The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb #Review #Giveaway

It's time for another brilliant Orenda blog tour. This time, we are celebrating a debut novel, a piece of Icelandic noir by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, The Creak on the Stairs. I also have a great giveaway for you to enter. Details are at the foot of this post. 

The first in the electrifying new Forbidden Iceland series, The Creak on the Stairs is an exquisitely written, claustrophobic and chillingly atmospheric debut thriller by one of Iceland’s most exciting new talents

When the 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 colleagues 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.

My Thoughts

The tension is set from the beginning and the reader is immediately put on notice that this is not going to be a comfortable read. Throughout the story, you are fed snippets from a disturbed childhood which makes the situation seem more uneasy.  Chief Investigating Officer Elma has returned to Akranes and although she was brought up there, she nevertheless, seems to be something of an outsider. You get to see her settling back into the town and trying to come to terms with her reservations about life there.

    Beneath the surface, there is grief which gnaws away at the characters and slowly the secrets emerge. You feel the claustrophobia of the small-town life and the atmosphere is dark throughout. This is a great debut novel which is skilfully crafted and which establishes some characters who I hope will appear again in future instalments.

In short: dark, taut, restricted writing

About 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 book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller. Eva now lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík, staying at home with her youngest until she begins Kindergarten.

You can follow Eva here:  Twitter

Book link: Amazon UK

 Thanks to Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, and Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

Check out these brilliant bloggers!

Giveaway (Worldwide)

To win an e-copy of The Creak on the Stairs, just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 Closing Date is 3rd June 2020 and there is one winner.

*Terms and Conditions – Worldwide.  The winner will be selected at random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.