Yrsa Sigurdardottir Standalone Novels books in order

Yrsa Sigurdardottir's four standalone crime novels — I Remember You (2010), The Undesired (2012), Why Did You Lie? (2013), and The Prey (2020) — are darker and more horror-inflected than her series work, often featuring supernatural elements alongside the crime plots.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 I Remember You 2010 Yrsa Sigurdardottir Buy
2 The Undesired 2012 Yrsa Sigurdardottir Buy
3 Why Did You Lie? 2013 Yrsa Sigurdardottir Buy
4 The Prey 2020 Yrsa Sigurdardottir Buy

Sigurdardottir’s standalone novels allow her to experiment with tone in ways her series don’t. I Remember You (2010) is the most widely read of the four — a genuinely frightening novel that begins with a group of friends renovating an old house in a remote Icelandic fjord and takes a turn toward the supernatural that most crime writers would not risk. It has been adapted for film and is the book most often recommended for readers new to her work who want something different from the usual Nordic noir.

The Undesired (2012) and Why Did You Lie? (2013) are more conventional thrillers, both psychologically complex and rooted in Iceland’s specific social landscape. The Prey (2020), her most recent standalone, continues this interest in isolated settings and the particular dread that comes from being unable to escape.


Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Yrsa Sigurdardottir Standalone Novels series?

There are four books in the Yrsa Sigurdardottir Standalone Novels series, published between 2010 and 2020.

What is the first book in the Yrsa Sigurdardottir Standalone Novels series?

The first book in the Yrsa Sigurdardottir Standalone Novels series is I Remember You, published in 2010.

Are Yrsa Sigurdardottir's standalone novels different from her series books?

Yes. Her standalones tend to be darker and more horror-inflected than the Thora or Children’s House books. I Remember You in particular is considered one of the scariest crime novels to come out of Iceland and blends genuine horror with crime fiction.

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