Skip to main content

Featured

Just the Beginning by Sarah Bennett #Ewview #HalfmoonQuay#PublicationDay

  I have been eagerly awaiting this new series by Sarah Bennett . Just the Beginning is published today by Boldwood Books !   Everyone in Halfmoon Quay, the picture-perfect village clinging to the edge of the Cornish coast, knows Rick Penrose is the person to turn to for help. Friendly and reliable, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous, heā€™ll do anything for anyone. When his teenage crush Anya moves back to the quay for a fresh start, he has the perfect solution. She needs a job and his great uncle needs help to run his hotel. Itā€™s a win-win. Following the death of her husband, Anya Stokes discovered everything about her life was a lie. Without her beautiful home and the luxuries she took for granted, Anya and her daughter, Freya, have no choice but to move in with her aunt and uncle in Halfmoon Quay. As she begins to turn her life around, Anya realises the perfect man might have been right under her nose all the time. But thereā€™s a fine line between helping and taking ov...

Dark as Night by Lilja Sigurdardottir translated by Lorenza Garcia #Review #Giveaway

 

 

Today I am delighted to feature the fourth in the great Icelandic Noir series, An Arora Investigation by Lilja Sigurdardottir. Dark as Night was published by Orenda on October 10th. I also have a great giveaway with the chance to win a print copy of Dark as Night. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. 

When ƁrĆ³ra receives a call telling her that a child sheā€™s never met is claiming to be her missing sister reincarnated, she is devastated ā€¦ as ridiculous as the allegations might seem. For three years she has been searching for her sister without finding a single clue, and now this strange child seems to have new information.

On the same day, Icelandic detective DanĆ­el returns home to find a note from his tenant, drag queen Lady GĆŗgĆŗlĆŗ, giving notice on her flat and explaining that she has to leave the country. DanĆ­el is immediately suspicious, and when three threatening men appear, looking for Lady, itā€™s clear to him that something is very wrongā€¦

And as Icelandā€™s long dark nights continue into springtime, that is just the very beginningā€¦

Twisty, intricately plotted and atmospheric, 
Dark as Night is the highly anticipated fourth book in the addictive An ƁrĆ³ra Investigation series, as ƁrĆ³ra and her friends face unimaginable danger and extraordinary experiences that may change everything, foreverā€¦

My Thoughts

This is a great series with an amazing central character, in Arora. You get to see her strength and determination but also her sadnesses and vulnerabilities. There are several story strands in this novel but two main ones. One the one hand, Arora is shocked to be approached by two parents who say their little daughter is saying that she is the reincarnation of Arora's missing sister. On the other hand, Arora's boyfriend's tenant goes missing. The story around hi, gets more and more complicated. 

    This is a fast paced story which carries you along with twists and turns. The backdrop of Iceland with winter approaching adds to the loneliness and isolation. It feels to be concealing a few secrets beneath the surface. I thought that this was a beautifully translated text by which flowed easily and always felt natural. Big congratulations are due to Lorenza Garcia.  There is plenty of detail in the story threads to keep you engrossed and of course, wanting more.

In short: hidden secrets in a dark landscape

 

About the Author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja SigurdardĆ³ttir 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 ReykjavĆ­k with her partner. 

You can connect with Lilja here: X (Twitter)  |  Website
 
 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! 
 

Giveaway (UK only)
 

 
To win a print copy of Dark as Night just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!
 
The giveaway starts on October 27th and the closing date is November 2nd 2024 and there is one winner.    
 
*Terms and Conditions ā€“ UK only.  The winner will be selected at random via a random retweet selector from all valid entries and will be notified by X (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 winnersā€™ 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.


 

 

Comments

Popular Posts