by Lilja Sigurdardóttir (T. Lorenza Garcia)
SYNOPSIS
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…
Twisty, intricately plotted and atmospheric, Dark as Night is the highly anticipated fourth book in the addictive An Áróra Investigation series, as Áróra and her friends face unimaginable danger and extraordinary experiences that may change everything, forever…
REVIEW
Dark As Night is the fourth book in the brilliant An Áróra Investigation series and if you have been following my reviews you'll know that I am a huge fan of these stories. I've linked my reviews for the previous three books below. https://amandallwyd.wixsite.com/thebutlerdidit/post/cold-as-hell-review-giveaway https://amandallwyd.wixsite.com/thebutlerdidit/post/red-as-blood https://amandallwyd.wixsite.com/thebutlerdidit/post/white-as-snow Going into this fourth book, I already knew that Lilja Sigurdardóttir was a fantastic writer and that she has created an incredibly atmospheric world for these characters and their investigations. I already knew that the set of characters from this series are very unique and that the books don't simply rely on the strengths of Áróra as the main protagonist - there are a whole cast of interesting people, each with their own backstories working into the narrative and building a more complex set of relationships. I also knew that this is the series you want to read if you're looking for something a bit different to your typical Icelandic Noir - full of quirky people and out of the ordinary crimes. The thing that I loved the most about Dark As Night was the fact that this story put a spotlight on Lady Gúgúlú, one of my favourite characters, and having the opportunity to delve into their history was the main highlight for me. Also, because I read so many crime novels, I'm always excited to read something which looks at crime fiction from a completely different angle, which in this case was the storyline of the little girl whose parents believed she was the reincarnation of Áróra's missing sister.
I love it when Áróra and Daniel team up to solve a mystery and the whereabouts of Áróra's sister Ísafold is still intriguing me four books in which is a testament to the author's ability to create such a puzzling and captivating narrative. The story (and the characters themselves) may be complex, but it is so entertaining that you just read along and enjoy the ride!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR & TRANSLATOR
Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranesin 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja's 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. In 2021, Cold as Hell, the first in the An Áróra Investigation series was published, with Red as Blood to follow in 2022. 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.
Lorenza Garcia was born and brought up in England. She spent her early twenties living and working in Iceland and Spain. In 1998 she graduated from Goldsmiths with a first-class honors degree in Spanish and Latin American studies. She moved to France in 2001, where she lived for seven years. Since 2006 she has translated and co-translated more than thirty novels and works of nonfiction from the French, the Spanish, and the Icelandic.
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, Lilja Sigurdardóttir - @LiljaWriter and Orenda Books - @OrendaBooks for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Crime Fiction / Translated Crime Fiction / Icelandic Noir
Publisher: Orenda Books
ISBN: 978-1916788367
Pages: 276pp
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