by Eva Björg Aegisdóttir - Translated by Victoria Cribb
SYNOPSIS
When single mother Maríanna disappears from her home, leaving an apologetic note on the kitchen table, it is assumed that she’s taken her own life – until her body is found on the Grábrók lava fields seven months later, clearly the victim of murder. Her neglected fifteen-year-old daughter Hekla has been placed in foster care, but is her perfect new life hiding something sinister?
Fifteen years earlier, a desperate new mother lies in a maternity ward, unable to look at her own child, the start of an odd and broken relationship that leads to tragedy.
Police officer Elma and her colleagues take on the case, which becomes increasingly complex, as the list of suspects grows ever longer and new light is shed on Maríanna’s past – and the childhood of a girl who never was like the others…
Fresh, richly atmospheric, and with quietly compelling and sophisticated writing reminiscent of Ruth Rendell, Girls Who Lie was an Icelandic #1 bestseller. It further establishes Eva Björg Ægisdóttir as one of the most exciting young crime writers in Iceland.
REVIEW
Girls Who Lie returns to the small town of Akranes where Detective Elma is working in the Police Department with her colleagues Sævar and Hörður. When the body of single mother Marianna is found in a cave they are called to investigate. She went missing seven months earlier and after questioning the victim’s teenage daughter, it was assumed that she committed suicide or simply made the decision to leave. With the new evidence which has come to light, the story switches between the past and present to build up a better picture of the circumstances leading up to what they now believe is a murder.
I was lucky enough to be part of the blog tour for the first book in the ‘Forbidden Iceland’ series - The Creak on the Stairs (https://amandallwyd.wixsite.com/thebutlerdidit/post/the-creak-on-the-stairs) so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the next instalment. The thing that stood out to me the most from The Creak on the Stairs was how harrowing the storyline was. As a huge fan of Nordic Noir and other Scandi Crime variants, I expect the plots to be quite distressing and, once again, Girls Who Lie has proven that the author does not shy away from highlighting very dark subject matters. This particular story covers postnatal depression, alcoholism and suicide, which could make the book difficult to read, but they are all dealt with in a sensitive and appropriate manner.
When reading a series, I never expect to enjoy the subsequent books as much as the first. However, in this case I actually preferred the narrative, which felt like a cross between a more typical police procedural and a sinister psychological thriller. Girls Who Lie is quite a complex story but the combination of some very clever twists and engaging characters made it a completely addictive and enthralling 5 star read.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in Globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland and deciding to write a novel – something she had wanted to do since she won a short-story competition at the age of fifteen. After nine months combining her writing with work as a stewardess and caring for her children, Eva finished The Creak on the Stairs. It was published in 2018, and became a bestseller in Iceland. It also went on to win the Blackbird Award, a prize set up by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jónasson to encourage new Icelandic crime writers. It was published in English by Orenda Books in 2020. Eva lives in Reykjavík with her husband and three children and is currently working on the third book in the Forbidden Iceland series. Follow her on @evaaegisdottir
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir - @evaaegisdottir and Orenda Books - @OrendaBooks for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Icelandic Noir / Thriller / Suspense
Publisher: Orenda Books
ISBN: 978-1913193737
Pages: 276pp
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