Cage by Lilja Sigurdardottir

Cage

By Lilja Sigurdardottir

Published by Orenda Books (E-book - 17 August 2019); Paperback - 17 October 2019)

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

Drugs, smuggling, big money and political intrigue in Iceland rally with love, passion, murder and betrayal until the winner takes all … in the masterful, explosive conclusion to the award-winning Reykjavík Noir trilogy…

The prison doors slam shut behind Agla, when her sentence ends, but her lover Sonja is not there to meet her.

As a group of foreign businessmen tries to draw Agla into an ingenious fraud that stretches from Iceland around the world, Agla and her former nemesis, María find the stakes being raised at a terrifying speed.

Ruthless drug baron Ingimar will stop at nothing to protect his empire, but he has no idea about the powder keg he is sitting on in his own home.

At the same time, a deadly threat to Sonya and her family brings her from London back to Iceland, where she needs to settle scores with longstanding adversaries if she wants to stay alive.

With a shocking crescendo, the lives of these characters collide, as drugs, smuggling, big money and political intrigue rally with love, passion, murder and betrayal until the winner takes all … in the masterful, explosive conclusion to the award-winning Reykjavík Noir trilogy.

My verdict

I've been following this Reykjavik Noir trilogy - Snare, then Trap and now Cage. And each time, the book has offered a slightly different 'reading experience' focusing on the background of the characters' lives.

Cage is a fairly short book, but there's so much packed within its pages: a journalist's search for the truth, political conspiracies, a teenage boy with an axe to grind, Agla's adjustment to life outside prison and Sonja's natural instinct to protect her son. All of these threads weave together to create a multilayered plot that culminates in a dramatic ending.

This book provides a real game changer, focusing more on Agla than Sonja. It does what few books manage to do successfully - evolving a character so much that the reader's view of them changes drastically. The author also manages successfully to create a sense of fear, with rising tension and violence. The Icelandic has been well translated into English and provides a sharp sense of place. 

I would advise reading all three books in order to allow the characters to grow - and to grow on you.

Follow the Blog Tour

Trap by Lilja Sigurdardóttir

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Trap by Lilja Sigurdardóttir. Trap is published by Orenda Books in paperback on 18th October 2018.

Trap
By Lilja Sigurdardóttir
Published by Orenda Books (e-book - 13 September; paperback - 18 October 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

Happily settled in Florida, Sonja believes she’s finally escaped the trap set by unscrupulous drug lords. But when her son Tomas is taken, she’s back to square one … and Iceland.

Her lover, Agla, is awaiting sentencing for financial misconduct after the banking crash, and Sonja refuses to see her. And that’s not all … Agla owes money to some extremely powerful men, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it back.

Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Trap is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.

My verdict
Yet again, Lilja Sigurdardóttir has written an addictive thriller with well-defined characters and a rollercoaster storyline. I thought Sonja's life was complicated in previous book Snare. Well, in Trap, it now becomes even more complicated, as she finds herself cornered by powerful drug barons and her scheming ex-husband.

Trap certainly trapped me within its 225 pages while I blocked out the rest of the world for a while. Short snappy chapters, switching between characters, kept the story flowing at a fast pace, making it very easy to read 'one more chapter' and then 'just one more'. I had to force myself not to race through the latter half of the book (as I was desperate to see what was in store for Sonja). Instead, I deliberately slowed down my reading pace to savour all of the poetic descriptions.

In Trap, reluctant cocaine smuggler Sonja, who was on the run with her son Tomas, is dragged back to Iceland to 'pay her debts' and her lover, disgraced banker Agla, is awaiting trial for financial misconduct. Reykjavik is still covered in volcanic dust and the Icelanders are still struggling with the financial crash. Sonja is now working with customs officer Bragi, who has his beloved wife Valdís home and will do anything to make sure he can afford the nursing care she needs as her dementia progresses. Great to see Mr José and his tiger back too (providing me with a few laughs as well as a few OMG moments - breaking up the darkness at the heart of the book).

Trap covers serious issues, including money laundering and drug dealing. Yet it is also laced with tenderness and affection, with key characters Sonja and Bragi prepared to risk their lives and reputations for their loved ones. Sonja is a great character - a loving mother who will do anything to keep her son safe, strong and capable when she needs to be but also naive enough to get herself into all manner of difficult (and often dangerous) situations. I still haven't warmed fully to Agla - she's a manipulator and a schemer, which is how she ended up on the wrong side of the law, but she's now slowly redeeming herself.

I found this to be an easy read, thanks to the seamless translation by Quentin Bates. The tension escalated throughout the book, culminating in a thrilling, heart-stopping conclusion. And while most of the threads were tied up neatly by the end, leaving me feeling satisfied, I can't wait to see what happens next.

Follow the Blog Tour

Cold Breath by Quentin Bates

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Cold Breath by Quentin Bates. Cold Breath was published by Constable on 11 October 2018.

Cold Breath 
By Quentin Bates
Published by Constable (11 October 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

Gunnhildur reluctantly allows herself to be taken off police duties to act as bodyguard to a man with a price on his head . . . 

Hidden away in a secure house outside Reykjavík, Gunna and the high-profile stranger, a guest of the interiors minister, are thrown together - too close for comfort. They soon find they are neither as safe nor as carefully hidden as Gunna and her boss had thought. Conflicting glimpses of the man's past start to emerge as the press begin to sniff him out, as does another group with their own reasons for locating him. Gunna struggles to come to terms with protecting the life of a man who may have the lives of many on his conscience - or indeed may be the philanthropist he claims to be.

Isolated together, the friction grows between Gunna and the foreign visitor, and she realises they are out of their depth as the trails lead from the house outside Reykjavík to Brussels, Russia and the Middle East.

My verdict
Cold Breath is a twisty mix of Icelandic police procedural and action thriller.

Gunna is acting as bodyguard to a guest of the interiors minister, but doesn't know why she's been asked to do this job. Her foreign charge is as cagey as everyone else who knows where he's in hiding, yet they're having to live in very close proximity - too close at times. Gradually Gunna begins to piece together his history, and his past, and doesn't like everything she finds, leading her to wonder who she's really protecting - and why. She's not the only one with questions, as there's a relentless journalist on their trail, and also some ruthless killers on the loose, determined to discover where this high-profile visitor is being hidden.

Cold Breath features several strands, all equally intriguing, following the various different characters, from police officers and journalists to the determined villains. Gradually, these individual strands weave together to reveal a complex well-planned plot. It soon became clear to me that nothing was clearcut, with the killers and the press closing in, culminating in an action-packed explosive ending.

Gunna is a tough cookie, yet also has plenty of heart, focusing as much on her family as on her job - and she definitely brings the story to life. I have read the previous book in this series, but haven't yet read any of the others, yet there's enough backstory here to be able to read Cold Breath as a standalone. The chilling Icelandic setting is a perfect backdrop, and the author's vivid evocative descriptions transported me there myself - feeling the freezing temperatures, experiencing suburban life just outside Reykjavik and seeing the starkness of more-remote areas. Quentin Bates lived in Iceland for a decade and still visits the country every year, and this personal knowledge of Icelandic culture shows in his writing.

Cold Breath is a gripping read and a great addition to any Nordic Noir crime shelf.

Follow the Blog Tour

The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

The Legacy
by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Published by Hodder & Stoughton (March 2017)

Publisher's description

The murder was meant as a punishment - but what sin could justify the method?

The only person who might have answers is the victim's seven-year-old daughter, found hiding in the room where her mother died. And she's not talking. 

Newly promoted, out of his depth, detective Huldar turns to Freyja and the Children's House for their expertise with traumatised young people. Freyja, who distrusts the police in general and Huldar in particular, isn't best pleased. But she's determined to keep little Margret safe. 

It may prove tricky. The killer is leaving them strange clues: warnings in text messages, sums scribbled on bits of paper, numbers broadcast on the radio. He's telling a dark and secret story - but how can they crack the code? And if they do, will they be next? 

My verdict
I loved The Legacy, with its excellent writing, sharp plotting and compelling story, all taking place in an atmospheric Icelandic setting.

I hadn't read any of Yrsa Sigurdardottir's books before this one, so wasn't sure what to expect. But this book hit me hard - in a good way. It was a great introduction to the author's books, as The Legacy is the first in a new series, called the Children's House.

The Legacy focuses on child psychologist Freyja, policeman Huldar and a case involving a traumatised seven-year-old girl who may have just witnessed her mother's murder. It's a very dark read, with horrific death scenes that made me shudder - and it takes a lot to do that. Most of the descriptions weren't overly graphic (at least not for me), but the author's twisted imagination certainly left its mark.

The plot was filled with twists, turns, red herrings and surprises right until the end.  It certainly kept me guessing all the way through. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series, which is being published next year.

Whiteout by Ragnar Jónasson - Blog Tour

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Whiteout by Ragnar Jónasson. Whiteout was published by Orenda Books on 1 November 2017. Read my review...


Whiteout
By Ragnar Jónasson
Published by Orenda Books (1 November 2017)
I bought the ebook and pre-ordered the hardback, then received an ARC from the publisher

Publisher's description

Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead beneath the cliffs of the deserted village of Kálfshamarvík. Did she jump, or did something more sinister take place beneath the lighthouse and the abandoned old house on the remote rocky outcrop? With winter closing in and the snow falling relentlessly, Ari Thór Arason discovers that the victim's mother and young sister also lost their lives in this same spot, twenty-five years earlier. As the dark history and its secrets of the village are unveiled, and the death toll begins to rise, the Siglufjordur detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, before another tragedy takes place.  

My verdict
Yet again, Ragnar Jónasson has written a compelling crime novel. I often compare his books to those of Agatha Christie (many of which he has translated into Icelandic). Whiteout, in particular, has a cosy crime feel to its plot, with a fairly small cast of suspects and a 'locked room (house, in this case)' scenario. Yet it's much darker than the Christie books - and obviously covers modern themes.

The book is intriguing from the first page, introducing readers to a young woman called Ásta Káradóttir who has returned to her childhood home. This fleshes out Ásta's character straight away, so that when she's found dead at the base of some cliffs you already feel something for her. She's not just a random dead body - she's already someone the reader 'knows'. For me, this certainly made me want to discover what happened to her, and whether her death was just an accident. The fact that her mother and younger sister also died in the same spot, 25 years earlier, suggests something more sinister is going on. It's up to Ari Thór and his colleague Tómas to investigate.

I read most of the book in one sitting. As expected, Whiteout is atmospheric and well written (and well translated), with haunting poetic descriptions of the old lighthouse and nearby abandoned house. Each of the suspects was present in the house that night. All appear to be harbouring secrets and may have a possible motive. I spent my time going round in circles trying to work out the 'whodunnit'. In the end I gave up trying, realising I just had to wait until Ragnar Jónasson revealed the truth at the end.

Whiteout is full of secrets and surprises. It has left me wanting more - in a good way, I should add. I'm (almost) tempted to learn Icelandic, so that I don't have to wait too long to read the next book in this series. In the meantime, I'll have to head back to the beginning of this Dark Iceland series and read the books again.

Follow the Blog Tour

BEST OF CRIME with Lilja Sigurdardóttir

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

LILJA SIGURDARDÓTTIR

for her Snare blog tour

to share her BEST OF CRIME ... 

  

... AUTHORS

Arnaldur Indridason is our own Icelandic giant of crime writing. November 1^st each year is a date to look forward to, as it is the yearly publishing date of his new book. He writes Icelandic crime with international quality. 

... FILMS/MOVIES

Angel Heart from 1987. The symbolism, the voodoo, the search for self... so good. 

... TV DRAMAS

Wire in the Blood, based on Val McDermid´s stories and characters, is a favourite. 

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
The very talented Tom Ripley, created by Patricia Highsmith.

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
Pierre Lemaire´s Camille Verhœven. Very short but very clever!

... MURDER WEAPONS

Well, Icelandic queen of crime Yrsa Sigurdardóttir has to own it with the vacuum cleaner. 

    

... DEATH SCENES

Peter James´s horrific and claustrophobic scene in Dead Simple, when a man is buried alive in a coffin, is stuck in my mind. 

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES

www.bizarrepedia.com has all sorts of lists and links to all things bizarre and a collection of true crime blogs.

http://internationalcrimeauthors.com I read for my enjoyment. 

... WRITING TIPS

Write a story you love! 

... WRITING SNACKS

I know I should use the opportunity and name some of the traditional Icelandic foods that horrify the civilized world, like seared sheepshead or fermented shark … but, no. Just coffee! 

About LILJA SIGURDARDÓTTIR

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series, hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Translation rights have been sold in eight countries to date, and film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja has a background in education and has worked in evaluation and quality control for preschools in recent years. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

Find Lilja Sigurdardottir on her website and on Twitter - @lilja1972

About SNARE

Publisher's description
After a messy divorce, attractive young mother Sonja is struggling to provide for herself and win sole custody of her son. With her back to the wall, she resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world. As she desperately looks for a way out of trouble, she must pit her wits against her nemesis, Bragi, a customs officer, whose years of experience frustrate her new and evermore daring strategies. Things become even more complicated by the fact that Sonja is in a relationship with a woman, Agla. Once a high-level bank executive, Agla is currently being prosecuted in the aftermath the Icelandic financial crash.

Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a nail-bitingly fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Snare is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.

A snippet of my review

Snare is fresh and different, raw yet sophisticated with fleshed out characters and beautiful literary writing. This is a very dark yet easy read, with plenty of heart within its pages. 

Read the rest of my review here.

Snare is being published by Orenda Books on 1 October 2017.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

Follow the Blog Tour

Snare by Lilja Sigurdardottir

Snare
By Lilja Sigurdardottir
Published by Orenda Books (1 October 2017)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

Publisher's description

After a messy divorce, attractive young mother Sonja is struggling to provide for herself and win sole custody of her son. With her back to the wall, she resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world. As she desperately looks for a way out of trouble, she must pit her wits against her nemesis, Bragi, a customs officer, whose years of experience frustrate her new and evermore daring strategies. Things become even more complicated by the fact that Sonja is in a relationship with a woman, Agla. Once a high-level bank executive, Agla is currently being prosecuted in the aftermath the Icelandic financial crash.

Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a nail-bitingly fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Snare is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.

My verdict
Snare is fresh and different, raw yet sophisticated with fleshed out characters and beautiful literary writing. This is a very dark yet easy read, with plenty of heart within its pages. 

Both drug-smuggling young mother Sonja and soon-to-retire customs officer Bragi have hard exteriors yet are soft inside once you delve further into their lives. I found myself wanting a happy ending for both characters, even though in Sonja's case I realised I shouldn't - she's smuggling cocaine, a drug that is likely to kill people and ruin lives. Yet I just couldn't help but feel for her, stuck in a situation with no easy way out and driven by her love for her young son. The airport scenes left me holding my breath - would Sonja find a way to beat the system?

Snare is a cat and mouse game. It's a fast paced read, but it's not one filled with car chases. It's a slower, more intelligent and more measured chase. Sonja is always planning ahead, trying to keep one step ahead, but Bragi isn't far behind. He knows something is going on, but isn't quite sure who is involved or how - and even when he works out the who, he realises Sonja isn't a straightforward cocaine drugs mule. She doesn't fit the mould. I loved the depth not only of the characters, but also the situation they find themselves in - even Bragi isn't as 'straight laced' as he appears. 

Agla wasn't someone I warmed to so well. She's a businesswoman, and likes to be in control - a major problem for her as when she's with Sonja she isn't in control at all. She becomes someone she doesn't recognise - and someone she isn't sure she wants to be - but just can't help her feelings. She's being investigated for financial crimes - again something that's out of her control, and she feels trapped.

This is a book about love - and how far people will go for it, whatever the consequences. A mother's love, a young son's love, a husband's love, a lover's love ... and maybe even a father's love. Love of money, drugs, sex, thrills and control. It's also a book about hate - and how far people will go for that too.

Set in Iceland, with its short days and volcanic ash at a time of a major financial crash, Snare is a compelling, suspenseful and chilling thriller. I must also add that the translation by Quentin Bates is top notch - it doesn't read like a translation at all. I can't wait for the next book from Lilja Sigurdardottir. 

Rupture by Ragnar Jónasson - Blog Tour

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Rupture by Ragnar Jónassen, which was published by Orenda Books on 15 January 2017. Here's my review (plus details of a giveaway at the end) ...

Rupture
By Ragnar Jónasson
Translated by Quentin Bates
Published by Orenda Books (15 January 2017)
ISBN: 978-1910633571

Publisher's description

1955. Two young couples move to the uninhabited, isolated fjord of Hedinsfjörður. Their stay ends abruptly when one of the women meets her death in mysterious circumstances. The case is never solved. Fifty years later an old photograph comes to light, and it becomes clear that the couples may not have been alone on the fjord after all…

In nearby Siglufjörður, young policeman Ari Thór tries to piece together what really happened that fateful night, in a town where no one wants to know, where secrets are a way of life. He's assisted by Ísrún, a news reporter in Reykjavik who is investigating an increasingly chilling case of her own. Things take a sinsister turn when a child goes missing in broad daylight. With a stalker on the loose, and the town of Siglufjörður in quarantine, the past might just come back to haunt them.

My verdict
I love this Dark Iceland series and believe that Rupture may possibly be the most intriguing so far.

Rupture is set in a small Icelandic community, which becomes quarantined (and even more isolated than usual) when a deadly virus strikes at its heart. Stranded by the epidemic, Ari Thór begins to investigate a 60-year-old cold case of poisoning at a remote fjord, looking for a mysterious young man in a old photograph. He seeks the help of Isrun, a news reporter in Reykjavik (first introduced in Blackout), who is investigating a hit and run and the disappearance of a young child.

Rupture is chilling, atmospheric and very readable (beautifully translated by Quentin Bates). I whizzed through it in just a few hours - totally captivated by the vivid descriptions of the Icelandic setting and daily life and haunted by the suspicious death of the past.

Yet again, as with all Dark Iceland books, there are several seemingly unconnected strands. They flowed alongside one another until they gradually began to weave together, creating a tapestry of deception and lies. There was more than a hint of Agatha Christie within the plot, especially as Ari Thór gathered everyone together for the final reveal. I believe these Dark Iceland books will feature on classic crime fiction reading lists for decades to come.

I have one copy of Rupture to give away (UK only). To enter, follow me on Twitter (@VictoriaGoldma2) and RT my pinned Rupture giveaway tweet. Entries close at midnight on 5th February. Winner chosen at random on 6th February and will be notified by Twitter Direct Messaging.

Follow the Blog Tour