From Page to Stage – The Hildur Book Tour Is Happening! ✍️✨

Satu Rämö — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:45:53 +0000

I’m going on a book tour! Yay!

For months, it has just been me, a keyboard, and the characters in my head. But books only truly come alive when they reach your hands—and now, I get to step out from behind the desk and meet the incredible people who bring my stories to life. I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I am going on a official book tour for Hildur crime series.

Whether you have been with me since my first page or just discovered my work, I want to say thank you face-to-face. Nothing compares to the joy of meeting my readers, explaining the stories behind my books, hearing your thoughts on the story, and signing your copies in person.

I’ll be doing readings, answering your burning questions, and signing books at every single stop. Check out the dates below to see where we can meet!

Thank you for letting me share my world with you. I cannot wait to look out from the stage and see you in the crowd!

Fall 2026

16th September, 6.30pm – Criminally Good Books, York, Cambridge (ENG)
20th September, 8.15pm – Bloody Scotland, Stirling (also available online) (ENG)
24th September, 7.30pm – Suðurnesbær library, Sangerði, Iceland (ICE)
28th September, 5pm – Västerås library, Västerås, Sweden (FIN)
11th October, 2pm – Kangasalan lepokoti, Kangasala (FIN)
13th October, 5pm – Akateeminen bookstore library, Helsinki city center (FIN)
14th October, 5pm – Oulu library, Oulu (FIN)
15th October, 5pm – Seinäjoki library, Seinäjoki (FIN)
16th October, 5pm – Kauppakeskus Matkus, Kuopio (FIN)
17th October, 1pm – Kauppakeskus Seppä, Jyväskylä (FIN)
18th October, 12pm – Kauppakeskus Stella, Mikkeli (FIN)
19th October, 5pm – Tampere Komediateatteri, Tampere (FIN)
20th October, 5pm – Lahti library, Lahti (FIN)
22nd October – Helsinki Book Fair, Helsinki (FIN)
23rd October – Helsinki Book Fair, Helsinki (FIN)
24th October – Helsinki Book Fair, Helsinki (FIN & ENG)
25th October – Helsinki Book Fair, Helsinki (FIN)
26th October – Hamina library, Hamina (FIN)
7th November – Värmlands Festival, Karlstad, Sweden (ENG)
9th November – Mord am Hellweg, Ruhr, Germany (DE)
10th November – Buchhandlung Hansen Kröger, Wiehl, Germany (DE)
11th November – Buchhandlung Peterknecht, Erfurt, Germany (DE)
17th November, 5:30pm – Selfoss Library, Selfoss, Iceland (ICE)
18th November – Private online event, KEVA (FIN)

Spring 2027

6th January, 12:15 pm – Kópavogur library, Kópavogur, Iceland (ICE)
27th January, 6pm – Tuusula library, Tuusula (FIN)
29th January – Helsinki Noir, Helsinki (FIN & ENG)
30th January – Helsinki Noir, Helsinki (FIN & ENG)

I am constantly updating the event list, so make sure to check back often!

Before we start packing our bags for this next chapter, I’ve been looking back at some of my favorite moments from previous tours. Meeting you all face-to-face is always the highlight of my year. Here are a few snapshots of the incredible crowds, the intense Q&A sessions, and the wonderful readers who made past events so unforgettable.

Thank you for reading. If you want to know more about crime writing and HILDUR’s world, you’ll find more posts on Substack!

The post From Page to Stage – The Hildur Book Tour Is Happening! ✍️✨ appeared first on Satu Rämö.

My writing process – how to write a crime novel?

Satu Rämö — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:07:20 +0000

“What does it take to write a crime novel?” I get asked often. Before a single word is written, the story and its characters are already taking shape in the background. From the first idea to a finished book, the process takes hundreds of hours of planning, writing, rethinking, and proofreading. In this blog, I take you through my process step by step.

Building the story starts months before writing begins

Long before writing the first words, I’m already working on the story. The first months are spent shaping the characters and the plot that will eventually carry everything forward.

A new story rarely starts with a grand idea. More often, it begins with a small detail I’ve come across somewhere. It might be a brief news item, a sentence overheard at the supermarket, or a story I was told while I was working as a tour guide or a journalist.

From these observations, the characters and the plot begin to take shape. They grow gradually, layer by layer. Behind them lies what I call the invisible mass – memories, imagination, and even some fragments of folktales. Most of this never appears directly on the page, but it shapes how the characters think and how they act.

Little by little, the main lines of the plot begin to form: what happens, to whom, and why. When the overall structure starts to feel stable, I discuss the idea with my editor, Hanna Pudas. These conversations help me see what the story truly needs.

Only after that do I write the synopsis, which becomes a kind of map for the writing process. Then it’s time to open a blank document for a first draft of the book.

From a raw draft to a structured story

Once I start writing the first draft, I follow the structure laid out in the synopsis, but I also leave room for the unexpected. I am not trying to write anything polished or clean at this stage. On the contrary, the first version is quite messy. The only goal is to get everything on the page.

This phase usually takes about two months, and I write between four and nine pages every single day – without days off. When the first version is complete, I send it to my editor for comments. Together, we go through what works and what doesn’t, what needs more depth, and what should be removed.

Writing the second draft is my favorite part of the whole process. This is where the story begins to come together. Themes start to connect, and the early roughness gives way to a more defined shape. The raw draft finds its own voice, and the events begin to unfold in a way that supports both the emotional and narrative arc. This phase usually takes about two months as well.

The third draft follows after the second round of feedback and usually takes about four weeks. At this stage, I focus on rhythm: the balance between dialogue and narration, the rise and fall of tension, and the way each chapter moves the story forward.

Refining the details

By the end of the third draft, the novel has found its true form. The next stage is about precision – refining details and making sure the world of the story feels complete and consistent.

This phase usually takes about two weeks. I go through practical elements, such as the weather, the seasons, and the rhythm of light and darkness, and check that everything in the story world makes sense. Do the sunrises and the hours of daylight or darkness match the time of year? I also check the spelling of Icelandic names and place names.

By the fifth version, the manuscript is usually already typeset, looking much like the book readers will eventually hold in their hands. At this stage, I go through every sentence, every paragraph, every word. In addition to me and my editor, an external proofreader also reads the final version. This is where the book is finally finished.

From idea to a book

From the first idea to the finished book, the process usually takes between nine and twelve months. What the reader sees is only the final result. Much of the work remains in the planning, the revisions, and the invisible layers that hold the story together.

I really take pleasure in crafting the stories and writing them down. It is absolutely fantastic!

Thank you for reading. If you want to know more about crime writing and HILDUR’s world, you’ll find more posts on Substack!

The post My writing process – how to write a crime novel? appeared first on Satu Rämö.