Stefan Ahnhem

Stefan Ahnhem is a Swedish crime novelist and screenwriter whose work has become a defining voice in the Nordic noir tradition. He is best known for the internationally bestselling Fabian Risk series, a cycle of crime novels that blend dark atmosphere with the fast pace and visual structure of screenwriting. Since the release of Victim Without a Face in 2014, his books have sold more than three million copies and been translated into over twenty-five languages, placing him among the most widely read Scandinavian crime writers of his generation.

Ahnhem’s path to writing began in childhood, though an early struggle with dyslexia shaped it. As he has explained, he had difficulty placing letters in the correct order and worked with wooden alphabet blocks while other students learned Swedish grammar. Despite this challenge, he developed a strong interest in storytelling and later pursued a career in film and television.

Over more than two decades as a screenwriter, he contributed to a wide range of projects, including adaptations of Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander series. He also serves on the board of the Swedish Writers Guild.

His debut novel, Victim Without a Face (2014), introduced investigator Fabian Risk and won Sweden’s Crimetime Specsavers Award as well as Germany’s MIMI Prize for best crime fiction. The novel set the tone for the series by combining complex plotting with the tense, atmospheric quality associated with Scandinavian crime fiction. It was followed by The Ninth Grave (2015), a prequel that expands the cross-border world between Sweden and Denmark. Subsequent instalments include Eighteen Below (2016), Motive X (2018), X Ways to Die (2019), and The Final Nail (2021), each exploring the moral ambiguities of police work and the personal cost of confronting violent crime.

In interviews, Ahnhem has explained that the setting of Helsingborg — his hometown across the strait from Denmark — provides the ideal backdrop for Risk's universe, even if he no longer imagines living there himself. He has commented on the protagonist, stating that Risk is distinct from many cynical crime heroes because he "had a family, was sentimental, and a devoted fan of crime fiction". However, years of confronting serial offenders have given the character a more nuanced and complex character.

After publishing the standalone novel Nothing But the Truth, Ahnhem returns to his signature universe in 2025 with Generation Zero, continuing the arc of Fabian Risk for an international audience.

Stefan Ahnhem lives in Stockholm.

Photo credit: Gabriel Liljeval