Retriever of Souls by Lorraine Mace

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Retriever of Souls, the first book in the DI Paolo Sterling series from Lorraine Mace. Thanks to Emma at damppebbles blog tours for inviting me to take part and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

The first title in a dark and gritty crime series.

Brought up believing that sex is the devil's work, a killer only finds release once he has saved his victim's souls. Abiding by his vision, he marks them as his. A gift to guide his chosen ones on the rightful path to redemption.

Detective Inspector Paolo Sterling is out to stop him, but Paolo has problems of his own. Hunting down the killer as the death toll rises, the lines soon blur between Paolo's personal and professional lives.

Retriever of Souls was published by Accent Press on 13th December 2018 and is available from Blackwells,  Waterstones, Amazon UK, Amazon US, Google Books and other good booksellers.


My Review:

DI Paolo Sterling and his team have a nightmare of a case on their hands. Prostitutes in the fictional town of Bradchester are dying, murdered by a seemingly sadistic killer who is confident enough to leave DNA at the scenes.

The killer believes he is doing God's work. Having had a deeply unhealthy relationship with his strict Catholic mother, he thinks he is saving the souls of these women. In fact he knows he is, because God is guiding him in what he does. He is excited by his work and finds relief after he has killed, leaving his evidence on each victim.

The story point of view alternates between Paolo and the killer, and we learn more about both men. Paolo was instantly likeable. Also Catholic, he's a stand up guy with a strong sense of right and wrong. He has a good team around him but struggles to bond with his new DS Dave Johnson. Outside of work though, Paolo's having a tough time. Separated from his wife and not seeing much of his daughter, he is desperate to get his family back together. But I loved that he is a Terry Pratchett fan - the man has good taste!

We learn about the killer's background, his childhood and parents' relationship, the things that started to shape him into the man he has become. And we see him out on the hunt for victims and what he does for them. And we see his conflict with the gift he gives them and the guilt he feels for doing it.

The story is detailed and fast paced, full of great characters and throws up some red herrings. Swapping between Paolo and the killer's viewpoints kept things interesting and I read this quickly, wanting to know what happened next.

I've found that religion tends to feature in a fair few crime thrillers and it's not always easy to keep things fresh. But for me, Lorraine Mace has done that. Yes, religion features heavily, in the main storyline and beyond, but this is balanced out by a healthy dose of logical reasoning and some really clever and interesting science stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


The Author:

Born and raised in South East London, Lorraine lived and worked in South Africa, on the Island of Gozo and in France before settling on the Costa del Sol in Spain. She lives with her partner in a traditional Spanish village inland from the coast and enjoys sampling the regional dishes and ever-changing tapas in the local bars. Her knowledge of Spanish is expanding. To stop her waistline from doing the same, she runs five times a week.

When not working on the DI Sterling series of crime novels, Lorraine is engaged in many writing-related activities. She is a columnist for both Writing Magazine and Writers’ Forum and is head judge for Writers’ Forum monthly fiction competitions.

A tutor for Writers Bureau, she also runs her own private critique and author mentoring service.


Author Social Media Links:

Website: www.lorrainemace.com
Blog: http://thewritersabcchecklist.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lomace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.mace.52
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mace_lorraine/

Candy Canes and Buckets of Blood by Heide Goody and Iain Grant

Having read and enjoyed previous books by Heide and Iain (including Snowflake), I was delighted to get the chance to read this one through the Reviewers' Request Group at THE Book Club on Facebook. Thank you to the admins of that group and to the authors for my review copy. 

The Blurb:

Christmas is a time for families to come together.

Guin Roberts can’t think of anything worse than visiting a Christmas market with her new family. Guin is perfectly happy with her own company and doesn’t want that disrupted by her wisecracking stepbrother and his earnest mum.

Their Christmas celebrations are invaded by a sleigh full of murderous elves. And it doesn’t matter if they’ve been naughty or nice — these elves are out for blood.

Can the family band together to survive the night? Or will Santa’s little helpers make mincemeat of them all?

Candy Canes and Buckets of Blood was published by Pigeon Park Press on 21st September 2019 and you can purchase it from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

My Review: 

I love Christmas, but I'm not one for schmaltzy seasonal books and films - Die Hard is my Christmas movie! But give me murderous Christmas elves and I'm right there! 

Lovers Esther and Dave are hoping to marry soon, but their kids haven't met yet. So Esther and her 16 year old son Newton are going to spend Christmas with Dave and his daughter Guin, who is 10, to see how they all get along. After picking up Esther and Newton from the station, the soon-to-be family head off to spend the afternoon at a local Christmas market before moving on to Dave's house. But this isn't like any other Christmas market, and the team spend the rest of the book trying to outwit and outrun hundreds (at least it seemed that many) of blood thirsty elves. 

This is the kids' story. Newton is adorable, probably gentler than most teenage boys, he loves his mum and his visits to his local stable. He is a sweet boy, who does his best to make people, particularly his mum, happy and keep their spirits up. But when pushed into a corner, he proves to be very resourceful. I loved Guin. She's an unusual child, without many friends, so she makes her own from wire, tin foil and the like and has deep philosophical discussions with them. Of the four, she's the most level headed and inventive in trying to get the family out of their predicament. Although Dave and Esther deserve a mention for their 'elf-stabbing tractor fender'. 

This is such a funny story, but with loads of complete gross out moments. It's full of blood, body parts, gloop and violence - it's not for the faint hearted! But it's delivered with a hefty dose of humour. The story, as I've come to expect from these authors, is more than slightly bonkers, but I mean this in the best possible way! It's hugely creative and I loved the nod to various action movies. And the elves know the term 'Bobby Dazzler'! I laughed out loud at that.

My copy (eBook) had a few typos in it, but hopefully these have been picked up and remedied now. Those aside, I loved this book - definitely my kind of Christmas story!

The Authors:

Heide inflicts unsuitable content upon the world by whatever devious means she can find. She is, with Iain Grant, co-author of the Clovenhoof series, the Satan-in-suburbia comic novel and several other books set in the same world. Heide lives in North Warwickshire, England with her husband and children.

Iain Grant is an author of short stories and novels, ranging from contemporary literature to fantasy and horror. His short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. He is perhaps best known for the Clovenhoof comic novels co-written with Heide Goody. Iain’s solo work includes children’s books, thrillers and a steampunk omnibus, “The Gears of Madness”.

I Can See The Lights by Russ Litten - Cover Reveal

Today, I am delighted to be taking part in the cover reveal for a beautiful collection of poetry coming early next year from Wildpressed Books.

But before I do that, here are all the details.


The Blurb:

The prose poems in I Can See The Lights are earthy and raw, but also incredibly sensitive. It’s pretty much guaranteed that more than one of them will bring you to tears. Characters are vividly brought to life, and stark but warm environments evoked in a down to earth, yet almost painterly manner by Russ Litten’s uncompromising voice.

Tales of home, of un-belonging, of strife at sea – of a northern city’s beating heart. Told in a mesmeric, stripped-down tone, this collection is a work of genius.

I Can See The Lights will be published in February 2020 by Wildpressed Books.


The Author:

Russ Litten is the author of the novels Scream If You Want To Go Faster, Swear Down, Kingdom and the short story collection We Know What We Are.

As one half of the electronic storytelling duo Cobby and Litten, he has released three spoken word/electronica albums My People Come From The Sea, Boothferry and Pound Shop Communism.

He has written for TV, radio and film and has worked as a writer in residence at various prisons and youth offender units. I Can See The Lights is his first poetry collection.


And, finally, after all that, here's what you've been waiting for...
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The Cover!

I'm sure you'll agree  it's gorgeous, atmospheric and evocative. Really looking forward to reading this collection.

Little Siberia by Antti Tuomainen (translated by David Hackston)

For my last Orentober post (for this year anyway) I am delighted to share my review of Little Siberia by Antti Tuomainen to close off the blog tour, together with Jane Hunt. Thanks, as always, to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me, and Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for my review copy.

This was my first book by Tuomainen, although I have three others in my teetering TBR pile. I'd heard Antti speak at an Orenda Roadshow in March, and knew he was a very funny man (with an excellent taste in shirts!), but I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. Now I've finished it, dear reader, I can tell you Little Siberia is a dark delight.

The Blurb:

Fargo  meets Nietzsche in this atmospheric, darkly funny thriller by the critically acclaimed author of The Man Who Died and  Palm Beach Finland. A huge Finnish bestseller, Little Siberia topped both literary and crime charts in 2018, and has gone on to sell rights in 24 countries.

A man with dark thoughts on his mind is racing along the remote snowy roads of Hurmevaara in Finland, when there is flash in  the sky and something crashes into the car. That something turns about to be a highly valuable meteorite. With  euro signs lighting up the eyes of the locals, the unexpected treasure is temporarily placed  in a neighbourhood museum, under the watchful eye of a priest named Joel.

But Joel has a lot more on his mind than simply protecting the riches that have apparently rained down from heaven. His wife has just revealed  that she is pregnant. Unfortunately, Joel has strong reason to think the baby isn’t his.

As Joel tries to fend off repeated and bungled attempts to steal the meteorite, he must also come to terms with his own situation, and discover who the father of the baby really is.

Transporting the reader to the culture, landscape and mores of northern Finland, Little Siberia is both a dark crime thriller and a hilarious, blacker-than-black comedy about faith and disbelief, love and death, and what to do when bolts from the blue – both literal and figurative – turn your life upside down.

Little Siberia was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 17th August 2019 and in paperback on 17th October 2019. You can buy it from the publisher, Waterstones, Amazon UK, Amazon US and other good booksellers.


My Review:

A man is driving his car at breakneck speed - with amazing skill, considering he's drunk and still drinking - towards a stone wall, when a meteorite tears through the car roof and lands on the passenger seat beside him. How's that for the opening of a book?

The Finnish town of Hurmevaara is small and quite isolated - the nearest police station is an hour away. It's also very, very cold, going as low as -23 degrees! I'm moaning about being chilly at 8 degrees so I can't even imagine -23! There are a few days before the meteorite is to be taken to London for analysis, and rumours abound that the rock could be worth a million euros. A team of volunteers is put together to guard it at night in its temporary home of the town museum. On the first evening local pastor, and ex military chaplin, Joel Huhta is on guard duty when there is a bungled attempt to steal the meteorite. He has just learned of his wife's unexpected pregnancy, and resolves to keep the meteorite safe - singlehandedly - and also solve the mystery of Krista's pregnancy.

It's the start of a very eventful few days for Joel. He views everyone with suspicion. And actually, many of the townsfolk are not terribly likeable so it's easy to be suspicious of them, but they're definitely colourful and fun to read. I particularly liked the grocer, with his 'tasty greetings' for Krista - at 7.30 in the morning!

Joel is such an interesting character. As Karoliina (more later) says he's 'pretty cool for a pastor'. The events in the book shake his faith in God, but it doesn't seem to have been that strong beforehand. There are sections of the book that are quite introspective as Joel mulls issues, often deep, over in his mind. We see him at his work (I'm worried he wasn't getting enough sleep!) and he actively encourages his parishioners to question things. He doubts the value of prayer. His almost daily sessions with the man preparing for the end of the world were a highlight for me, not so much for Joel. But he's a good, principled man, who loves his wife very much, but has been rocked to the core by her news.

Karoliina is also fascinating. A barmaid at the Golden Moon Night Club which seems never to close, she's beautiful, mysterious and very possibly dangerous. And she arouses feelings in Joel that a pastor just shouldn't have.

The writing is wonderful and vivid. I picked out a phrase that made me smile, and another that tugged at my heartstrings:

'The smell of alcohol...like an aftershave made from garlic and toilet cleaner...'

'The bruise takes the most direct route to my heart, wrenching my chest open...' 

This is a dark crime caper, laced with equally dark humour and full of fascinating characters. The scenery and the weather are both integral to the story. It was easy for me to picture the scenes as the writing is so evocative. But it's also full of philosophical and religious questions, and looks at what's really important to us. It has real heart. I loved this quirky book and as soon as I get a chance, those other three Antti Tuomainen books will be moving further towards the top of my TBR pile.


The Author:

Finnish  Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when  he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In  2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded  the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted  for the Glass Key Award. Two years later, in  2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen  the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen  was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died  (2017) became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh  Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen  ‘the funniest writer in Europe’.

Cage by Lilja Sigarðardóttir (translated by Quentin Bates)

Having recently read and reviewed Snare and Trap by Lilja Sigarðardóttir, I am delighted today to be featuring the final part of the Reykjavik Noir trilogy, Cage, as part of the blog tour. Huge thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours and Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for my review copy.

The Blurb:

A masterful conclusion to the award-winning, critically acclaimed Reykjavík Noir trilogy, as drug-smuggling, financial crime, political intrigue, love, murder and betrayal come together.

The prison doors slam shut behind  Agla, when her sentence for financial misconduct ends, but her lover Sonja is not there to meet her.

As a group of foreign businessmen tries to draw Agla into an  ingenious fraud  that stretches from Iceland around the world, Agla and  her former nemesis María find the stakes being raised at a terrifying speed. Ruthless entrepreneur Ingimar will stop at nothing to protect his empire, but he has no idea about the powder keg he is sitting on in his own home. And at the same time, a deadly threat to Sonja and her family brings her from London back to Iceland, where she needs to settle scores with longstanding adversaries if she wants to stay alive…

The lives of these characters are about to collide in a shocking crescendo, until the winner takes it all…

Cage was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 17th August 2019 and in paperback on 17th October 2019. You can purchase it from the publisher, Waterstones, Amazon UK, Amazon US and all good bookshops.


My Review:

This is the final book in the series and takes place about six years after the events in Trap. And it's a very different Sonja and Agla we meet. You can read Cage as a standalone, but I would suggest it's best appreciated if you've to read the previous two instalments.

We join Agla in prison, a month before she will be up for parole, and she is broken. Abandoned by Sonja without ever knowing why, she has pretty much given up. Until a stranger comes to visit her in prison and ignites a spark within her. Suddenly she finds herself with a purpose. But she will need some help from adversary María. And she'll have to try to not get distracted by new arrival Elísa, a drugs courier for the Boss.

María's circumstances have also taken a turn for the worse. No longer working at the special prosecutor's office, she is now an investigative journalist working out of a crappy office and in sure need of a cash injection.

This book is mainly Agla and María's story, but we do see a little of Sonja. Now living in London, she has constant 24 hour security, trusts no one and can never relax. And whilst the joy in her life still comes from son Tómas, even their relationship has changed.

In the last two books I struggled a bit to relate to Alga. I connected with her in this book. The early chapters in the prison where we see her pain, her vulnerability and the conflicting emotions that Elísa awakens in her, ones that she had numbed herself to, were the scenes that touched me most in the book. María is hurting too, and it was clear to see her sadness through the writing. I loved her concern for, and dealings with, her unofficial sidekick Marteinn. And we even see a more human side to Ingimar.

But for me, the standout character was Anton. A kind, sensitive young man who is crazy about his girlfriend, but very misguided about how to impress her. His absolute belief that what he is doing is right was quite scary, and showed the lengths someone will go to for love. But my heart kind if went out to him, for the same reason - he's trying to be the best boyfriend he can possibly be. But there are perhaps better ways for him to do it. There was a shock for me in his story too.

When I had finished Snare, the first book in the trilogy, this wasn't the ending I foresaw for Sonja and Agla, but it absolutely works. As well as being a complex, intelligent crime novel full of tension and fear, this is a story about love, both lost and gained, loyalty and hope. I'm sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I can't wait to see what Lilja Sigurðardóttir brings us next.


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 crime novels, with Snare, the first in the Reykjavik Noir series, hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap was published in 2018, and a Book of the Year in Guardian. The film rights for the series have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja lives in Reykjavík with her partner. Follow Lilja on Twitter @lilja1972 and on her website liljawriter.com

The Peanut Butter Falcon - Film Review

It's been a looooong time since I featured anything other than books or book related events here on the blog, but I really, really want to tell you about a film I saw last week.

Official theatrical release poster

A few weeks ago I saw a few films as part of an anime festival (my son's choice!) at the Glasgow Film Theatre. Whilst I was there I saw a few trailers for forthcoming attractions, and amongst them was one for an independent  film called The Peanut Butter Falcon, which looked utterly charming. Last Monday I went to see it, back at the GFT, and it was everything I hoped it to be.

The official blurb says this:
'A modern Mark Twain-esque adventure that begins when Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from the nursing home where he lives to chase his dream of training with his hero and becoming a professional wrestler. In a strange twist of fate, Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) a small-time outlaw on the run, becomes Zak’s unlikely coach and ally. Together they wind through swamps, elude capture, drink whisky, catch fish and even convince Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), Zak’s loving but stubborn caretaker, to join them on their journey.'

A still from the film

Zak is 22, has Downs Syndrome and dreams of being a pro wrestler. Unfortunately, having been abandoned by his family, he's living a dull life in an old people's care home, as there is nowhere more suitable for him in the area. But refusing to give up on his dream Zak comes up with ingenious ways to try to escape from the home and eventually succeeds. In the middle of the night. In his pants. He hides in a nearby moored up boat, and is befriended, reluctantly at first, by the boat's owner, down on his luck fisherman Tyler. Tyler agrees to help Zak find his wrestling hero the Saltcreek Redneck, and his wrestling school where Zak wants to train. But Tyler has his own demons to wrestle, having lost his much loved older brother. He's carrying a lot of hurt and anger and gets himself on the wrong side of some nasty guys, who are willing to chase him down. Also on their trail is Zak's concerned and well meaning carer Eleanor, who is sent to find and bring him back. Tyler becomes Zak's guide and mentor, teaching him what it's like to live without limits. He sees past Zak's disability and encourages him to push himself. In turn, Zak teaches Tyler how to love again.  When Eleanor catches up with them, she is persuaded to join them on their quest, and the three journey on  - aboard a raft - to search for the wrestling school.

Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf. 

Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

The Peanut Butter Falcon was directed by Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz and was released on 18th October 2019. It stars Shia LaBeouf as Tyler and Dakota Johnson as Eleanor. Jon Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church and Bruce Dern also feature. But the absolute star of this movie is 33 year old Zack Gottsagen who plays central character Zak In his first film role. The film was written as a vehicle for him after the directors were blown away by his talent at a camp for actors with disabilities.

There is a lot more to this film than detailed in my summary above. I don't want to tell you too much of the plot because I want you all to see it for yourself. I don't know how wide a cinema release it had, but there will be a DVD at some point, and I can't urge you enough to see this movie. My words can't describe the magic and beauty of this film. It could have been clichéd and sickly sweet, but it's neither of those things. It's a buddy movie, yes, but it's more than that. It's quirky and  heartwarming. It's Deep South setting and Tyler's back story and current difficulties means the film is never in danger of becoming too mawkish. There is plenty of warmth, pathos and humour throughout though, and I reached for the tissues more than once.

A still from the film

Zach Gottsagen is outstanding. He's natural, confident and very funny. Which is just as well because he spends a good part of the movie in the ugliest y-fronts you've ever seen! This role is perfect for him and It's hard to believe this is his debut movie, although I believe he'd previously acted on stage. His character Zak is just the sweetest man and, from what I've read, in real life Zach seems much the same, and had a wonderful effect on his co-stars, particularly Shia LaBeouf. LaBeouf has been in the headlines a fair bit for all the wrong reasons and he's really not an actor you would associate with a feelgood movie. But he plays Tyler with a rawness and vulnerability that's heart breaking. I've seen him interviewed and he said this film came at just the right time for him, saving him from a very dark place.

Zak and Tyler's relationship in the film is pretty special. Early on, Zak says "Tyler, I want to tell you about me. I am a Downs Syndrome man." To which Tyler replies with something along the lines of "So what? That doesn't make any difference." And that is how he continues to treat Zak - his disability is never an issue. And in a touching moment , Zak, who is excited about his forthcoming birthday, says "Tyler, I'm going to give you all my birthday wishes." It's a lovely moment. And there are too many more to tell you about.

Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen and Dakota Johnson at Global's 10th Anniversary Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show.
Source: Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Anyway, I've rambled on enough! Please see this beautiful movie, however you can. You will be a better person for it. It's a film about friendship, love, hope, redemption, challenging disabilities and the family we choose. And wrestling.

Firally here's the official trailer to give you an idea what I'm talking about.

Orentober - Trap by Lilja Sigurðardóttir (translated by Quentin Bates)

Today for Orentober I'm highlighting another Orenda Books release. Following on from my review of Snare on Wednesday, and in advance of my blog tour stop for Cage on Tuesday, I'm delighted to share my review of the middle book in Lilja Sigarðardóttir's trilogy, Trap. And it's another corker.

The Blurb:

Happily settled in Florida, Sonja believes she's finally escaped the trap set by unscrupulous drug lords. But when her son Tomas is taken, she's back to square one...and Iceland. Her lover, Agla, is awaiting sentencing for financial misconduct after the banking crash, and Sonja refuses to see her. And that's not all...Agla owes money to some extremely powerful men, and they'll stop at nothing to get it back. Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Trap is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.

'A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters' - Marcel Berlins, Times.
'Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns' -The Times Crime Club .

Trap was published by Orenda Books on 18th October 2018. You can purchase it from the publisher, Waterstones, Amazon UK, Amazon US and other good bookshops.

I carried Lilja's bag when she took part in the Brookmyre Cup putting competition at Bute Noir 2019 

My Review:

Following on from the events in Snare, the first book in Lilja Sigurðardóttir's Reykjavik Noir, this can be read as a standalone, but I would suggest it is best enjoyed if you've read Snare first.

Trap opens not in Iceland but in Florida where Sonja and her son Tómas are living in a trailer park and enjoying a more relaxed way of life. Then Tómas is snatched and Sonja is forced to return to Iceland and to her life as a criminal. I'm Snare, everything she did was so Tómas could live with her full time, rather than with his father. Her motivation here is exactly the same, but she has to put together a while new plan. Especially after Adam makes it even more difficult for her to see her son.

Meanwhile her lover Agla hasn't heard from Sonja since she fled to America and misses her terribly, but has her own problems to focus on. She is still being investigated for financial irregularities by Mária from the special prosecutor's office, whilst having to do some shady deals to keep herself and other banking colleagues out of more trouble.

Given Sonja's involvement in the drugs trade, she's not a character I should really feel sympathetic towards. But she is so beautifully written, I couldn't be anything else. Her relationship with Tómas is so precious, and their love for each other shines through the writing. I was rooting for her from the opening pages through every uncomfortable, difficult encounter she had, and there were plenty of those.

Ex husband Adam is such a well written character. I have nothing but contempt for him. We learned something awful about him at the end of the first book, and in Trap he just shows again and again how nasty he is.

It was a joy to see customs officer Bragi back. Like Sonja, he's a good person forced (as far as he sees it) into doing something he really doesn't want to do. He's possibly my favourite character, and where my favourite line in the book came from, which was not about drugs, customs, banks or crime, but love.

'...he felt with this sweater on, he had Valdís's arms around him and there was more than just warmth to such an embrace.' Just beautiful.

The vile Mr José is back, but we also meet his wife Nati. Initially, I thought she was going to be a meek character, terrified of her husband, but my opinion soon changed - she's brilliantly written.

I struggled a little bit to keep up with the intricacies of the  banking side of the story, but that was probably just me. I enjoyed the development of Agla though, as she seemed to gain confidence before my eyes, both professionally (although with her own skewed ethics) and personally. And her dealings with investigator María give us more of an insight into both women.

Trap does not glamorise or sensationalise crime, far from it. Sigarðardóttir clearly shows the desperation that forces many of her characters into acting illegally. As much as this is a crime story, it is also a tale of control, fear, vulnerability,  loyalty and love. It's beautifully written, and I didn't feel anything had been lost in the excellent translation by Quentin Bates. A fabulous book, and I can't wait to read the next one.


The Author:

Bute Noir, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, August 2019

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 crime novels, with Snare, the first in the Reykjavik Noir series, hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap was published in 2018, and a Book of the Year in Guardian. The film rights for the series have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja lives in Reykjavík with her partner. Follow Lilja on Twitter @lilja1972 and on her website liljawriter.com