He made his literary debut in 1994, with the novel Raymond Isaksens utgang. Further novels are Kvinnen fra Olaf Ryes plass from 1996 and Gjerningsmann: ukjent from 1998. He was awarded the Riverton Prize in 2007, for the novel Høstjakt. The "hero" in Gunnerud's novels is police officer "Knut Moen".
