Niels Krause-Kjær – Thrilling Political Scandi Noir at Christiansborg
This month Saga Egmont will release the English audiobook and ebook versions of the bestselling political thriller Solitaire by Niels Krause-Kjær.
The novel had massive success in Denmark and was adapted into the award-winning film “King’s Game” by Nikolaj Arcel, starring Anders W. Berthelsen, Søren Pilmark, and Lars Mikkelsen.
In 2000, journalist and present-day TV host Niels Krause-Kjær shocked the whole country when he made his debut as author of an intense new political thriller. Following his time as the press chief for the Danish Conservative Party’s Parliamentary Group, he took to writing a novel that not only presented this fast-paced environment in the highest calibre, but also struck a chord in a fraught political landscape.
If you didn’t know any better, Solitaire could easily be a true story. Although it is a novel with a fictional plot and fictional characters, it is difficult to refrain from drawing parallels between the plot and political life in Parliament today. This is due to the author’s unique knowledge of political life in Denmark, and his up-close experience with political intrigue and political games.
Looking back on Solitaire 20 years later
When reflecting on the legacy of Solitaire – Krause-Kjær said “It’s funny that Solitaire was and still is perceived as a thriller and a crime novel. I didn’t think about that at all when I wrote it.”
Krause-Kjær goes on to explain that “I just wanted to try to tell a story about some of the power mechanisms in politics and what can happen when the chain breaks and sensible people – who have thrown themselves into politics with a good and noble heart – suddenly let go of the brakes and find it difficult to find them again.”
The author highlights the importance of his own experience by saying that “My own background was crucial to the novel. I know the journalistic way of seeing the world because that’s how I am. I’ve been involved in politics all my adult life and then some. The power struggle in the Conservative People’s Party in the late 1990s scared all involved and the observers.”
The first installment of the Ulrik Torp series is out in audio and ebook versions on the 16th of December 2021.
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Corruption, conspiracies, and the cynicism of true Machiavellian villains… Move over Frank Underwood there is a new bunch of power-hungry sociopaths in town.
Just three weeks before the election, the leader of the Democratic Party is seriously injured in a car accident. This catapults the party into a grubby power struggle between the parliamentary group chairman and the political spokesman. Only one of the two will be taking over the future leadership of the party.
Past events, malignant arm-twisting, and document forgery are all used in their efforts to reach the very top. Here everyone is a pawn in this high-stakes game of political chess where even the journalists covering the Danish parliament have their own agendas.
Enter young, ambitious journalist, Ulrik Torp, who is made Dagbladet’s correspondent in Parliament – an opportunity of a lifetime.
But Ulrik gets caught up in the power struggle of the parties’ two successors and slowly uncovers a cynical plot that involves the country’s incumbent Prime Minister.
Obsessed with learning the truth Ulrik must slowly watch as his ideals crumble and is eventually forced to take action himself…
Something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.
Great for fans of ‘Borgen’, ‘House of Cards’, and ‘Narcos’.
For more information about this title, or our full English catalogue contact Nadia on – nadia.lamond@sagaegmont.com or simply book a meeting.
