When Áróra receives a call telling her that a child she’s never met is claiming to be her missing sister reincarnated, she is devastated … as ridiculous as the allegations might seem.

For three years she has been searching for her sister without finding a single clue, and now this strange child seems to have new information.

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On the same day, Icelandic detective Daníel returns home to find a note from his tenant, drag queen Lady Gúgúlú, giving notice on her flat and explaining that she has to leave the country. Daníel is immediately suspicious, and when three threatening men appear, looking for Lady, it’s clear to him that something is very wrong…

And as Iceland’s long dark nights continue into springtime, that is just the very beginning…

My Review

This series started in book one Cold As Hell when Áróra returned to Iceland from England, where she was living with her English mother (her father was Icelandic), to search for her missing sister Ísafold. The sisters have been estranged because of Ísafold’s abusive relationship with boyfriend Björn.

Lots of things have happened since then, but it has been assumed by everyone, including the police, that Ísafold is dead and that Björn murdered her and hid her body somewhere out there. But without a body, there can be no closure for Áróra.

Áróra is now in a proper relationship with police officer Daniel (it’s been brewing since the beginning). They don’t live together yet.

But back to the story proper. In fact there are two stories. Áróra receives a strange phone call from a woman who claims that her three year old daughter believes she is the reincarnation of Ísafold. The child appears to know things that only a handful of people know – Áróra, her mother, Daniel and the officers assigned to the case. Áróra is devastated, angry and upset. Daniel is sceptical – he doesn’t believe any of this stuff.

On the same day, Daniel returns home to find a note from his tenant, drag queen Lady Gúgúlú. It just says goodbye, you can dump my stuff, I won’t be coming back, in fact I’m leaving the country, family matters blah blah. But Daniel doesn’t believe a word of it. She wouldn’t have left her phone and other important personal items. She would have said goodbye. Then three men appear looking for her, and their behaviour is definitely suspicious.

And so we follow the two stories, both becoming more and more complicated, especially that of Lady Gúgúlú. It’s far more involved and dark that we could have ever imagined. But Áróra is good at this sort of thing. Follow the money and you’ll discover the truth. But what about the child? Is she really Ísafold? Or is this some horrible ruse by the parents to use Áróra’s heartache to their own ends.

I loved the supernatural element of the story. I used to watch an American TV series years ago where the police actually met with psychics to discover the locations of missing persons. It fascinates me. But a three year old?

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours.

About the Author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir 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, her English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja’s standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.