Millennium
Nordic noir
Series · nordic noir
Annika Bengtzon
The Annika Bengtzon series by Liza Marklund has 11 known books (11 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Bomber (2001). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is The Final Word.
- Books
- 11 known books (11 novels)
- Published
- 11
- First published
- 2000
- Status
- hiatus
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime, Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: The Bomber (2001) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Bomber
The Bomber (394 pages) opens Liza Marklund's eleven-novel Annika Bengtzon series, introducing the Stockholm tabloid reporter whose relentless pursuit of stories keeps pulling her into the crimes she covers -- one of the foundational works of Scandinavian crime fiction, first published in Swedish in 1998. Studio Sex follows it in the internal chronology.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bomber - Book 2:
Studio Sex
Studio Sex (368 pages) picks up directly after The Bomber in Annika Bengtzon's internal chronology, continuing Marklund's portrait of a crime reporter whose chaotic personal life -- an unstable marriage, young children, newsroom politics -- runs alongside the murders and corruption she investigates. Paradise continues the thread.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Studio Sex - Book 3:
Paradise
Paradise (445 pages) continues the story directly from Studio Sex, the third book in Annika Bengtzon's internal chronology, before Prime Time takes the series later still despite sitting earlier on some English-language reading-order lists.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Paradise - Book 4:
Prime Time
Prime Time is a novel by Liza Marklund, running at 432 pages in 2003. It holds position #4 in Annika Bengtzon. It picks up after Paradise and hands off to Red Wolf.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Prime Time - Book 5:
Red Wolf
Red Wolf (512 pages) is the fifth entry in Annika Bengtzon, following Prime Time and preceding Last Will as Marklund's Stockholm tabloid reporter continues investigating the terrorism and political corruption that keep colliding with her own chaotic life.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red Wolf - Book 6:
Last Will
Last Will, published in 2012 at 569 pages, is a novel by Liza Marklund. It sits at #6 in Annika Bengtzon's reading order. It picks up after Red Wolf and hands off to Lifetime.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Last Will - Book 7:
Lifetime
Lifetime came out in 2013 at 384 pages, a novel by Liza Marklund. It is entry #7 in Annika Bengtzon. Reading order runs Last Will to this book to The Long Shadow.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lifetime - Book 8:
The Long Shadow
The Long Shadow, published in 2013 at 560 pages, is a novel by Liza Marklund. It holds position #8 in Annika Bengtzon. Reading order runs Lifetime to this book to Borderline.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Long Shadow - Book 9:
Borderline
Borderline came out in 2014 at 480 pages, a novel by Liza Marklund. It holds position #9 in Annika Bengtzon. It sits between The Long Shadow and Without a Trace.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Borderline - Book 10:
Without a Trace
Without a Trace, published in 2015, is a novel by Liza Marklund. It is entry #10 in Annika Bengtzon. Borderline comes before it, The Final Word after.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Without a Trace - Book 11:
The Final Word
The Final Word, published in 2016 at 464 pages, is a novel by Liza Marklund. It is, for now, the last book in Annika Bengtzon. It follows Without a Trace.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Final Word
About the Annika Bengtzon series
Annika Bengtzon is a crime reporter at a Stockholm tabloid whose relentless pursuit of stories repeatedly pulls her into the crimes she's covering. Liza Marklund's eleven-novel series, begun with The Bomber in Swedish in 1998, is one of the foundational works of Scandinavian crime fiction, built as much around Bengtzon's chaotic personal life -- an unstable marriage, young children, office politics at the newsroom -- as around the murders, terrorism and political corruption she investigates.
The series' internal chronology runs differently from its Swedish publication order: Studio Sex (Swedish 1999) picks up directly after The Bomber, and Paradise (Swedish 2000) continues that thread, with Prime Time (Swedish 2001) taking place later still despite sitting earlier in some reading-order lists. Marklund co-wrote one further standalone, The Postcard Killers (2010), with James Patterson -- tracked on his standalones page rather than here, since it doesn't feature Bengtzon. Marklund has sold over 15 million books in more than 30 languages, and the series has been adapted for Swedish film and television multiple times.
Frequently asked questions
How many Annika Bengtzon novels are there?
Eleven, from The Bomber (Swedish 1998) to The Final Word (Swedish 2015).
Why do the English publication years look so much later than the Swedish originals?
Marklund's earlier novels weren't translated into English until years after their Swedish release -- for example Last Will (Swedish 2006) didn't appear in English until 2012. The years on this page reflect first English publication.
Is The Postcard Killers part of the Annika Bengtzon series?
No -- The Postcard Killers (2010), Marklund's collaboration with James Patterson, is a standalone thriller with different characters, tracked on the James Patterson standalones page.
Is the Annika Bengtzon series finished?
The Final Word (2015 Swedish / 2016 English) is the most recent entry and no new Bengtzon novel has followed as of August 2026; Marklund has since published the standalone Polcirkeln trilogy and other work in Swedish.
Has all of Liza Marklund's work been translated into English?
No. Some of her more recent Swedish-language fiction, including the Polcirkeln (Polar Circle) trilogy and the standalone Parlfarmen, does not yet have a confirmed English edition.
If you like the Annika Bengtzon series
Reading order last verified .