Having quietly swept many crime fiction top lists for 2016, this title is a personal fave for such authors as Ragnar Jónasson and Sarah Ward. Set in Norway’s isolated fjords, this stark drama contains only two main characters. A young woman flees her past to become caregiver of  a mysterious man in a remote cabin. Her school-girl crush turns to terror as she realizes he is not what he seems. The book seethes with a menacing atmosphere where the elements of nature and Norse mythology become dark portents of  latent murder. Fans of gothic tales and Nordic noir will be wholly captivated until the final harrowing pages. Our full review of The Bird Tribunal is here.