Jesper Stein (born 28 February 1965 in Aarhus) is a Danish journalist and author, trained at the Danish School of Journalism in 1996. After years as a crime and culture reporter at Jyllands-Posten, he debuted as a novelist in 2012 with "Uro", launching his seven-book crime series about Copenhagen detective Axel Steen, a style he himself dubbed '2200 Noir'. Since 2020 he has also written a string of autofictional novels - "Rampen", "Ædru", "Lejr" and most recently "Terræn" (2026) - and has won several major Danish crime and readers' awards.
Jesper Stein's new novel "Terræn" was published on June 11, 2026 by Politikens Forlag and takes place at the writers' retreat Klitgaarden in Skagen.
Reviewer Lone Kühlmann called "Terræn" a biting satire on academic fame, climate morality and power, but pointed out lengthy academic expositions as a weakness.
Jesper Stein visited Kalundborg Library for a literary evening about the novel "Lejr", which takes place on Røsnæs.
The novel "Lejr" about the divorced father Kaspar was published in 2025 and begins a new novel series, which continues with "Terræn".
The seventh Axel Steen crime novel, "City", was published in May 2023 and received praise from Politiken for its action, among other things.
Free writing workshop on crime fiction with author Jesper Stein. Learn about plot, characters, and classic techniques before writing your first crime novel.
A guided walk on Amager Fælled with three acclaimed Danish authors reading literary and philosophical texts about nature and climate crisis at multiple stops along the route.
Join three acclaimed Danish authors on a guided walk through Amager Fælled with literary readings and discussions about nature, climate, and biodiversity.
A 10 km walking tour around Gilleleje with five reading stops where authors share texts about nature and climate, followed by refreshments at the library.
Author Jesper Stein leads a two-hour writing workshop on crime fiction covering plot, characters and research. Free, but registration required.