We're two-thirds of the way through January now. How many of you folks are still sticking with your New Year’s resolutions? I'm happy to say that my previous year's sufficiently vaguely worded promise to "spend more time on the Nordic Track" is still being honored. I may not be any healthier, but my reading borders have been pushed.

Yep, it’s bitter cold again and seems like the perfect time to read more of that Nordic fiction that’s so popular with the mystery kids these days. So where am I looking? Well, last year I read The Worst Thing by Aaron Elkins, Three Seconds by Roslund and Hellstrom, and James Thompson’s Lucifer's Tears, the sequel to Snow Angels (yeah, neither that James Thompson, nor that Snow Angels – but they get hardy recommendations from this blogger). Both (Roslund and Hellstrom's) Ewert Grens and (James Thompson's) Kari Vaara have new titles, Cell 8, and Helsinki White respectively.

And to kick off this new year, I’m starting with Quentin Bates’ Icelandic Officer Gunnhildur series. I’m checking out the paperback edition of the first, Frozen Assets, in anticipation of the latest, Cold Comfort. Incidentally, the series gets bonus points with me for this description of Gunnhildur, “Can’t miss her. She’s a big fat lass with a face that frightens horses.” I’m sure in the movie she’d be played by somebody lithe and fetching (Connie Nielsen?), but I like anchoring your series to a homely or just plain fugly protagonist – for instance, Jason Statham played Sgt. Brant in Blitz (adapted from Ken Bruen’s novel Blitz), but in the books, I’m always picturing somebody more along the lines of Ray Winstone or even Brendan Gleeson as the excessive-force-prone London cop. I also just read my first Jo Nesbo book to my kids, but from what I gather Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder is not his typical fare. It should be noted here that the kids can’t wait for me to read them the sequel Bubble in the Bathtub.

Anyway, I wanna know who’s the mostest best thing going in Nordic noir. What say the people? Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo? Stieg Larsson? Henning Mankell? Arnaldur Indridason? Help me out.

Jedidiah Ayres writes fiction and keeps the blog Hardboiled Wonderland.