Dark as Night by Lilja Sigurðadóttir (translated by Lorenza Garcia)

Today I'm sharing my review of Dark as Night by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, translated into English by Lorenza Garcia, as part of the blog tour. I love this series! Big thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

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.

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

Dark as Night is the fourth in the five book series, An Áróra Investigation following Cold as Hell, Red as Blood and White as Snow. It can easily be read as a standalone, as can all the books in the collection, but as with any series, you'll find a richer reading experience by starting at the beginning. 

A couple come forward claiming that their three year old daughter believes she's Áróra's missing sister, Ísafold, reincarnated. Áróra doesn't know what to think when she meets the little girl herself as it's a subject that causes her pain. Could this little girl really know what happened to Ísafold? Her boyfriend, policeman Daniel, is not so sure. He has his own worries anyway as his tenant, and friend, has disappeared without notice and Daniel is confused as to why. Especially after receiving some sinister visitors... Áróra and Daniel team up to try to solve both mysteries, whilst trying to keep themselves out of danger...

I love Áróra. She's strong minded and determined, and will keep searching to find the truth. Especially about Ísafold. She's also very fit and physically strong, putting her time in at the gym, although this book finds her taking a few risks with her health, and quicker to anger than usual. Here, she struggles with the whole reincarnation story because it's so close to home and so painful. Helping Daniel find Lady Gúgúlù distracts her and gives her something to focus on. 

Daniel, too, is a great character. He's calm, caring and kind, just what Áróra needs, and a good policeman who works hard to get at the truth. And Lady, what can I say? Such a brilliant character. I'm so glad she's getting her moment in the spotlight in this book. 

The two storylines are super interesting, both going in unexpected directions. I'm generally a sceptic when it comes to reincarnation etc but I know there are well documented stores of children claiming to have lived previous lives. It's an intriguing idea, full of 'What if...?'s. The main story about Lady, and all the details of her own previous life, of Áróra's investigations into Lady's disappearance, the shady men in suits, is fabulous, with a mounting sense of dread and jeopardy. And it's great to see chickens featuring in a story, knowing the author's love of them. All in all, Dark as Night is a very satisfying read, really enjoyed it. Already looking forward to the final book in the series but also sad it'll be the end and I'll be saying goodbye to these characters. 

The Author

Bestselling 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 ten crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavík Noir trilogy, and her standalone thriller Betrayal, all of which have hit bestseller lists worldwide and been long- and shortlisted for multiple awards. The film rights for the Reykjavík Noir trilogy have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California, and the An Áróra Investigation series is now in production for a major TV series. Cold as Hell was published in the UK in 2021 and reprinted twice, followed by Red as Blood and White as Snow, both number-one digital bestsellers. Lilja lives outside of Reykjavík with her partner and a brood of chickens.