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A review by raven88
Night Shadows by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
4.0
In the blistering heatwave it was incredibly good to escape to Iceland for the third book in Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s Forbidden Iceland series. Following The Creak On The Stairs and Girls Who Lie, Detective Elma Jónsdóttir and her colleagues at the West Iceland CID return for another troubling investigation…
The book is a perfect blend of police procedural and psychological thriller, as Elma and her team are involved in two investigations which take some time to be linked with the disturbing connections unveiled between the two, so the book has an easy pace, and a sinister and gradual unfolding of the investigation. The claustrophobic tension of this small neighbourhood was all too tangible, and the secrets and lies that permeate the whole case were slowly revealed as people’s true natures come to the fore. The petty jealousy, the small indications of people not being as innocent as they first appear, and the violent tendencies that lurk beneath the veneer of respectability, adds a frisson to the story that belies its initial linear appearance. There are enough inconsistencies in, and disguising of, people’s true characters to allow the reader to play detective too, which is always satisfying.
At the heart of the book Detective Elma Jónsdóttir consistently proves an interesting and multi-layered character, very reminiscent of Fargo, police chief Marge Gunderson, particularly relevant as to the personal news that Elma experiences in the course of the book. Although she is eminently capable and resourceful in her day job, in true crime fiction style, her personal life is less than straightforward, as she and her partner and police colleague Sævar blunder around in their relationship. Back in her world of work she has an unerring respect from her colleagues, an analytical mind, but like all good detectives those little flashes of inspiration which serve to swerve the investigation on a different course, but will they really apprehend the true perpetrator of the crimes?
This series is gaining a real momentum now as, while becoming more familiar with the central characters, there is a growing confidence in Ægisdóttir’s writing that could easily escalate her to the widespread recognition of fellow Icelandic crime authors Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jonasson. Once again Victoria Cribb provides an astute and fluid translation. Although perhaps not as dark in tone or feel as some other writers in the Icelandic and Nordic stables, this is a solid police procedural, and think the next book will be exceptionally interesting as Elma looks to be having even more distractions in her life….
Recommended.
The book is a perfect blend of police procedural and psychological thriller, as Elma and her team are involved in two investigations which take some time to be linked with the disturbing connections unveiled between the two, so the book has an easy pace, and a sinister and gradual unfolding of the investigation. The claustrophobic tension of this small neighbourhood was all too tangible, and the secrets and lies that permeate the whole case were slowly revealed as people’s true natures come to the fore. The petty jealousy, the small indications of people not being as innocent as they first appear, and the violent tendencies that lurk beneath the veneer of respectability, adds a frisson to the story that belies its initial linear appearance. There are enough inconsistencies in, and disguising of, people’s true characters to allow the reader to play detective too, which is always satisfying.
At the heart of the book Detective Elma Jónsdóttir consistently proves an interesting and multi-layered character, very reminiscent of Fargo, police chief Marge Gunderson, particularly relevant as to the personal news that Elma experiences in the course of the book. Although she is eminently capable and resourceful in her day job, in true crime fiction style, her personal life is less than straightforward, as she and her partner and police colleague Sævar blunder around in their relationship. Back in her world of work she has an unerring respect from her colleagues, an analytical mind, but like all good detectives those little flashes of inspiration which serve to swerve the investigation on a different course, but will they really apprehend the true perpetrator of the crimes?
This series is gaining a real momentum now as, while becoming more familiar with the central characters, there is a growing confidence in Ægisdóttir’s writing that could easily escalate her to the widespread recognition of fellow Icelandic crime authors Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jonasson. Once again Victoria Cribb provides an astute and fluid translation. Although perhaps not as dark in tone or feel as some other writers in the Icelandic and Nordic stables, this is a solid police procedural, and think the next book will be exceptionally interesting as Elma looks to be having even more distractions in her life….
Recommended.