Forbidden Iceland
3 primary works
Book 1
When a woman’s body is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, investigators discover shocking secrets in her past. First in the disturbing, chillingly atmospheric, addictive new Forbidden Iceland series.
**WINNER of the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger**
**SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Independent Voice**
**SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Debut Novel**
**WINNER of the Storytel Award for Best Crime Novel 2020**
**WINNER of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Novel**
‘Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s accomplished first novel is not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made’ The Times
'Fans of Nordic Noir will love this moving debut from Icelander Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s. It's subtle, nuanced, with a sympathetic central character and the possibilities of great stories to come' Ann Cleeves
‘An exciting and harrowing tale from one of Iceland’s rising stars’ Ragnar Jónasson
_________________
When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.
Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her collegues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day …
But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice … before it’s too late.
For fans of Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Ruth Rendell, P D James, Sarah Hilary and Camilla Lackberg
_________________
‘Elma leaves Reykjavik CID for a job with the police in her hometown of Akranes, deeming it “every bit as quiet as it appeared to be” — until the discovery of a murdered woman starts to unravel a thread of long-buried crimes hidden deep in the community. Elma is a fantastic heroine’ Sunday Times
‘We’re used to Icelandic writers lowering the temperature — in more ways than one — and Ægisdóttir proves to be adept at this chilly art as any of her confrères (and consoeurs). Elma is a memorably complex character, and Victoria Cribb’s translation is (as usual) non-pareil’ Financial Times
‘A deserted lighthouse and a murdered woman set the scene for this haunting and compelling mystery where the dark secrets of a small town are shockingly exposed. As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter’ Lisa Gray, author of Thin Air
‘The setting in Iceland is fascinating, the descriptions creating a vivid picture of the reality of living in a small town. The Creak on the Stairs is a captivating tale with plenty of tension and a plot to really get your teeth into’ LoveReading
‘At each stage, Ægisdóttir is not giving us information but asking things of us. She’s getting us to think through the implications: what if it’s him, what if it’s her, what would it mean? We’re involved, we’ve got skin in the game and we can’t ask for more as readers’ Café Thinking
**WINNER of the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger**
**SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Independent Voice**
**SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Debut Novel**
**WINNER of the Storytel Award for Best Crime Novel 2020**
**WINNER of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Novel**
‘Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s accomplished first novel is not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made’ The Times
'Fans of Nordic Noir will love this moving debut from Icelander Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s. It's subtle, nuanced, with a sympathetic central character and the possibilities of great stories to come' Ann Cleeves
‘An exciting and harrowing tale from one of Iceland’s rising stars’ Ragnar Jónasson
_________________
When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.
Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her collegues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day …
But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice … before it’s too late.
For fans of Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Ruth Rendell, P D James, Sarah Hilary and Camilla Lackberg
_________________
‘Elma leaves Reykjavik CID for a job with the police in her hometown of Akranes, deeming it “every bit as quiet as it appeared to be” — until the discovery of a murdered woman starts to unravel a thread of long-buried crimes hidden deep in the community. Elma is a fantastic heroine’ Sunday Times
‘We’re used to Icelandic writers lowering the temperature — in more ways than one — and Ægisdóttir proves to be adept at this chilly art as any of her confrères (and consoeurs). Elma is a memorably complex character, and Victoria Cribb’s translation is (as usual) non-pareil’ Financial Times
‘A deserted lighthouse and a murdered woman set the scene for this haunting and compelling mystery where the dark secrets of a small town are shockingly exposed. As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter’ Lisa Gray, author of Thin Air
‘The setting in Iceland is fascinating, the descriptions creating a vivid picture of the reality of living in a small town. The Creak on the Stairs is a captivating tale with plenty of tension and a plot to really get your teeth into’ LoveReading
‘At each stage, Ægisdóttir is not giving us information but asking things of us. She’s getting us to think through the implications: what if it’s him, what if it’s her, what would it mean? We’re involved, we’ve got skin in the game and we can’t ask for more as readers’ Café Thinking
Book 2
When a depressed, alcoholic single mother disappears, everything suggests suicide, until her body is found on the lava fields. Icelandic Detective Elma and her team are thrust into a perplexing, chilling investigation in book two in the award-winning, international bestselling Forbidden Iceland series…
‘Chilling and addictive, with a twist you won't see coming. I loved it!' Shari Lapena
‘An exciting and harrowing tale’ Ragnar Jónasson
‘Complex, gripping and moving’ The Times
‘Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!’ Lesley Kara
_____________
When single mother Maríanna disappears from her home, leaving an apologetic note on the kitchen table, everyone assumes 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 a shocking tragedy.
Police officer Elma and her colleagues take on the case, which becomes increasingly complex, as the number of suspects grows and new light is shed on Maríanna’s past – and the childhood of a girl who never was like the others…
Breathtakingly chilling and tantalisingly twisty, Girls Who Lie is at once a startling, tense psychological thriller and a sophisticated police procedural, marking Eva Björg Ægisdottir as one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.
_______________
Praise for Eva Björg Ægisdottir
***WINNER of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger***
‘Fans of Nordic Noir will love this … subtle, nuanced, with a sympathetic central character and the possibilities of great stories to come’ Ann Cleeves
‘Not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made’ The Times
‘Beautifully written, spine-tingling and disturbing … a thrilling new voice in Icelandic crime fiction’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
‘As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter’ Lisa Gray
‘Elma is a fantastic heroine’ Sunday Times
‘Eva Björg Aegisdóttir is definitely a born storyteller and she skilfully surprised me with some amazing plot twists’ Hilary Mortz
‘An unsettling and exciting read with a couple of neat red herrings to throw the reader off the scent’ NB Magazine
‘Chilling and troubling … reminiscent of Jorn Lier Horst‘s Norwegian procedurals. This is a book that makes an impact’ Crime Fiction Lover
‘Elma is a memorably complex character’ Financial Times
‘The twist comes out of the blue … enthralling’ Tap The Line Magazine
For fans of Ragnar Jonasson, Camilla Lackberg, Ruth Rendell, Gillian McAllister and Shari Lapena
‘Chilling and addictive, with a twist you won't see coming. I loved it!' Shari Lapena
‘An exciting and harrowing tale’ Ragnar Jónasson
‘Complex, gripping and moving’ The Times
‘Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!’ Lesley Kara
_____________
When single mother Maríanna disappears from her home, leaving an apologetic note on the kitchen table, everyone assumes 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 a shocking tragedy.
Police officer Elma and her colleagues take on the case, which becomes increasingly complex, as the number of suspects grows and new light is shed on Maríanna’s past – and the childhood of a girl who never was like the others…
Breathtakingly chilling and tantalisingly twisty, Girls Who Lie is at once a startling, tense psychological thriller and a sophisticated police procedural, marking Eva Björg Ægisdottir as one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.
_______________
Praise for Eva Björg Ægisdottir
***WINNER of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger***
‘Fans of Nordic Noir will love this … subtle, nuanced, with a sympathetic central character and the possibilities of great stories to come’ Ann Cleeves
‘Not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made’ The Times
‘Beautifully written, spine-tingling and disturbing … a thrilling new voice in Icelandic crime fiction’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
‘As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter’ Lisa Gray
‘Elma is a fantastic heroine’ Sunday Times
‘Eva Björg Aegisdóttir is definitely a born storyteller and she skilfully surprised me with some amazing plot twists’ Hilary Mortz
‘An unsettling and exciting read with a couple of neat red herrings to throw the reader off the scent’ NB Magazine
‘Chilling and troubling … reminiscent of Jorn Lier Horst‘s Norwegian procedurals. This is a book that makes an impact’ Crime Fiction Lover
‘Elma is a memorably complex character’ Financial Times
‘The twist comes out of the blue … enthralling’ Tap The Line Magazine
For fans of Ragnar Jonasson, Camilla Lackberg, Ruth Rendell, Gillian McAllister and Shari Lapena
Book 3
Icelandic detective Elma faces mortal danger as she investigates the death of a young man in a mysterious Akranes house fire, and a Dutch au pair’s perfect placement turns deadly … The breathtaking third instalment in the award-winning Forbidden Iceland series.
***WINNER of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger***
‘Her best, boldest work to date: a mystery both merciless and compassionate, subtly eerie yet flat-out frightening, featuring a detective as complicated as Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole. This is virtuoso suspense writing’ A J Finn
‘Chilling and addictive, with a completely unexpected twist … I loved it’ Shari Lapena
‘Another beautifully written novel from one of the rising stars of Nordic Noir’ Victoria Selman
_________________________
The small community of Akranes is devastated when a young man dies in a mysterious house fire, and when Detective Elma and her colleagues from West Iceland CID discover the fire was arson, they become embroiled in an increasingly perplexing case involving multiple suspects. What’s more, the dead man’s final online search raises fears that they could be investigating not one murder, but two.
A few months before the fire, a young Dutch woman takes a job as an au pair in Iceland, desperate to make a new life for herself after the death of her father. But the seemingly perfect family who employs her turns out to have problems of its own and she soon discovers she is running out of people to turn to.
As the police begin to home in on the truth, Elma, already struggling to come to terms with a life-changing event, finds herself in mortal danger as it becomes clear that someone has secrets they’ll do anything to hide…
____________________________
‘A creepily compelling Icelandic mystery that had me hooked from page one. Night Shadows will make you want to sleep with the lights on’ Heidi Amsinck
‘I loved everything about this book: the characters, the setting, the storyline, an intricately woven cast … this book had me utterly gripped!’ J M Hewitt
‘With the third release in the Forbidden Iceland series, Eva Björg establishes herself as not just one of the brightest names in Icelandic crime fiction, but in crime fiction full stop. Night Shadows is an absolute must-read!’ Nordic Watchlist
‘The author writes so beautifully you are immediately immersed in the chilly surrounds … a genuinely excellent novel’ Liz Loves Books
‘One of the most compelling contemporary writers of crime fiction and psychological suspense’ Duncan Beattie,Fiction from Afar
Praise for the Forbidden Iceland series:
‘Fans of Nordic Noir will love this’ Ann Cleeves
‘Elma is a fantastic heroine’ Sunday Times
‘Complex, gripping and moving’ The Times
‘An exciting and harrowing tale’ Ragnar Jónasson
‘Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!’ Lesley Kara
‘Not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made’ The Times
‘Beautifully written, spine-tingling and disturbing … a thrilling new voice in Icelandic crime fiction’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
‘As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter’ Lisa Gray
‘An unsettling and exciting read with a couple of neat red herrings to throw the reader off the scent’ NB Magazine
‘Chilling and troubling … reminiscent of Jorn Lier Horst‘s Norwegian procedurals. This is a book that makes an impact’ Crime Fiction Lover
‘Elma is a memorably complex character’ Financial Times
‘The twist comes out of the blue … enthralling’ Tap The Line Magazine
For fans of Ragnar Jonasson, Camilla Lackberg, Ruth Rendell, Gillian McAllister and Shari Lapen
***WINNER of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger***
‘Her best, boldest work to date: a mystery both merciless and compassionate, subtly eerie yet flat-out frightening, featuring a detective as complicated as Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole. This is virtuoso suspense writing’ A J Finn
‘Chilling and addictive, with a completely unexpected twist … I loved it’ Shari Lapena
‘Another beautifully written novel from one of the rising stars of Nordic Noir’ Victoria Selman
_________________________
The small community of Akranes is devastated when a young man dies in a mysterious house fire, and when Detective Elma and her colleagues from West Iceland CID discover the fire was arson, they become embroiled in an increasingly perplexing case involving multiple suspects. What’s more, the dead man’s final online search raises fears that they could be investigating not one murder, but two.
A few months before the fire, a young Dutch woman takes a job as an au pair in Iceland, desperate to make a new life for herself after the death of her father. But the seemingly perfect family who employs her turns out to have problems of its own and she soon discovers she is running out of people to turn to.
As the police begin to home in on the truth, Elma, already struggling to come to terms with a life-changing event, finds herself in mortal danger as it becomes clear that someone has secrets they’ll do anything to hide…
____________________________
‘A creepily compelling Icelandic mystery that had me hooked from page one. Night Shadows will make you want to sleep with the lights on’ Heidi Amsinck
‘I loved everything about this book: the characters, the setting, the storyline, an intricately woven cast … this book had me utterly gripped!’ J M Hewitt
‘With the third release in the Forbidden Iceland series, Eva Björg establishes herself as not just one of the brightest names in Icelandic crime fiction, but in crime fiction full stop. Night Shadows is an absolute must-read!’ Nordic Watchlist
‘The author writes so beautifully you are immediately immersed in the chilly surrounds … a genuinely excellent novel’ Liz Loves Books
‘One of the most compelling contemporary writers of crime fiction and psychological suspense’ Duncan Beattie,Fiction from Afar
Praise for the Forbidden Iceland series:
‘Fans of Nordic Noir will love this’ Ann Cleeves
‘Elma is a fantastic heroine’ Sunday Times
‘Complex, gripping and moving’ The Times
‘An exciting and harrowing tale’ Ragnar Jónasson
‘Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!’ Lesley Kara
‘Not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made’ The Times
‘Beautifully written, spine-tingling and disturbing … a thrilling new voice in Icelandic crime fiction’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
‘As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter’ Lisa Gray
‘An unsettling and exciting read with a couple of neat red herrings to throw the reader off the scent’ NB Magazine
‘Chilling and troubling … reminiscent of Jorn Lier Horst‘s Norwegian procedurals. This is a book that makes an impact’ Crime Fiction Lover
‘Elma is a memorably complex character’ Financial Times
‘The twist comes out of the blue … enthralling’ Tap The Line Magazine
For fans of Ragnar Jonasson, Camilla Lackberg, Ruth Rendell, Gillian McAllister and Shari Lapen