Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson (translated by David Warriner)

One Christmas gift I hadn't bargained on and could really, really have done without is Covid, so feeling very sorry for myself just now! But one Christmas present that I was delighted to treat myself to was a copy of the new book from one of my favourite authors. Welcome to my blog tour stop for Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson and translated into English by David Warriner. Huge thanks Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review ebook.

The Blurb

The number one bestselling, haunting new gothic thriller from the 'Queen of French Noir', this is the first in a series and based on true events.

Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she's asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found.

Emma must work alone, and with the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide?

As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants.

When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories of his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman's tragic death somehow hold the key?

Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia's deepest, darkest winter….

My Review

Johana Gustawsson is one of my go to authors, an automatic buy, because I've loved everything of hers I've read. So much so that I bought a limited first edition hardback copy of Yule Island, having not read it first (as I did with her previous book, The Bleeding). Yes, I was excited. She is also just one of the loveliest people too, although her books are, by contrast, very dark and often chilling. And as this one is set in the dead of winter, it is even more so! 

The book opens in 2012 with policeman Karl Rosén heading to Storholmen, a small island just a short crossing over the water from Stockholm where the body of a young woman has been discovered. Fast forward to 2021 and art and antiquities expert Emma is apprehensive about heading over to Storholmen to value the contents of the Gussman manor house as she knows they are one of the wealthiest families in Sweden. And the whole country knows of 'The Hanging Girl' from nine years earlier, a story which causes Emma to shiver. Settling into regular visits to the island and her work there she is struck by just how silent it is. It's quite unnerving in the early days. A shocking discovery in the manor house leads her to cross paths with Karl, back on the island to investigate the death of another young woman. Events lead them down a path they could not have foreseen...

It's not often I lead with scene setting over characters but I want to give special mention to the island of Storholmen, because it absolutely makes for a character itself, and to know it's a real place only makes it better. Some of the characteristics of the real island may have been exaggerated here, but I was struck by its seemingly overwhelming silence, eerie at the beginning, more comforting as time goes on. I know there are no cars on the island but there seems to be an absence of most noise. Perhaps because there is nowhere for visitors to stay not much for them to do. But it really piqued my interest.

Emma is young and enthusiastic but professional, determined to make a good impression with her new clients despite a certain sense of imposter syndrome. She doesn't seem to have many friends, save for the fabulous Lulu, but warms to a few islanders - l loved water taxi pilot Lotte. Emma makes discovery upon discovery in the manor house, many of which she really struggles with, and it's really no wonder! Karl has been a policeman for a good while, knows the law, knows right from wrong. He's full of sadness over an unsolved murder from the past and can't help fearing that this one is related in some way. But both of the main characters have their own demons to deal with, and their stories are skilfully teased out through the book. 

I'm sorry, this review is clunker than I'd hoped cos I've got brain fog but will aim for a neater wrap up! Whilst there are shocks early on, the full horror of the story builds throughout the book meaning the tension ratchets right up. And due to the insular nature of the setting, it feels very claustrophobic. I tell you, you won't want to put it down! It's beautifully written with endearing, well drawn protagonists from very different worlds. I know this is the beginning of a series but I don't know if either or both will be making a return in the follow ups but I would to see this. Whilst it's well known I like my crime on the dark side, I can only enjoy if it's balanced by some light moments. There aren't loads here, particularly with the sense of mounting dread, but they are handled well with some genuinely touching moments. 

Full of twists and turns, Yule Island had me wincing, grimacing, even gasping out loud. A tale crossing time, it touches on family, relationships, love and folklore. And it's dark. Devilishly dark. I loved it, easily one of my favourites of the year. 

I'm not organised enough to have posts already scheduled and given as I'm not well, there is unlikely to be anything from me before next Monday, so I'll take this opportunity to wish those of you who celebrate a very happy Christmas and best wishes to everyone for the new year, in case I'm not back before then! 

The Author

Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series, including Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in nineteen countries. A TV adaptation is currently under way in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. The Bleeding was a number one bestseller in France and received immense critical acclaim across the globe. Johana lives in Sweden with her Swedish husband and their three sons.

Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir (translated by Quentin Bates)

Come with me as I travel to Iceland for today's blog tour stop. Debut novel Dead Sweet is written by Katrín Júlíusdóttir and translated into English by Quentin Bates. The death of a notable man is just the start of the mystery. Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invite and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

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 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 an addictive, mind-blowing new series.

Dead Sweet is published in the UK by Orenda Books and came out on 7th December 2023.

My Review

Óttar Karlsson's partner has gone out of her way to make his surprise 50th birthday party perfect in every way, so when he doesn't turn up for it she is devastated. More so when he is found murdered. But as the investigation into his death progresses, it seems there was a lot more to Óttar than she, or most people, in fact, realised. And not necessarily in a good way. Keen to be actively involved in this case is young policewoman Sigurdís who has been assigned to limited duties following a violent altercation with a member of the public. But she has good instincts, something her boss can't ignore forever, especially after she discovers a well hidden safe in the dead man's apartment... 

The investigation into Óttar's death is complex, interesting and intriguing. He was a popular, well liked man, but seemed to have very few, if any, real friends. There are secret business dealings, a web of financial transactions, a secret life in America, several suspects and a number of red herrings. Sigurdís's work on the case is consistently good and it was great to see that she wasn't afraid to take the initiative when she felt it as necessary, even if she knew she might get into trouble for it. 

I loved getting to know Sigurdís and learning what has brought her to this point, and  looking a little bit as to why she lashed out in public. She has experienced significant trauma in her life and struggles to relax, particularly around colleague Unnar. Speaking of colleagues, as well as wanting to keep Sigurdís out of trouble, boss Garðar clearly has her best interests at heart, with a sometimes almost paternal attitude, and it was interesting to see just how that has come about. And, throughout, I was rooting for her to succeed.

There are some dark themes explored here but never in a gratuitous way. Everything fits into the story. There were moments, and revelations that made me angry, and some that made me sad. Interspersed amongst the main chapters are short passages from an unknown narrator and these made me uncomfortable and desperate to know how they tied in with the main storyline. 

Whilst this isn't a high action storyline, there is plenty going on and the momentum does let up. There are a lot of police procedures out there but this feels fresh. That's thanks to the writing and the excellent translation from Quentin Bates but in Sigurdís, Katrín Júlíusdóttir has created an engaging protagonist with her own strengths and flaws. An assured debut and an assured start to a new series. I look forward to reading more about Sigurdís in the future! 

The Author

Katrín Júlíusdóttir received the Blackbird Award, an Icelandic crime-writing prize, for her first novel, Dead Sweet in 2020. Her debut novel was reviewed well by critics and hit the best-seller lists in the first weeks after publication. Katrín has a political background and was a member of 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, as well as the Managing Director of a student union during her uni years. She worked from a young age in the fishing industry, as a store clerk and took night time shifts at a pizza place. She studied Anthropology and has an MBA from Reykjavík University. She was raised in Kópavogur, about 15 minutes' drive from downtown Reykjavík. She now lives in the neighbouring town of Garðabær with her family. She is married to author Bjarni M. Bjarnason, who encouraged her to start writing. They have four boys.