Satu Rämö is a Finnish writer living in Iceland. Her nordic noir series Hildur has been translated into many languages, and is one of Gumshoe Books' bestselling series.
Satu Rämö's latest title The Secrets from the Deep is published on the 28th of May 2026.
Describe your latest book in one sentence.
A small village mystery where the greatest secrets arrive on the waves of the Atlantic ocean.
What soundtrack do you suggest readers should listen to while they read your latest book?
An Icelandic classic song called “Stál og hnífur” by Bubbi Morthens. The song name means “Steel and Knife”. The song is about love, death and broken dreams. It is a mix of poetic imagery and a mysterious tone, a calm guitar and harmonica piece. I always listen to music when I write and therefore I have set up a playlist on Spotify for each book of mine. The playlist for this book (The Secrets from Deep) is called Rakel (named after one of the main characters in the book).
What's next?
The Stranger from the Mountains comes out in UK in fall 2026. It is the fifth book in the Hildur series, and concerns a gruesome discovery made by farmers at the top of a mountain… At the moment I’m working on the sixth book in Hildur series (Dísa) which is set to publish in Finnish in October 2026.
What was the first book you remember reading?
I think it was a horse stable mystery called Surprise Stallion (Yllätysori in Finnish, written by Merja Jalo). I think I was around 7 years old when I read it. I loved – and I still do! – horse stable mysteries.
Please list your top five all-time favourite books (any genre)
- Stephen King: Misery
- Claire Castillon: My Mother Never Dies
- Väinö Linna: Under the North Star trilogy (Täällä Pojantähden alla)
- Stieg Larsson: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Eeva Kilpi: A Landscape Blossoms Within Me
What is the most underrated crime novel, and why does it deserve more attention?
This is a hard one! Arnaldur Indriðason is one of the great crime writers in Iceland. His crime series with detective Erlendur is popular – for a reason! My favourite book in the Erlendur series is Silence of the Grave. It won the Glass Key award and the Gold Dagger so it definetely is not underrated! Still, I can't help but mention it. The book does a great job of discussing Icelandic history, how the past affects us, and how serious a crime domestic violence is.
The Gumshoe Dude sneaks into your latest story while you’re not looking. What is he doing there?
He works as a cook in a small, sweet retirement home in Isafjörður. Along with his work, he listens to the elderly people talk, trying to figure out who the murderer is...
And now for the quick questions:
Top book on your TBR (to-be-read)
Anders de la Motte Ruostemetsä (in English The Rust Forest).
Poirot or Rebus?
Hercule Poirot.
Keyboard or pen?
Keyboard.
Audio or E-book?
Audio. I love to listen to books when I knit or go for a long cross country skiing trip.
If you turn on the radio now, what station is playing?
RÚV1. It is the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.
And finally, your writing beverage of choice?
Coffee with fatty cow milk.
Questions ©Bonnie Burke-Patel and Anneli Meeder; Responses ©Satu Rämö, author photo ©Björgvin Hilmarsson
