Stop Dead by Katrín Júlíusdóttir

Thank you Orenda Books and Random Things Tours, for giving me copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An intricate web of historic guilt makes the second in Júlíusdóttir’s acclaimed Icelandic Mysteries a page turner. An apparently hopeless love affair, and encounters with fascinating characters from remote communities, enhance the compelling story line of Stop Dead. Set against the dramatic landscapes of Iceland, the narrative is fast-moving and varied.

Icelandic detective Sigurdís has taken time out to study criminal psychology in Florida. She is thinking about continuing her career in the US, but when she discovers that her boss and mentor, Garðar, has been put on leave from Reykjavík CID over the investigation into her own father’s violent death, she immediately returns to Iceland to handle the fallout. There she teams up with Unnar, a caring and charismatic former colleague.

Soon after returning to duty, Sigurdís finds herself working on a horrifying murder case. Controversial TV presenter Olga Einarsdóttir is stabbed to death in the middle of the Reykjavík Marathon. The appalling crime is committed in daylight, and in the presence of thousands of witnesses. When police learn that a runner wearing bib number 1407 was following Olga, they expect to catch the murderer quickly. However, the mystery deepens when it turns out that several masked runners were wearing the same number.

Sigurdís must face unpalatable truths about her father, while struggling to track down a cunning attacker who will go to any lengths to cover up their crimes, There is no shortage of suspects, because Olga was hated by many, including those closest to her. As well as being famous for humiliating interviewees on live television, the minor celebrity has a dark and harrowing past. Thirty years ago Olga’s ex-husband died in suspicious circumstances, and her widowed business partner is convinced that she had a hand in his wife’s death.

Highly recommended for fans of Nordic Noir who have a romantic streak.