There’s been a lot of excitement about the forthcoming collection of short stories, A Darker Shade of Sweden, which will be published in February 2014 by The Mysterious Press and, I’m here to say with no small measure of gratification, by HighBridge Audio as well. The brouhaha has largely focused on the fact that it includes a story by the seventeen-year-old Stieg Larsson, late author of The Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, et al). Okay, fair enough, but focusing only on that story really misses the larger point of this extraordinary publishing event: Larsson is just one of an amazing assemblage of top crime fiction writers from Sweden, the crème de la crème, the sans pareil—you know, the best. Featured are the likes of Henning Mankell, Åsa Larsson, Per Wahlöö, Håkan Nesser and a host of other Swedish mystery luminaries, and that makes this a must-get for fans of Scandinavia’s unique take on the crime genre. In addition, it includes the fiction debut of Eva Gabrielsson, Stieg’s long-time partner. It’s all put together by John-Henri Holmberg, noted Swedish critic, publisher, author and translator and close friend of Larsson’s. Look for it!