We have an authentic piece of Icelandic Noir today which has been shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for best nordic crime novel. Betrayal by Lilja Sigurdardottir was published by Orenda Books on July 1st. I also have the opportunity for you to win a digital copy of the book. Details on how to enter this International Giveaway are at the foot of this post.
Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences
around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle,
she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a
difference again.
But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a
mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and
life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever
have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or
warning her of some danger? And the death of her father in police custody so
many years rears its head once again.
As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics,
facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and
even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones,
and the stakes are raised ever higher...
The award-winning internationally
bestselling author Lilja Sigurðardóttir returns with Betrayal, a relevant,
powerful, fast-paced thriller about the worlds of politics, police corruption
and misogyny that feels just a little bit too real..
My Thoughts
This crime thriller has layers and layers of betrayal woven through its pages. It has some clearly imagined characters, all of whom have human faults and some of whom are just morally corrupt. It seems only the spouses emerge as innocent. Politics in Iceland appears to be a hard and unscrupulous place.You never forget where you. The settings are crystal clear.
Many of the characters can be looked at as victims as well as perpetrators. Post-traumatic stress has a part to play. Others act because they have no alternative, lacking power to change their lives. The plotting in this crime thriller seems so surefooted. There are links between story threads which are not immediately obvious. At the centre of the story stands Úrsula who has a veneer of coping but a shattered core. Úrsula
keeps your sympathy throughout. Her character develops throughout, as
she sees through the subterfuge and acquires her own political
antennae. This is a clever thriller, sensitively translated by Quentin Bates.
In short: It's a cold, hard life in Iceland!
About the Author
Icelandic
crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in
1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning
playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first
in a new series, hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Translation rights
have been sold in eight countries to date, and film rights have been
bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja has a background in
education and has worked in evaluation and quality control for
preschools in recent years. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.
Book links: Amazon UK
Thanks to Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the blog tour.
Don't forget to check out these other great bloggers!
To win a digital copy of Betrayal, just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings.
Closing Date 6th October 2020
and there is one winner.
*Terms and Conditions – International entries only. 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.
Thanks for the blog tour support xx
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