The rain-slicked country roads of Lolland stretch out into the dark. On this quiet Danish island, where isolated vicarages and sleepy villages hide decades of silence, justice is a distant memory — and revenge is the only currency left that matters.
For years, European crime fans have known a truth that North American readers and listeners are just discovering: when it comes to high-octane suspense and unrelenting tension, no one writes like Nis Jakob. Today, we are thrilled to officially introduce his chart-topping hit series, Red Revenge, to a whole new audience.
If you’ve spent your nights devouring the dark intensity of Karin Slaughter, the relentless pace of Jo Nesbø, or binge-watching high-stakes TV hits like True Detective, The Killing, and The Bridge, it’s time to meet your next obsession.
The Mastermind Behind the Thrills: Meet Nis Jakob
What does it take to become the undisputed “Crime King” of the Nordic audiobook market? For Nis Jakob, it starts in a quiet house in Lyngo, a small town just outside Copenhagen.
Looking out at his peaceful garden and the calm countryside, you’d never guess what goes on inside his writing room. But as Nis puts it, the serene setting is essential: “In my books, everything is chaos, death, murder, and conflicts. So I need a calm place to create.”
Inside that small writing room — sitting at a simple desk with a small computer — Jakob crafts high-octane suspense using what he calls his “firewood” method:
“I’m not the type of writer who does a lot of plot planning with sticky notes. I write a few pages with the basic conflict, and then I just start. I have a pile of firewood by my side, I light the fire, and whenever I need more action or tension, I pick a fitting piece of wood and throw it on.”
That organic, unpredictable process means even Jakob doesn’t always know where his stories are headed. Characters evolve on the page, conflicts erupt out of nowhere, and the plot moves at a relentless pace. Inspired by prestige television like Breaking Bad and True Detective, Jakob fuses intimate human relationships and small-town secrets with dark web syndicates and high-stakes crime.
Watch the full video tour of Nis Jakob’s writing room and hear him talk about his process.
Unconventional Justice: Hans Schmidt & Louise Andersen
In a genre filled with standard police duos, Nis Jakob breaks the mold with an unforgettable, rogue partnership operating from opposite sides of the law:
• Hans Schmidt: A weary, retired ex-cop whose pursuit of truth lands him wrongfully convicted and locked inside Denmark’s most secure prison alongside the nation’s most dangerous criminals.
• Louise Andersen: A trauma-haunted investigator from Copenhagen trying to rebuild her broken life in a quiet rural village—only to find herself forced to choose between breaking the law or letting a monster win.
Much like the complex, morally grey investigators in True Detective (Season 1) or the raw grit of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, their power comes from their willingness to fight back when the legal system completely fails.
Why Fans of Top Crime Authors and Prestige TV Will Be Hooked
If your bookshelf or streaming queue is a “who’s who” of dark suspense, Nis Jakob is the missing piece of your collection:
For Readers of Karin Slaughter & Jo Nesbø: The plotting is fast, uncompromising, and filled with moral gray areas that force flawed characters into impossible choices.
For Viewers of True Detective & Mindhunter: Expect deep psychological trauma, visceral tension, and relentless antiheroes fighting sinister networks in the shadows.
For Fans of The Killing & The Bridge: You’ll love the rain-slicked, atmospheric Danish setting — but with a much faster, high-octane pace.
Start Your Journey Today: Angels of Death (Book 1)
When a man who committed a horrific murder ten years ago finishes his prison sentence and returns to his hometown, old scars instantly ignite. As traumatized mothers, vengeful witnesses, and local outlaw biker gangs collide in a small Danish village, retired cop Hans Schmidt steps in to stop a new tragedy—only to trigger a deadly domino effect.
The Saga Continues This Fall
The adrenaline ride doesn’t stop here. Mark your calendars for the next chapters in this pulse-pounding series:
Book 3: The Dark Abyss (Releasing September 28): The ultimate showdown begins. With Hans trapped in a maximum-security prison and a sadistic mastermind watching Louise’s every move, the duo must pull off a harrowing prison break to bring down a sinister syndicate.
Book 2: The Gates of Hell (Releasing September 14): Hiding out in a quiet village, Louise Andersen’s search for peace shatters when a corpse is found hanging on a deserted country road, dragging her and Hans into a twisted network of violence.
Looking for Book Recommendations?
• Here are the audiobooks our members have been loving, along with our staff picks that we’ve been championing.
• Looking to share your love of books? Our handy Book Clubbin’ questions make it super easy to start a book club. Or, Netflix n’ buddy-read with this year’s book-to-screen adaptations (just be prepared for the perennial debate: is the book better than the movie/show?).
• If you’re looking for something extra, we’ve got author and narrator interviews to give you a gleam inside their worlds.
• For the curious-minded, audiobooks can teach you a thing or two, from nature therapy to personal finance. It can even keep the little ones busy, so you can steal some time back for yourself.
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