Night Shadows

By Eva Björg Ægisdottir

Translated by Victoria Cribb

Published by Orenda Books https://orendabooks.co.uk/

338 pages ISBN 9781914585203

Publication date 21 July 2022

Night Shadows is the third novel in the Forbidden Iceland series featuring Detective Elma.

I was sent a paperback uncorrected proof copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and publishers.

From the blurb

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…

Synopsis

When a young man, Marinó, is found dead at the scene of a house fire confusion reigns. The house was locked and only a limited amount of damage was done before the emergency services got the scene under control. Is the fire arson or an accident? Was Marinó murdered or did he commit suicide? If it was arson, was he the intended victim or was he already dead and the fire set to destroy evidence? Of course, the two incidents could merely be coincidence. A baffling case for detectives Elma and Sævar but at least forensics should answer some of these questions.

Once they start their questioning Elma and Sævar begin to uncover secrets some of which would be best left buried. They are intrigued by the abrupt leaving of au pair Lise from Finnur and Laufey’s home before the end of her contact, when she seemed to get on so well with Anna and Klara the children in her care. Lise was returning home but cannot be found, a bona fide missing person. An earlier au pair also left at short notice, if this woman Lena can be found she may possess the information needed to solve the case.

When a second body is unexpectedly discovered the case escalates and gets much more complex, are they looking for one killer or two?

My thoughts

Iceland is a great setting for fiction, an alien environment with the juxtaposition of volcanoes and hot pools with glaciers and frozen tundra. A modern forward-thinking country which is truly independent but with a population of little more than a large city. A safe, clean environment but one that must have a murder rate approaching that of Midsomer judging by the number of fine crime writers the island produces. This canvas is well used by the author and the reader gets a good feel for the small community of Akranes where it is set, a place that is starting to change but still governed by the sea.

The plot is a variation of the classic ‘locked room’ mystery. Marinó is found dead in his bedroom whilst the house is ablaze and locked by deadlock. This means that any killer would need to have access to a key, consequently suspicion falls on a small number of his friends and their parents. Seemingly straightforward becomes more complex as each session of questioning uncovers secrets, lies and motivations. Just when you have an idea of who the killer is the rug is seemingly pulled from under you.

Family relationships are key to the story. The death of a spouse, the lengths parents will go to protect their offspring, philandering spouses, estrangement, sibling rivalry and the need to feel part of a family unit are all prominent and significant to the storyline. Most of all pregnancy and the attitude to it loom large in the background. These themes are tackled with a light and sensitive touch whilst not downplaying their significance.

The story is told at a gentle pace perfectly suited to the plot as questions lead to layers of secrets and intrigue being pushed back. This is thoughtful procedural rather than a gung-ho action story though there is a degree of jeopardy introduced towards the end and a degree of urgency is introduced.

The characterisation is excellent, even those with faults are dealt with sympathetically. The principal character Elma is a wonderful creation, a heroine who is bright and intelligent, who has some personal baggage but possesses the strength to deal with it and so change her future. In the young adults we see the problems and faults of a generation, the fear of the future and the narcissism of the social media age brought clearly to the fore. Seemingly outwardly strong but still needing the love and support of their family.

Whilst some characters possess questionable morals this is not dwelt upon. The author is not didactive in her style and if anything this is a story of unintended consequences where actions to resolve the situation invariably end up making matters worse.

Night Shadows is a taught and complex story of deceit and the extent that love can be pushed to cover up sins and murder.

Night Shadows can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study my MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland.
Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel, The Creak on the Stairs. The book went on to win the CWA Debut Dagger, the Blackbird Award, was shortlisted (twice) for the Capital Crime Readers’ Awards, and became a number one bestseller in Iceland. The critically acclaimed Girls Who Lie (book two in the Forbidden Iceland series) soon followed, with Night Shadows (book three) following suit in July 2022. Eva lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík.

Don’t forget to check out the other stops on this Blog Tour: