The second season of the acclaimed Nordic noir crime drama, Black Sands, lands on our screens this week – and you can stream every episode for free.

Premiering in 2021, this intense Icelandic series follows a police detective who leaves her city job and returns to her hometown, only to be pulled into a shocking murder investigation.

Black Sands - Series 1 - Episode 4 Picture shows: Aldis Amah Hamilton as Anita © Glassriver/All3Media International
Aldis Amah Hamilton stars as Anita

If you are a fan of atmospheric crime thrillers, this is your next obsession. With a haunted lead, a brooding small-town setting and plenty of chilling secrets, it has all the ingredients for a perfect binge-watch.

Read on for everything you need to know.

What is Black Sands about?

In season one, troubled detective Aníta (Aldís Amah Hamilton) resigns from her post in Reykjavík and returns to her remote hometown after 14 years away. When a body washes up on the beach, she is immediately thrust into the hunt for a killer.

Aldis Amah Hamilton as Anita in Black Sands© All3 Media
Black Sands follows a police detective who leaves her city job and returns to her hometown

Picking up 14 months after the initial case, season two finds the town of Glerársandar still reeling from the discovery that a killer had been hiding in plain sight.

The official synopsis reads: “Aníta is now a new mother trying to raise her baby but desperate to get back to police work. When a woman is found dead in a mysterious car crash, Aníta starts to look into it alongside the official police investigation led by her friend and colleague Fríða. As the mystery begins to unravel and the pieces fall into place, the town is forced to confront its dark history.”

What have viewers said about Black Sands?

The series has garnered widespread acclaim, with viewers hailing it as “Nordic noir at its finest”.

Black Sands - Series 1 - Episode 5 Kolbeinn Arnbjornsson as Solomo and Aldis Amah Hamilton as Anita© Glassriver/All3Media International
Season two picks up 14 months after the initial case

One fan described the show as a “jaw-dropping gut punch of an Icelandic series,” while another commented on the “fantastic script, acting, cinematography”.

Critical reception was also positive. The Guardian awarded the show three stars, describing it as “slow” yet “meaty” with just enough intrigue to compel viewers, while The Wall Street Journal hailed it as “bingeable” and a “frosty take on the oft-warmed-over police procedural”.

How to watch Black Sands

The series premieres on Saturday 20 June on the streaming service U.

Aldis Amah Hamilton as Anita in Black Sands© All3 Media
The second season arrives on U on 20 June

More noir crime dramas to stream now

Arctic Circle – Chief of Police Nina Kautsalo delves into dangerous cases that straddle the border between Russia and Finland, while trying to sustain a family life with her two children. Watch on Channel 4.

Hinterland – This hit Welsh series follows DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) as he leaves the Metropolitan Police in London in search of a new life in Aberystwyth, Wales. It’s not long before he’s called to the scene of a brutal attack at an isolated chalet in the sand dunes. Watch on BBC iPlayer.

Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole – Based on author Jo Nesbø’s global bestselling book series, the whodunnit serial killer mystery follows famed anti-hero Harry Hole, who goes up against his long-time adversary and corrupt cop, Tom Waaler. Watch on Netflix.