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Fresh from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case, when a man is found murdered in a holiday cottage in the depths of the Icelandic countryside – the victim of a frenzied knife attack, with a shocking message scrawled on the wall above him.
At home with their baby daughter, Sævar is finding it hard to let go of work, until the chance discovery in a discarded box provides him with a distraction. Could the diary of a young boy, detailing the events of a long-ago summer have a bearing on Elma's case?
Once again, the team at West Iceland CID have to contend with local secrets in the small town of Akranes, where someone has a vested interest in preventing the truth from coming to light. And Sævar has secrets of his own that threaten to destroy his and Elma's newfound happiness.
Tense, twisty and shocking, Boys Who Hurt is the next, addictive instalment in the award-winning Forbidden Iceland series, as dark events from the past endanger everything…
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Boys Who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir was published by Orenda Books on 20 June 2024 and is book five in the Forbidden Island series. It is translated by Victoria Cribb. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this blog tour.
Boys Who Hurt is book five in the Forbidden Iceland series. I have been reading these from day one, and can honestly say that they get better and better. Such an accomplished, clever author, this one is most certainly my favourite of the series. I was hooked from the opening paragraphs, right through until the explosive ending.
Whilst this is the fifth book, and the reader certainly benefits from knowing some of lead character Elma's back story, it is perfectly possible to read this as a stand-alone story. The author cleverly incorporates things from her history into the narrative, without an overload of information, but enough to make the character and her actions believable.
Detective Elma has just returned from maternity leave. Her partner Sævar also works for the police, and he is still at home on paternity leave, caring for baby Adda and supporting Elma through one of the most difficult and disturbing cases she's worked on.
A local man, forty-one-year old Thorgeir has been brutally murdered. His body was discovered in the family holiday home, butchered with a knife. Above his body, on the wall, Elma discovers a quote, written in blood. What does this mean?
The author has structured this novel wonderfully. She gives an insight into the events leading up to Thorgeir's death, when he met a young woman called Andrea and fell instantly in love. It is clear that Thorgeir was not the nicest of men when he was alive. Investigation shows that he was a large, powerful man who used his size to intimidate and bully. His father has been dead for many years, but his reputation is well known. Thorgeir's mother is a strange character, appearing quite eccentric, overly religious, but certainly has secrets of her own that she'd like to hide.
It's a complex and mysterious case that causes Elma and her work partner and boss Hörður a lot of problems. Coupled with Hörður's recent accident and that fact that he is still grieving for his wife, Elma has to take on the majority of the team work.
As Elma digs deeper, it becomes clear that Thorgeir's death may be connected to events of years gone by, with various local residents becoming involved in the mystery, and more than one more body being discovered too.
This is a fabulous series, expertly translated by Victoria Cribb and with a stunning sense of place. The characters are perfectly formed, and the plot races along with some unexpected twists and turns along the way.
Absolutely wonderful writing, one of my favourite authors and series of recent times. Highly recommended.
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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.
Instagram @evabjorg88
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