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.