#icelandicnoir

[fictionfromafar]

Murder Under the Midnight Sun By Stella Blómkvist

Murder Under the Midnight Sun

Stella Blómkvist

Translated by Quentin Bates

Corylus Books

Publication Date: 3 May 2024

Corylus Books have shown their commitment to bringing to an English audience the work of the mysterious author of Icelandic lawyer Stella Blómkvist with the publication last year of Murder At The Residence. Following quickly afterwards Murder Under the Midnight Son offers another compelling and multidimensional story. Whether you have read the earlier novel or not will in no way impact your enjoyment of this story and I must admit I have not investigated if these were originally consecutive stories in their original language.

After an initial meeting, the premise of Blómkvist's most next assignment is to solve the mystery of the fate of a young Scottish woman, who disappeared nearly a decade earlier. In a sparsely populated country like Iceland, the possible locations a body could be left are almost endless, yet the family seek closure.

Meanwhile a journalist friend of her's has excitedly told her about revelations that will not only create huge headlines in his newspaper but will also form the basis of a forthcoming expose book. However when his intent appears to be revealed, his predicament will also take some of Blómkvist's attention.

There are more components to the book. Intriguingly, there is a strong historical context to this story, particularly in respect of Iceland's role in the cold war, but also to the countries involvement following the more recent breakup of Yugoslavia. An additional layer of mystery is added when Blómkvist makes a gruesome discovery within a glacier which later appears to have a very distant origin. Given this book is just over two hundred pages long, a lot is packed into a relatively small number of pages.

There are several surprises ahead which I certainly did not guess. Personally I do feel that some elements of the story are more effective than others. Stella Blómkvist is shown to be self determined and headstrong in all aspects of her life and while this makes her a fascinating lead character for a crime novel, I did find that a particular personal relationship she developed appeared to me a little less plausible, particularly given the ethics the lawyers have to work to. Something supposedly spontaneous could also be viewed as exploitative. It will be interesting to see if this is a theme that endures in more of the author's novels and if our protagonist actually has some characteristics of the anti-hero.

These comments not withstanding, there is much more for the reader to get their teeth into with this book. While originally written 14 years ago, there is a timeliness which keeps the themes within the story very relevant. The distinctive touches featured in the narrative give the book quite a unique outlook which provided a welcome sidestep to some of the more downbeat viewpoints often featured in the Nordic subgenre. The story combines the isolation of the outdoors with the urban environment of Reykjavik, thus offering effective contrasts. The intertwined mysteries gradually unravel in a way which effectively keeps the readers' attention. If you've not yet picked up on Stella Stella Blómkvist, now is certainly the time to do so.

The blurb:

Murder Under the Midnight Sun by Stella Blómkvist What does a woman do when her husband's charged with the frenzied killing of her father and her best friend? She calls in Stella Blómkvist to investigate - however unwelcome the truth could turn out to be. Smart, ruthless and with a flexible moral code all of her own, razor-tongued lawyer Stella Blómkvist is also dealing with a desperate deathbed request to track down a young woman who vanished a decade ago. It looks like a dead end, but she agrees to pick up the stone-cold trail - and she never gives up, even if the police did a long time ago. Then there's the mystery behind the arm that emerges from an ice cap, with a mysterious ruby ring on one frozen finger? How does this connect to another unexplained disappearance, and why were the police at the time so keen to write it off as a tragic accident? Brutal present-day crimes have their roots in the past that some people would prefer to stay forgotten. As Stella pieces together the fragments, is she getting too close to the truth and making herself a target for ruthless men determined to conceal secret sins?

Stella Blómkvist has been a bestselling series in Iceland since the first book appeared in the 1990s and has attracted an international audience since the TV series starring Heiða Reed aired. The books have been published under a pseudonym that still hasn’t been cracked. The question of Stella Blómkvist’s identity is one that crops up regularly, but it looks like it’s going to remain a mystery…

Quentin Bates has personal and professional roots in Iceland that go very deep. He is an author of series of nine crime novels and novellas featuring the Reykjavik detective Gunnhildur (Gunna) Gísladóttir. In addition to his own fiction, he has translated many works of Iceland’s coolest writers into English, including books by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Guðlaugur Arason, Einar Kárason, Óskar Guðmundsson, Sólveig Pálsdóttir, Jónína Leosdottir and Ragnar Jónasson. Quentin was instrumental in launching Iceland Noir in 2013, the crime fiction festival in Reykjavik.

Paperback and eBook publication date: 3rd May 2024ISBN: 978-1-7392989-4-4 Price 9.99 (3.59 Kindle edition)https://corylusbooks.com/ Twitter: @CorylusB @graskeggur https://www.facebook.com/CorylusBookshttps://www.facebook.com/graskeggur https://www.facebook.com/stella.blomkvist

Many thanks to Corylus Books for an advance copy of this book and to Ewa Sherman for inclusion in the blog tour. Please check out the other reviews of this book as shown on the above tour poster.

[whatshappeningintheworlds-blog]

[marypicken]

Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir trs Quentin Bates @katrinjul @graskeggur @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

Twisty, with a strong plot and a good focus on investigative techniques, I really enjoyed this book.

Source: Review copy and special shiny purchased copy from Goldsborough BooksPublication: 7 December 2023 from Orenda BooksPP: 256ISBN-13: 978-1914585999 My thanks to Orenda Books for an advance copy for review A murder is just the beginning… When Óttar Karlsson, a wealthy and respected government official and businessman, is found murdered, after failing to turn up at his own surprise birthday…

[rosemariecawkwell]

Review: White As Snow, by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, trs. Quentin Bates

P U B L I C AT I O N DATE: 12th OCTOBER 2023PA PE RB AC K O R I G I N A L | £9.99 | ORE N DA BOOKS Blurb On a snowy winter morning, an abandoned shipping container is discovered near Reykjavík. Inside are the bodies of five young women – one of them barely alive. As Icelandic Police detective Daníel struggles to investigate the most brutal crime of his career, Áróra looks into the background…

[jenmedsbookreviews]

Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jónasson

Happy publication day Ragnar Jónasson. Death at The Sanatorium is out today and I'm sharing my review over on the blog. (link in bio) @ragnarjo @michaeljbooks #books #bookreview #deathatthesanatorium #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #icelandicnoir

Today I am sharing my thoughts on the brand new mystery from Ragnar Jónasson, Death At The Sanatorium, which just happens to be released today. Happy publication day Ragnar. My thanks to puiblisher, Michael Joseph, for the advance copy via Netgalley. Here’s what it’s about: Source: NetgalleyRelease date: 22 August 2024Publisher: Michael Joseph Continue reading Death at the Sanatorium by…

[calturnerreviews]

#BlogTour – #BookReview of #BoysWhoHurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir @evaaegisdottir @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours #ForbiddenIceland #Iceland #IcelandicNoir 

I’m delighted to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for superb and compelling thriller Boys Who Hurt (Forbidden Iceland 4) by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. Thank you to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. About the book: Fresh from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case, when a man is found…

[fictionophile]

"You Can't See Me" by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir - Book Review #YouCantSeeMe #IcelandicNoir #ForbiddenIceland @OrendaBooks

“You Can’t See Me” is the prequel to the FORBIDDEN ICELAND series “It seems there are black sheep in every family, even those who appear perfect on the surface.” The Icelandic Police team of criminal investigators include: Hörður Höskuldsson – leader of the Akranes Criminal Investigation Division. With many local connections, he is in charge of the entire Western Region of Iceland. Sævar – One…

[johnsbookshelf]

📚 BOOK TOUR REVIEW 📚 NIGHT SHADOWS by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Today I'm thrilled to be sharing my thoughts about Night Shadows as part of the book tour hosted by @randomthingstours. As always, thank you for my spot on the tour and for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Night Shadows is released on Thursday 21 July. MY REVIEW Nordic Noir is a bit different from the crime thrillers and police procedurals to which I am accustomed; gritty, dark, occasionally disturbing, but always entirely credible. These books are one of the reasons I will read anything from Orenda Books. I have yet to read a book from them that I didn’t like. The translation into English by Victoria Cribb is outstanding and still conveys that darkness and sense of tension that was present throughout. This is the third in the excellent Forbidden Iceland series, and while it worked perfectly well as a standalone novel, I felt I had missed out on much of the character development and backstory. As with all quality crime novels, the author gives equal time to the investigation and the main protagonists, which only serves to make them more likeable, familiar, and credible. There were enough suspects to keep me guessing, and more than enough twists to change my mind more than once. Was one of them responsible for the arson attack, or was there a connection to the victim's father? My favourite character overall has to be Detective Elma, a good strong female lead, who seems to grow as a person, but also as a skilled investigator. Overall, I enjoyed the read and happily recommend this to any reader of crime thrillers but especially Iceland Noir. I will add the caveat that you should read the Forbidden Iceland series in order to better see the character development and for better context. I gave Night Shadows, by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, five stars, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. #ad #gifted #nightshadows #forbiddeniceland #icelandicnoir #RandomThingsTours #blogtour #booklover #bookstagrammers #johnsbookshelf #bookstabloggers #bookreader #blogtour #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookaddict #igreads #bookblog #readabook #honestreviewsonly (at Southampton, England, U.K.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgM-PfarMcd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kategardiner]

I’m almost done with the series. Alas. #icelandicnoir #murder #murdermystery (at Strand Book Store)

[curlygirl79]

A Creak On The Stairs - Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

Today I am reviewing A Creak On The Stairs by @evaaegisdottir #bookblogger #forbiddeniceland #icelandicnoir #fictioncafewriters #spoonshortagebookclub @annecater @OrendaBooks @GoldsboroBooks

I have a fantastic Icelandic thriller for you all today as I join the blog tour for A Creak On The Stairs by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. Many thanks to Eva, and to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours, for inviting me to be a part of the tour, and for providing me with a copy of the book.

BLURB:

The first in the electrifying new Forbidden Iceland series, The Creak on the Stairs is an exquisitely…

[fictionfromafar]

You Can’t See Me

By Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

Translated by Victoria Cribb

Orenda Books

Publication Date: 6 July 2023

Even by the high standards set by previous Icelandic crime fiction writers, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s debut, A Creak On The Stairs was very much a stand out novel. Focussing on police detective Elma who has returned to her hometown of Akranes, she and her colleagues investigate a murder with long hidden and mysterious historical connections. The book won the CWA New Blood Dagger and since then two further novels in the series have followed. While these were also strongly impressive, there could perhaps become a temptation that Ægisdóttir might decide to rest on her laurels and continue to produce stories in a similar vein, however with this novel, it’s is very clear that this is an author keen to develop further as a novelist and present a rather different type of story. Thankfully the results are very satisfying and it could be said that she has surpassed her own high watermark with You Can’t See Me.

When I first heard that this book would be a prequel to her Forbidden Dark Iceland series, I assumed that the book would be based upon Elma’s earlier life as a police officer in Reykjavik. I was happy to be proven wrong on both counts. In fact this is a story where the firm focus of the story is on other characters with only a peripheral role for the investigating officers. Instead this is the story of an Icelandic clan. The rich and powerful Snaebergs have taken over a remote hotel for a weekend family reunion. Rarely due the family members meet on mass and with grudges and jealousies that can be present in any large family, many of the guests arrive in trepidation, wary of conflict. Although unique to rural Iceland and its ever changing climate, a snow storm means that it is too treacherous for anyone to get to or leave the hotel, setting the scene for a locked door mystery where a murder could only have been committed by one of the hotel’s temporary residents.

Yet one aspect of Ægisdóttir’s writing that existing readers will be familiar with is that she steers very much away from formulaic retreads. There are some modern and very unique components to this story. Furthermore it is is told to us through multiple voices, some long established within the centre of the Snaeberg family, some who appear more as outsiders and even the perspective of a hotel staff member is given as the family attempt to reacquaint with each other, free from watching eyes (or so they think) and with copious amounts of alcohol available to them. Family secrets and suspicions are sure to emerge leading to fascinating subplots but when a member of the party mysteriously disappears, the autosphere begins to turn as chilling as the outside weather. Despite reading this book in the late June sunshine, there were aspects to the story that made me shiver. It is one of those books that you’re torn between wanting to rush through it and also savour the emotions and sensations of the characters that we are following.

Existing readers may have come to expect that Ægisdóttir’s books will be compulsive reading yet I firmly believe that this is her finest title so far. What’s more, with it being set in an earlier time period than her other novels, it also serves as a perfect introduction to those yet to read her work. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inclusion on the blog tour and to Orenda Books for an advance copy of You Can’t See Me. Please look out for the other reviews of this novel on the blog tour, as shown below.

[fictionfromafar]

Kalmann And The Sleeping Mountain

By Joachim B Schmidt

Translated by Jamie Lee Searle

Bitter Lemon Press

Publication Date: 18 July 2024

Early summer 2022 saw the publication of the English language debut by Joachim B Schmidt, simply named Kalmann. While crime fiction novels from Iceland are far from rare in recent years, Kalmann was a book that stood alone, very much on it's own merits. Featuring a neuro-diverse lead character, a great deal of humour and a whole lot of heart, the book charmed and warmed just as much as it thrilled it's readers. Have you not yet read it, I would certainly intend you to do so. While the original story had been intended to be standalone novel, such was the attention that the book received, that Schmidt was encouraged to write a follow up. This would be no easy feat given the ending of the above noted story, but two years later Kalmann is back.

Happily the same team is also back with the book being published by Bitter Lemon Press and translated by Jamie Lee Searle and thankfully both the appear and the comic aspects also remain. Yet there is also a fair degree of story that needs to be told through the voice of our protagonist to bring the story up to date. Set in a not to alternative universe, Kalmann gets to experience the Coronavirus pandemic, and while that could hinder many an author, particularly one looking to bring some hilarity to the story, thankfully Schmidt as adept at restraining us from thinking too deeply about those times. What touches us more is the developments in Kalmann's own life as he pays a sad goodbye to one beloved family member and then starts to build bridges with another. Indeed there is a lot of manoeuvring in the first half of this story as Kalmann, for the first time in his life ventures far from his hometown of Raufarhöfn. Trouble is never too far away and despite his infinite wisdom, his inability to read the intentions of others will often place him at jeopardy.

Following some memorable experiences, once our hero returns to the region he knows best, we begin to really explore the mystery set deep within the novel. It's a quest that will lead into Iceland's Cold War past. A history that some are unable to leave behind until all memories are extinguished. Along the way, clues are dotted around which lead towards some of the answers. While it may be rare, not every flaming mountain in Iceland is a volcano.

Kalmann And The Sleeping Mountain is a great success which will certainly satisfy all readers of Joachim B Schmidt's debut. Irrespective of the necessary scene setting in this story, I also feel it would be one that many new readers would enjoy solely upon its own merits. It's a very welcome change of mood and style from many of the other novels that I usually read. Only a fool would bet against Kalmann's future encounters being revealed in the future, until then, you can certainly delight in his present.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Kalmann-and-the-Sleeping-Mountain-by-Joachim-B-Schmidt-author-Jamie-Searle-Romanelli-translator/9781916725003

Many thanks to Bitter Lemon Press for an advance copy of this book and to Random Things Tours for inclusion on the blog tour.

A NORDIC CRIME THRILLER WITH A DIFFERENCE.

No gratuitous violence, no revenge porn, but a tightly plotted thriller that is chock full of humour. It is set in Washington DC and northern Iceland, both highly exotic locations. AN ENDEARING PROTAGONIST: Our mentally challenged hero, described with empathy and psychological tact, is faced with two murders and the threat of more to come. A PRIZE-WINNER. Joachim B. Schmidt received the Crime Cologne Award for the first Kalmann and the novel is shortlisted for the 2023 SpecSavers Debut Crime Award. As the jury in Cologne put it: “With Kalmann, the award goes to a classic picaresque novel cloaked in crime with an oddball protagonist at its heart. Schmidt succeeds brilliantly with the childlike, naïve narrative technique of his protagonist. Kalmann is back! But he’s already in trouble; in an interrogation room at the FBI headquarters in Washington, no less. All he wanted to do was visit his American father, but the loveable sheriff of Raufarhöfn got himself mixed up in the January 2021 Capitol riots. Thanks to sympathetic FBI agent Dakota Leen, he’s soon on a plane home. But not before she informs him that his grandfather was on a blacklist, suspected of spying for the Russians during the Cold War. Back in Iceland, there’s a murder and one heck of a mystery to unravel. And what role does a mysterious mountain play in all this? Somehow Kalmann never loses heart. There’s no need to worry; he has everything under control.

THE AUTHOR: Joachim B. Schmidt, born in 1981, emigrated from Switzerland to Iceland in 2007. He is the author of several novels and short stories and a journalist and columnist. Joachim, who is Swiss and Icelandic, lives in Reykjavik with his wife and their two children.

THE TRANSLATOR: Jamie Lee Searle is a well-known translator from German and Portuguese into English. She has translated novels by Urs Faes, Anna Kim, Marc-Uwe Kling, Christoph Ribbat and the first Kalmann of course. She lives in Winchester in the UK.

[fictionfromafar]

Boys Who Hurt By Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

Boys Who Hurt

By Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

Translated by Victoria Cribb

Orenda Books

Publication Date: 20 June 2024

Five novels into her published writing career, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is now a firmly established name in crime fiction, one who is hopefully gaining more readers which each subsequent story. While in recent years, there seems to be an increasing number of Icelandic crime novels emerging from a range of authors and time periods, Ægisdóttir is firmly and securely at the peak of her powers. It's largely due to the blend of intrigue, the flow of her storytelling, contrast between different eras, character development as well as having an excellent translator in Victoria Cribb. 

While last year's title 'You Can't See Me' stood in contrast to the earlier novels in the series, being a prequel which did not feature her principal character Elma, 'Boys Who Hurt' picks up from the end of her 2022 novel 'Night Shadows' where Elma had made a life changing discovery. Worry not if you haven't read it yet, 'Boys Who Hurt' can be read without any prior introduction. 

When Elma and her boss Hordor are led to a remote holiday home they are unprepared for the savage nature of the killing that has recently taken place there. A middle aged man has died of multiple stab wounds, yet to add to the shock, a message has been left, leaving no doubt that this was premeditated. But who and why? 

A chance encounter by Elma's partner Saevar perhaps offers a clue but a long path lies before Elma as various possible scenarios emerge before her, some of which go nowhere and some of which lead in unexpected directions.  The hallmark of  Ægisdóttir's work is that everything is about what happened before, but not simply in terms of events but also in terms of behaviours and experiences. endured There is never a born evil character in any of her stories, her approach is far more nuanced and far more realistic  The scars of mistreatment are present in her characters both physically and mentally, tales of broken families and never ending grudges   In essence this is demonstrated by the double meaning behind the title 'Boys Who Hurt'. Much like the book's title, nothing in the story should never simply be taken at face value. A masterful writer does it again, leaving a tantalising story tread to be picked up in a future story.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Boys-Who-Hurt-by-Eva-Bjrg-gisdttir-author-Victoria-Cribb-translator/9781916788206

Many thanks to Orenda Books for an advance copy of Boys Who Hurt and to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inclusion in the blog tour. Please check out the other reviews of this book as shown on the above tour poster.

Dark secrets from the past threaten everything …

Fresh from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case, when a man is found murdered in a holiday cottage in the depths of the Icelandic countryside – the victim of a frenzied knife attack, with a shocking message scrawled on the wall above him.

At home with their baby daughter, Sævar is finding it hard to let go of work, until a chance discovery in a discarded box provides him with a distraction. Could the diary of a young boy, detailing the events of a long-ago summer have a bearing on Elma’s case?

Once again, the team at West Iceland CID has to contend with local secrets in the small town of Akranes, where someone has a vested interest in preventing the truth from coming to light. 

And Sævar has secrets of his own that threaten to destroy his and Elma’s newfound happiness.

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland to write her first novel. Her debut thriller The Creak on the Stairs, was published in 2018, and won the Blackbird Award in Iceland. Published in English by Orenda Books in 2020, it became a digital number-one bestseller worldwide, was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Awards in two categories and won the CWA John Creasey Dagger in 2021. Girls Who Lie, the second book in the Forbidden Iceland series was shortlisted for the Petrona Award and the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger, and Night Shadows followed suit. In 2024, she won the Blood Drop Award for Crime Book of the Year in Iceland. With over 260,000 copies sold in English alone, Eva has become one of Iceland’s – and crime-fiction’s – most highly  regarded authors. She lives in Reyjavik with her husband and three children.

[fictionfromafar]

The Dancer by Óskar Guðmundsson

The Dancer

By Óskar Guðmundsson

Translated by Quentin Bates

Corylus Books

In recent years there has been a flurry of English translations of crime fiction novels from Icelandic authors which in part has been due to the endeavours of prolific translator from Icelandic Quentin Bates. One particular stand out novel was his translation of 2022's The Commandments. Set in the north of Iceland, the story featured a former detective driven to investigate a set of ritualist murders. This was the first English translation from Óskar Guðmundsson and like many other Nordic Noir enthusiasts. I've since been curious to see if more of his novels would appear for an English language market. 

Well the wait is almost over as The Dancer will be published in paperback on 1st February 2024 (already available on Kindle). Intriguingly this is the first in a brand new series of novels. Approaching retirement after nearly 50 years on the police force Valdimar, and his new colleague Ylfa who is at the opposite end of the age spectrum. Together they examine the body of an apparent murder victim at post-mortem where there is perhaps one clue as towards the fate of the deceased.  While we revisit these characters periodically through the story and delve into their personal lives, they are not our key focus in this story. 

Tony is an oddball character. A loner, he was raised by his alcoholic, disabled mother in Reykjavik. Having experienced hardship in her life, she has given her son a troubled upbringing. The one skill that she has transferred to her son is ballet dancing. Without any real friends we begin to follow Tony as he befriends a group of similar aged youths at a local dance theatre. Little does he know that these encounters will eventually bring him in contact with a very dark period in his own family history. 

There is very compulsive story precisely as it focuses on this unstable narrator and his scenes take the story far beyond the realms of a routine crime novel. While there is no supranatural element to the story, at times I did feel there were some similarities with Tony and Steven King's Carrie as he can often be a character of ridicule but also one who seeks vengeance on those who do him wrong. A key upcoming event also looks to provide the opportunity for the protagonist to reveal his motivations. Can Valdima and Ylfa identify and stop him in time? 

While this is a very different story to The Commandments, I feel that some themes of of the earlier book are present in The Dancer. Most notable is the darkness of the human psyche, but also the elaborative planning by the perpetrator. 

While there is no particular mystery in respect of who is committing the crimes within the story, there is huge intrigue as to how the story will unfold and I can assure you that The Dancer will keep you on tenterhooks until it's explosive conclusion. This is a highly memorable story and it leaves me more keen than ever to read more of Guðmundsson's work. 

Many thanks to Corylus Books for an advance copy of The Dancer and to Ewa Sherman for inclusion on the blog tour. Please check the other tour dates on the below poster.

About the author:

With a unique voice and a style that doesn’t shy away from a sometime graphic take on shocking subject matter, Óskar Guðmundsson is one of the rising stars of the Icelandic crime fiction scene. His debut Hilma was awarded the Icelandic Crime Syndicate’s Drop of Blood award for the best crime novel of 2015, and the TV rights have been acquired by Sagafilm. This was followed by a sequel Blood Angels in 2018. The first of his books published in an English translation, The Commandments, was a standalone novel which appeared in Iceland in 2019. All of Óskar’s books have been bestsellers and rewarded with outstanding reviews.

The first in a new series of novels The Dancer was published in Icelandic simultaneously as an eBook, audiobook, and paperback - accompanied by an original song in which Óskar’s words have been put to music featuring some of Iceland’s leading musicians - and was an immediate bestseller. Óskar’s talents don’t end there, as he is also an artist and has held a number of exhibitions of his work.

About the translator: 

Quentin Bates has personal and professional roots in Iceland that go very deep. He is an author of series of nine crime novels and novellas featuring the Reykjavik detective Gunnhildur(Gunna) Gísladóttir. In addition to his own fiction, he has translated many works of Iceland’s coolest writers into English, including books by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Guðlaugur Arason, Einar Kárason, Óskar Guðmundsson, Sólveig Pálsdóttir, Jónína Leosdottir, Katrín Júlíusdóttir and Ragnar Jónasson. Quentin was instrumental in launching Iceland Noir in 2013, the crime fiction festival in Reykjavik.

[fictionfromafar]

Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir

Dead Sweet

By Katrín Júlíusdóttir

Translated by Quentin Bates

Orenda Books

Publication Date: 7 December 2023

What is it about Iceland that creates so many readers and indeed so many authors? The country boasts one of the highest rates of books per capita (3.5 books for every 1,000 inhabitants!) and studies in the past have shown that at least 50% of Icelanders read at least 8 books per year, while an impressive 93% of them read at least one. Katrín Júlíusdóttir is the latest translated crime fiction author from Iceland, yet she was far from a new name in her home country.

A former politician, she served several roles including Finance Minister for a period. There are definite references both to politics and finance within this story and also a tangible worldliness which is to the novel's enhancement. Dead Sweet is the start of a new series which offers a lot of promise and a intriguing main protagonist in enthusiastic young policewoman SigurdÍs.

Keen to develop her career in the force as a detective, she is fortunate enough to be drawn into the initial investigation when prominent one time business man and now civil servant Óttar Karlsson is found dead on a beach shortly after failing to turn up at a planned party to mark his fiftieth birthday. Once his relatives have been informed and news of his death becomes more widespread, it sends shockwaves through Icelandic political, and indeed, wider society, Not only was Karlsson respected and admired for his business acumen, it was also felt by many that he would be the type of leader that the country needed following the recent troubled financial climate. Yet as SigurdÍs and her colleagues delve into his business affairs, which included selling off government buildings, their perceptions of the man begins to change quite dramatically. It soon becomes clear that Karsson had been siphoning off profits that were due to the state. When evidence of his underhand dealing is leaked to the public a whole reevaluation of his character is almost instantaneous. Júlíusdóttir shows this most vividly in her descriptions of his funeral where the largest church in the country contains only a handful of people appear willing to pay their respects.

As part of the investigative matters, the novel introduces us to those who were closest to Karsson, his partner, his mother and his sister. Yet it soon becomes apparent to the police that maybe they didn't know him that well at all. In parallel to this, we also begin to learn about SigurdÍs and the troubled times within own family background. It doesn't take long for the reader to identify that our lead character carries a few unresolved issues of her own; yet these are drivers for her to establish the truth in her quest for justice. Her work relationship with her boss, Garðar, is supportive yet complex and a notable feature of his novel. Their dynamics are key as SigurdÍs feels she needs him to help her in her personal life while Garðar feels a great deal of responsibility towards her. The difficulty with this is that SigurdÍs' own approach increasingly diverges with his own as far as the investigation is concerned. While Karsson's actions have effectively destroyed the livelihoods of many, SigurdÍs begins to doubt if this could have been the real motivation for murder.

I found Dead Sweet to be a distinctive read with engaging characters. While the novel shines a light on shady financial affairs and features recollections on incidents that occurred in the past, I found it a very accessible book which took me 3 days to read. I think this must be in part due to the translation by Quentin Bates. It makes for a very promising debut with a tantalising indication as to the direction that the second novel in the series will take.

ABOUT KATRÍN JÚLÍUSDÓTTIR

Katrín Júlíusdóttir has a political background and was a member of the Icelandic parliament from 2003 until 2016. Before she was elected to parliament, Katrín was an advisor and project manager at a tech company and a senior buyer and CEO in the retail sector. She worked from a young age in the fishing industry, was a store clerk and also worked the night shift at a pizza restaurant. She studied anthropology and has an MBA from Reykjavík University. Katrín’s debut novel Dead Sweet received the Blackbird Award and was an Icelandic bestseller upon publication. She is married to critically acclaimed author Bjarni M. Bjarnason, who encouraged her to start writing. They have four boys and live in Garðabær.

When Óttar Karlsson, a wealthy and respected government official and businessman, is found murdered, after failing to turn up at his own surprise birthday party, the police are at a loss. It isn’t until young police officer Sigurdís finds a well-hidden safe in his impersonal luxury apartment that clues start emerging. As Óttar’s shady business dealings become clear, a second, unexpected line of enquiry emerges, when Sigurdís finds a US phone number in the safe, along with papers showing regular money transfers to an American account. Following the trail to Minnesota, trauma rooted in Sigurdís’s own childhood threatens to resurface and the investigation strikes chillingly close to home… Atmospheric, deeply unsettling and full of breakneck twists and turns, Dead Sweet is a startling debut thriller that uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives, and kicks off a mind-blowing new series.

Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inclusion in the blog tour and to Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for an advance copy of Dead Sweet. Please look out for the other reviews on the blog tour.

[rosemariecawkwell]

Blog tour calendar: White As Snow, by LILJA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR, TRANSLATED BY QUENTIN BATES