The Martha Krogh Series
Police officer Martha Krogh is young, fiercely determined and emotionally guarded. She has spent her life chasing the legacy of her late father, a hugely acclaimed officer in the Stavanger police force. Every case she takes on is a step toward making him proud, but his sudden, gut-wrenching death still lingers over her. To quiet the storm in her mind, she occasionally turns to alcohol and fleeting encounters – temporary escaping from a grief that never truly fades.
In the second book, Martha’s struggles deepends. After surviving a brutal stabbing to her leg, she becomes ensnared in a dangerous addiction to Tramadol – a dependency that pulls her into the orbit of the notorious MC gang Jæren Syndicate. Headstrong and unyielding, she refuses to play by the rules, often pushing too far and finding herself in trouble. Eventually, her morally grey choices land her at a point of no return.
Meanwhile, in the quiet town of Eikhaug, Erik Gjerde serves as a police officer. Erik has chosen his own path, far from the life his parents envisioned for him on their family farm. Despite his confident exterior, he carries a deep burden – an unrelenting worry for his troubled brother Håkon. Their relationship has been fractured for years, as Håkon has drifted in and out of rehab, never managing to break free from his self-destruction. Erik is constantly torn between duty and family, a tension that reaches a breaking point at the end of the first book when an old flame reappears, revealing she is pregnant with his child.
As Martha and Erik unravel cases across the Stavanger region, they are forced to confront not only corruption and violence but also their own demons. Erik’s warm and comforting approach challenges Martha’s emotional walls, which begin to crumble as a bond forms between them. Together, they face a world which is as unforgiving as the burdens they carry inside.
Set against the raw, untamed landscapes of southwestern Norway, the Martha Krogh series turns the region itself into a brooding, ever-present force – one that mirrors the darkness lurking beneath. With unflinching precision, Nygaard explores the tangled web of human relationships and hidden secrets, while crafting a new and compelling main character.
