Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurðardóttir (translated by Quentin Bates)

I'm delighted to be sharing my review today of Cold as Hell, the new one from one of my favourite people, Icelandic author Lilja Sigurðardóttir, which has been translated into English by Quentin Bates. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

With rights sold in 14 countries, Cold as Hell is the first in the riveting, atmospheric and beautifully plotted five-book series An Áróra Investigation, from one of Iceland’s bestselling crime writers. Estranged sisters Áróra and Ísafold live in different countries, and are not on speaking terms. When their mother loses contact with Ísafold, Áróra reluctantly returns to Iceland to look for her. But she soon realises that her sister isn’t avoiding her … she has disappeared, without a trace. As she confronts Ísafold’s abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend Björn, and begins to probe her sister’s reclusive neighbours – who have their own reasons for staying out of sight – Áróra is drawn into an ever-darker web of intrigue and manipulation. Baffled by the conflicting details of her sister’s life, and blinded by the shiveringly bright midnight sun of the Icelandic summer, Áróra enlists the help of police officer Daníel, to help her track her sister’s movements, and tail Björn. But she isn’t the only one watching…

Cold as Hell is published by Orenda Books and will be out in paperback on 28th October.

My Review

I always look forward to a new book from Lilja as I love her writing. She always creates fabulous characters. You can see my reviews of her previous books by clicking through the links - Snare, Trap, Cage and Betrayal. Coming back to this one, I heard her speaking (online) about it and she was inspired because there are not a lot of murders in Iceland but an awful lot of people disappear without a trace. 

Áróra has a good life in the UK, earning good money as a financial investigator, finding money which has been hidden away. A child of an Icelandic father and British mother, she has always felt more British. Sister Ísafold, on the other hand, always felt the pull of Iceland, made a life there and found a boyfriend, Björn and seemed happy. But arguments between the sisters meant they hadn't spoken for some time, so when their mother tells Áróra her sister is missing she is keen to dismiss it, sure that Ísafold will show up eventually. It is only because of her mother's desperation that she finds herself, reluctantly, in Iceland, once again. 

I loved Áróra. I liked seeing her relationship with Iceland, coming back after years away, now an outsider. I enjoyed her seeing the country, and its people, through new eyes. And, for this reader who has never been to Iceland, I loved learning about the country and its customs. 

There is a small, tight cast of characters, all of whom I enjoyed getting to know. Stand outs for me were Ísafold's neighbours Olga and Omar, and the beautiful relationship that Lilja has built between them. There is also Grímur, a withdrawn and unusual young man who is obviously fond of Ísafold and has supported her where he can. He was painted so vividly! And I can't go without mentioning policeman Daníel, who I very much hope will be in the future books in this series, I liked him. A lot! 

The story is told through several points of view, moving between the main characters. This is effective here as it not only moves the story forward, it also fills in the background, and always keeps the interest. This is not a fast moving, action packed story, it's more of a slow burner, but is tense throughout, full of meaning and heavy with dread. And I loved how Iceland played its part, was fascinated by the lava fields.

In this book Sigurðardóttir has delivered far more than a missing person investigation. Cold as Hell is a study of the fragility of relationships, the beauty of friendship and love, of the importance of keeping people close, of not giving up. It's about perseverance, revenge and maybe a little redemption. It's the tale of an outsider returning home. And it's all told through a cast of beautifully crafted characters. It's dark and unsettling and sad, but wonderfully written. Can't wait for the next one! 

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 previous 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.