tvedt’s previous crime novels are sold to the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine. ‘There is little more to say except to congratulate on a smartly completed work ... Superbly exciting and intelligently plotted.’VG‘Den blinde guden is Chris Tvedt’s second book about DI Edvard Matre. The first one was good, the second one just as good.’Dagbladet ‘This is a story which accelerates immensely. The tensions built into several storylines are tightened at the same time throughout the 92 brisk chapters. Well plotted, elegantly invented and, definitely, no happy end. This will become a TV series, the only question is how soon.’Bergens Tidende‘Crime fiction with thriller features and multiple tense, slowly unravelling storylines.’Adresseavisen‘Chris Tvedt and Elisabeth Guldbrandsen occasionally write great passages that are fit to be filmed. The heart-breaking opening scene and the videoed account of the robbery hit the reader where it hurts.’Bergensavisen‘Den blinde guden is one of the more believable narratives that have so far emerged out of this autumn’s flow of crime fiction. Believability doesn’t make any less exciting than everybody else’s hunts for serial killers, but rather the opposite.’Dagsavisen

Rights soldSold to Denmark and Germany
The Chameleon People
Mystery and Crime2013 · 392 pp

The Chameleon People

Hans Olav Lahlum

This is Lahlum’s fifth book about K2 and Patricia. We have reached 1972, Norway is conflicted about the EEC and Soviet spying is not unheard of. On Saturday 25th March, the weekend calm is shattered when a small boy, scared for his life and with a bloody knife in his pocket, frenziedly rings K2’s doorbell. The boy manages to say just two sentences: ‘Please let me in! They are after me and I must talk to you before they get to me!’ before his pursuers get hold of him. They turn out to be policemen and the bloody knife is the weapon that killed Per Johan Fredriksen, a Member of Parliament. The boy refuses to utter a single word more and K2 wonders if this murder case will be solved quickly, or if the boy tells the truth and, if he does, how he got hold of the bloody knife from the murder scene. The investigation closes in on Fredriksen and hidden events in his past which may also be relevant to why he was killed. In his youth he was one of six friends – three couples – who were present during a holiday weekend when one of them, the man all the girls wanted, died under mysterious circumstances. The five survivors kept in contact off and on, and Fredriksen married the dead man’s sister. When K2 investigates the MP’s day job, one issue turns out to be the political relationship between Norway and the Soviet Union. K2 needs help. And, who can he turn to, except Patricia? This will have unexpected consequences for his partner, Miriam. Hans Olav Lahlum has written a new, exciting crime story drawn from Norway’s recent history. EEC arguments and espionage mixed with personal passions and intrigues. A true Lahlum crime novel! ‘When it comes to the author’s stylish depiction of the setting and tonal style, these are exactly the literary ingredients which make these books liberatingly different from most other Norwegian and Nordic contemporary crime writing.’ TØNSBERG BLAD ‘Hans Olav Lahlum has many talents, and in The Chameleon People he makes full use of them in a refined and effective way.’ VG ‘This is a great book about our recent history, with the EEC debate and espionage for the Soviet Union interspersed with personal suffering and intrigue.’ TVEDESTRANDPOSTEN ‘Once again Hans Olav Lahlum delivers quality, first-class crime writing. ... Lahlum is a brilliant storyteller and a master of capturing the imagination of the reader. I would not hesitate to recommend this book.’ RINGERIKES BLAD ‘Lahlum writes knowledgably about the time he is portraying. The names he gives to famous people of that time are particularly amusing. The author writes a prose which is suitable for the time period the story is set in. He is secure in his writing style and very funny.’ GUDBRANDSDØLEN DAGNINGEN ‘In The Chameleon People, Lahlum takes a closer look at the outside drama than he has previously and tries something a bit different while still making use of his formula for success.’ OPPLAND ARBEIDERBLAD ‘Playing with the genre … There is still nothing to fault his plots for. He has once again written a book which confirms he is a true crime writer.’ DAGSAVISEN ‘… K2 has not become a famous detective for no reason. Despite his general confusion when it comes to love, he focuses on the investigation, and with help from the genius Borchmann, he effectively propels the reader through his well thought-out murder mystery. … New and entertaining retro crime from hard-working historian Hans Olav Lahlum.’ DAGBLADET

Rights soldSold to Greece and United Kingdom
Certain Signs of Your Death
Mystery and Crime2013 · 416 pp

Certain Signs of Your Death

Torkil Damhaug

In Akershus University Hospital, a patient disappears. In the evening, his body is found in a basement box-room with its throat cut. When retired forensic pathologist Jennifer Plåterud is called in to examine the dead man, she has no idea of how closely she is involved in the murder herself. In the merciless light of summer, she is gradually forced to grasp the connections she would have preferred to ignore. This is a psychologically tense, closed-room crime story set in a hospital, but with links to the Balkan wars in the 1990s, the Rosengård gangs in the Swedish city of Malmö and Torkil Damhaug’s own world of characters from the Romerike district near Oslo. With Sikre tegn på din død Damhaug has completed his planned quartet of psychological thrillers, each book set in a different season. He won the Riverton Prize for the third book in the quartet; Ildmannen. ‘Sophisticated and well-integrated ?gourmet crime’ from Damhaug with a plot which spans nations, all sewn together with surgical precision.’VG ‘Convoluted murder mosaic reaching out through time and space.’STAVANGER AFTENBLAD ‘Great crime writing from Riverton prize winner Damhaug... Sikre tegn på din død is a brilliant new psychological crime novel from someone who knows their craft and has taken their research seriously.’FÆDRELANDSVENNEN ‘A thoughtful thriller … Damhaug fires an adrenaline-inducing starting gun, and then all you can do is sit back and follow it around the bends of intelligent intrigue and through a number of destinies which in addition to many other things embody the complexity of a new, multicultural Norway. ... overall a superior thriller, boosted by Marius Renberg’s exceptionally indulgent and imaginative cover design.’AFTENPOSTEN ‘More than a thriller … Torkil Damhaug is an ambitious author, he wants to do more than just tell a readable story.’AKTUELL

Rights soldSold to 4 territories
Scavenger
Literature and Fiction / Mystery and Crime2013 · 448 pp

Scavenger

Eystein Hanssen

In an old earth cellar in Vika, a homeless drifter finds the remains of a child. Or is it? Elli investigates the site and discovers more remains. Slowly, the site is further excavated and claustrophobic tunnels and forgotten bunkers are uncovered. It is a world apart, where animals are mistreated and people killed. Only the murderer knows all the exits. But Elli must get in there. She has several lives to protect. Do we really know what exists under the ground in Oslo? This is the fourth book about Elli Rathke, the half Norwegian/half Thai investigator with a black belt in karate. ‘This time, Eystein Hanssen takes us down into very unpleasant tunnels and bunkers underneath the roads and pavements of the city. An interesting journey, as many of them actually exist. In the plot itself, the author also shows us something real, a special environment unknown to many which I have not seen discussed in a novel so far. And the reader does not only get a trip down into the dark spaces under Oslo, but also a trip into the darkest corners of the human mind. … exciting throughout.’ VG ‘Eystein Hanssen is socially engaged and looks at contemporary issues. This time he touches upon various issues such as fauna crime, illegal adoption and the abuse of au pairs. These themes are handled in an interesting way. ...I expected excitement in book number four about Elli and was not disappointed. I think Eystein Hanssen has done it again. He has a unique ability to create thrillers from contemporary issues. This makes for both frightening and exciting reading. There is no shortage of action, and the end in particular is breathtaking. All the loose threads are tied up and solutions are found.’ OPPLAND ARBEIDERBLAD ‘Frightening and brilliant … He keeps the excitement going for 448 pages. You just want to keep reading, and it is almost sad when it’s over.’ STAVANGER AFTENBLAD

Rights soldSold to Germany and Sweden
The Five Matches
Mystery and Crime2012 · 272 pp

The Five Matches

Hans Olav Lahlum

A sober school master is violently upset when, during the week after Christmas, he receives an envelope containing five matches. The next morning, he is found in the snow, killed by a gunshot. This is one of three murder mysteries set in 1971, and the fourth book in the successful series about K2 and Patricia.

Rights soldSold to United Kingdom
I can see in the dark
Literature and Fiction / Mystery and Crime2012 · 224 pp

I can see in the dark

Karin Fossum

Riktor doesn´t ask the policeman why he has stormed into his house without knocking - he´s certain that someone has finally realised what happened that day. As the policeman questions him, however, Riktor realises that he´s being accused of something completely unexpected - something he has nothing to do with. But can Riktor convince the policeman that he´s innocent of one wrongdoing without revealing that he´s guilty of another, far more terrible, crime? The storytelling is outstanding...Dark, brilliant and guaranteed to leave you feeling queasy.CRIMEFICTIONLOVER Fossum´s elucidation of the criminally degenerate mind is first-rate.DAILY MAIL A superb writer of psychological suspense.NEW YORK TIMES Fossum writes humane thrillers, which perturb and chill.OBSERVER

Rights soldSold to 10 territories
The Catalyst Murder
Mystery and Crime2012 · 352 pp

The Catalyst Murder

Hans Olav Lahlum

This is the third volume in the crime fiction series featuring K2 and Patricia: it takes place in Oslo and in the mountainous region of Valdres during August 1970. In Oslo, K2 witnesses a young woman desperately trying to catch a tram, but the doors slam shut in front of her face – the next time he sees her, she is dead. Killed by a shot, she is found between the tram tracks. A new test case for K2’s mental powers. The affair started two years earlier, when a group of politically active young people set out on a bothy walking tour in Valdres. One of them, the charismatic leader Falko Reinhardt, disappears during the night before 3 August. Now, K2’s murder victim turns out to have been Reinhardt’s girlfriend. It doesn’t take K2 long to realise that to solve the present-day murder he must go back in time, maybe further than just 1968. Once more, only Patricia can help him, but he fails to notice that she has her own problems to fight... ‘Lahlum in top form.’ VG ‘The historian Hans Olav Lahlum’s third crime novel is so thrilling it is impossible to put down.’ Fædrelandsvennen ‘Katalysatormordet is so entertaining and cleverly plotted that I will be happy to read 15 more books in this series.’ Dagbladet ‘All of the books in the series are very well-written and excellent. Katalysatormordet is perhaps the best one of them all.’ Telemarksavisa'Another highly political book, written as a traditional whodunnit, is The Catalyst Killing by Hans Olav Lahlum. This time we’re in Oslo in 1970, where a young woman is murdered at a train station. She turns out to be the fiancee and comrade of the charismatic leader of a breakaway communist group. He disappeared two years earlier, in a puzzle that has never been solved. Inspector Kristiansen, secretly mentored as ever by a housebound young genius, finds it unimaginable that the two cases aren’t linked. But why has Marie been killed now? Lahlum gives us a sympathetic look at the world of political sects and a satisfying mystery set in a time when the authorities all over western Europe lived in daily dread of red revolution.'MORNING STAR

Rights soldSold to 5 territories