I'm thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for Betrayal by Lilja Sigurðadóttir as I loved her Reykjavik Noir trilogy. This novel moves into the world of politics and I loved it! Huge thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the author and publisher for my review copy. You can read my thoughts below.
The Blurb:
Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a difference again.
But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some danger? And the death of her father in police custody so many years rears its head once again.
As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones, and the stakes are raised ever higher...
The award-winning internationally bestselling author Lilja Sigurðardóttir returns with Betrayal, a relevant, powerful, fast-paced thriller about the worlds of politics, police corruption and misogyny that feels just a little bit too real…
Betrayal was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 1st July 2020 and in paperback on 1st October 2020. It is available to purchase from the publisher, Hive (supporting independent bookshops), Waterstones, Amazon or your usual bookseller.
My Review:
I was excited for this one from Lilja as I had really enjoyed Snare, Trap and Cage, and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed at all!
Betrayal takes place over seventeen or eighteen days beginning with Úrsúla Aradóttir taking over her new role as Interiors Minister with the Icelandic Government. She's an unusual appointment as she doesn't come from a political background but the role is only for a year. She has come back from Ebola frontline hospitals in Liberia and the war zones of Syria and has taken on this ministerial job to help immigrants arriving in Iceland. On her first day she promises Rosa that she will find out what's happening with her daughter's rape case. Soon after she starts receiving bizarre, unsettling handwritten notes, then vile, threatening emails. And that's just the beginning ...
Úrsúla is really interesting and a brilliantly written character. It's hard not to like her, she just wants to help people. And although traumatised by her experiences abroad, she is desperate for another challenging role. She's brave and doesn't compromise easily but she's unhappy and unable to connect with her husband and children in the way she wants to. Her nightmares are horrific, even to the reader. It's not easy settling into the new job as she learns that there are accepted practices, procedures to follow and things don't always move as fast as she would like. And not everybody is thrilled to see a female minister...
I also loved assistant Eva and cleaner Stella. We don't learn too much about Eva but she keeps Úrsúla right and has an endless supply of clean blouses at hand. Stella is such an interesting character. She's had a difficult and sad upbringing and hasn't always made good choices as an adult. Thanks to her Faroese grandmother she believes in magic and spells, and isn't averse to casting one or two. But possibly my favourite character was Gunnar, a man who just wants to do his dream job well. And he does.
The story? Oh goodness. With threats coming from all directions, Betrayal is never dull. Sigurðadóttir has weaved together different threads that eventually come together in a nailbiting denouement. There is political scandal, police corruption and death threats amongst the pages, and I stayed up way too late reading it! I just couldn't put it down. Betrayal is a very effective political crime thriller but,more than that, it's about the people and the love, loss, fear, grief, trauma and hope they experience, Beautifully written, full of rich detail and authentic, I loved every minute of Betrayal. More please Lilja!
The Author:
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, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavik Noir trilogy, which have hit bestseller lists worldwide. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.
I was excited for this one from Lilja as I had really enjoyed Snare, Trap and Cage, and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed at all!
Betrayal takes place over seventeen or eighteen days beginning with Úrsúla Aradóttir taking over her new role as Interiors Minister with the Icelandic Government. She's an unusual appointment as she doesn't come from a political background but the role is only for a year. She has come back from Ebola frontline hospitals in Liberia and the war zones of Syria and has taken on this ministerial job to help immigrants arriving in Iceland. On her first day she promises Rosa that she will find out what's happening with her daughter's rape case. Soon after she starts receiving bizarre, unsettling handwritten notes, then vile, threatening emails. And that's just the beginning ...
Úrsúla is really interesting and a brilliantly written character. It's hard not to like her, she just wants to help people. And although traumatised by her experiences abroad, she is desperate for another challenging role. She's brave and doesn't compromise easily but she's unhappy and unable to connect with her husband and children in the way she wants to. Her nightmares are horrific, even to the reader. It's not easy settling into the new job as she learns that there are accepted practices, procedures to follow and things don't always move as fast as she would like. And not everybody is thrilled to see a female minister...
I also loved assistant Eva and cleaner Stella. We don't learn too much about Eva but she keeps Úrsúla right and has an endless supply of clean blouses at hand. Stella is such an interesting character. She's had a difficult and sad upbringing and hasn't always made good choices as an adult. Thanks to her Faroese grandmother she believes in magic and spells, and isn't averse to casting one or two. But possibly my favourite character was Gunnar, a man who just wants to do his dream job well. And he does.
The story? Oh goodness. With threats coming from all directions, Betrayal is never dull. Sigurðadóttir has weaved together different threads that eventually come together in a nailbiting denouement. There is political scandal, police corruption and death threats amongst the pages, and I stayed up way too late reading it! I just couldn't put it down. Betrayal is a very effective political crime thriller but,more than that, it's about the people and the love, loss, fear, grief, trauma and hope they experience, Beautifully written, full of rich detail and authentic, I loved every minute of Betrayal. More please Lilja!
The Author:
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, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavik Noir trilogy, which have hit bestseller lists worldwide. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.
Thanks for the blog tour support xx
ReplyDeleteIt was my pleasure. xx
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