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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Ich hab nichts von diesem Buch erwartet - Scandinavian Noir ist mir fremd, so überhaupt nicht mein Genre. Und ich wurde positiv überrascht. Auch wenn ich mich nicht gut in die Charaktere einfühlen konnte, bin ich in der Zeit, in der das Buch aus der Hand war, doch gedanklich oft zur Story zurückgekehrt. Ich hatte gehofft, es ist ein Einzelband, der einen zufriedenstellenden Abschluss bildet, aber es scheint eine Buchreihe zu sein. Man kann es als Standalone lesen, und halbwegs zufrieden mit dem Ende sein.
Snare by Lilja Sigurđardóttir
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
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In order to get custody of her son back, Sonja resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world. Meanwhile her lover, Agla, is facing an investigation for fraud.
~~~~~
This was a really decent Nordic Noir book. I thought it was well-paced and really ramped up the threat Sonja is under; you can really feel her desperation and how she's powerless to stop her life unravelling.
It kept me hooked and I thought it was engaging and page-turning.
I also really liked Agla's storyline but, by the end, it is left up in the air and unresolved.
I saw one of the twists coming from a mile away (the identity of the big baddie,) but one of the other characters' decisions and arc took me completely unawares and it was an interesting development and direction for the story to take.
I thought the ending felt really rushed and unfinished. However, I have found out that this book is the first of a trilogy which might explain the fairly unsatisfying ending; I expect we'll meet again with both Sonja and Agla in future books and that their storylines will be expanded upon and solved (one would hope!) and I think I'll quite happily pick up the other books in this series.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
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In order to get custody of her son back, Sonja resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world. Meanwhile her lover, Agla, is facing an investigation for fraud.
~~~~~
This was a really decent Nordic Noir book. I thought it was well-paced and really ramped up the threat Sonja is under; you can really feel her desperation and how she's powerless to stop her life unravelling.
It kept me hooked and I thought it was engaging and page-turning.
I also really liked Agla's storyline but, by the end, it is left up in the air and unresolved.
I saw one of the twists coming from a mile away (the identity of the big baddie,) but one of the other characters' decisions and arc took me completely unawares and it was an interesting development and direction for the story to take.
I thought the ending felt really rushed and unfinished. However, I have found out that this book is the first of a trilogy which might explain the fairly unsatisfying ending; I expect we'll meet again with both Sonja and Agla in future books and that their storylines will be expanded upon and solved (one would hope!) and I think I'll quite happily pick up the other books in this series.
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dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I first started to read Snare. I am only vaguely aware of the Icelandic banking crisis. I can remember that many people faced ruin but that was all. But the banking scandal is only one part of this novel.
Agla, is a high-ranking bank employee who has been made scapegoat by her colleagues. She is in a relationship with the ex-wife, Sonia, of another colleague whose hands are just as dirty as hers are. Agla is not a character I cared for. I found her brittle, snobbish and at times cruel. Mainly to Sonia who seemed to have strong feelings for her.
Sonia, struggling financially since the collapse of her marriage is smuggling cocaine. initially the amounts are only small and she is confident of getting through customs without raising suspicion. But the amounts she has to bring in are increased, threats are made against her son and she is starting to be noticed by customs. But she is determined to provide a decent life for her and Tomas.
Finally there is Brago, a customs officer who is close to forced retirement. It was his character who I liked most. I loved his devotion to his wife who was in ill-health in a nursing home that could have been better. And his approach towards Sonia’s predicament.
The novel showed the worst side of people. Agla seemed to have no feeling for the people who had lost everything. Sonia, who had suffered for years living with an abusive husband chose the worst possible way to get a better life. Some of the people she had to deal with were very intimidating. There were quite a few scenes where I cringed at the hazards of smuggling drugs.
I’ve not read anything like this before. Most crime novels are told from the police point of view not the criminal’s. Nor have I read a novel where a person is getting covered in volcanic ash as they go about their daily activities.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
Agla, is a high-ranking bank employee who has been made scapegoat by her colleagues. She is in a relationship with the ex-wife, Sonia, of another colleague whose hands are just as dirty as hers are. Agla is not a character I cared for. I found her brittle, snobbish and at times cruel. Mainly to Sonia who seemed to have strong feelings for her.
Sonia, struggling financially since the collapse of her marriage is smuggling cocaine. initially the amounts are only small and she is confident of getting through customs without raising suspicion. But the amounts she has to bring in are increased, threats are made against her son and she is starting to be noticed by customs. But she is determined to provide a decent life for her and Tomas.
Finally there is Brago, a customs officer who is close to forced retirement. It was his character who I liked most. I loved his devotion to his wife who was in ill-health in a nursing home that could have been better. And his approach towards Sonia’s predicament.
The novel showed the worst side of people. Agla seemed to have no feeling for the people who had lost everything. Sonia, who had suffered for years living with an abusive husband chose the worst possible way to get a better life. Some of the people she had to deal with were very intimidating. There were quite a few scenes where I cringed at the hazards of smuggling drugs.
I’ve not read anything like this before. Most crime novels are told from the police point of view not the criminal’s. Nor have I read a novel where a person is getting covered in volcanic ash as they go about their daily activities.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
The intriguing premise - a single mother who smuggles cocaine into Iceland to support her son, and the customs agent who "sniffs" (#pun) out the plot - was enough to keep the book going, but Sigurðardóttir decided to introduce several other elements to the story that unfortunately distracted from the overall plot. The translation was a little clunky in some spots.
What I did like about the book was the everyday life of the characters, how they interacted, how they worked, what they ate, how they lived and leisured. It was a neat glimpse into the culture.
I read that the film rights were sold, so I can see the action scenes (tiger!) in this working well on the big screen.
Sigurðardóttir wrote a good afterword about Icelandic as an ancient and near-extinct language, and how she felt it was important to write this book in her native tongue. I liked that addition. She is working on another book in this "Reykjavik Noir" series, and I'd pick it up for a quick thriller read.
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Read for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge "a book of genre fiction in translation" - thriller/noir translated from Icelandic
What I did like about the book was the everyday life of the characters, how they interacted, how they worked, what they ate, how they lived and leisured. It was a neat glimpse into the culture.
I read that the film rights were sold, so I can see the action scenes (tiger!) in this working well on the big screen.
Sigurðardóttir wrote a good afterword about Icelandic as an ancient and near-extinct language, and how she felt it was important to write this book in her native tongue. I liked that addition. She is working on another book in this "Reykjavik Noir" series, and I'd pick it up for a quick thriller read.
--
Read for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge "a book of genre fiction in translation" - thriller/noir translated from Icelandic
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I was expecting more from this book. It's just a bit bland.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Ein Dankeschön an Netgalley für ein kostenloses Rezensionsexemplar dieses Buchs im Austausch gegen meine ehrliche Meinung.
Zunächst einmal muss ich sagen, dass das Buch an sich nicht schlecht war. Allerdings kann ich ihm trotzdem keine 5 Sterne geben. Das Buch hatte richtig gute Ansätze und es gab immer wieder Momente, wo es spannend wurde. Leider ließ mich dann das Buch ein wenig hängen. Von einem Crime Noir-Roman hätte ich mir mehr erwartet. Die Idee für den Roman war gut, die Umsetzung leider nicht so ganz 100% on point. Mir machten einige Reaktionen der Charaktere keinen Sinn. Nichtsdestotrotz hatte ich Spaß, diesen Roman zu lesen und werde offen in das nächste Buch in der Serie gehen.
Zunächst einmal muss ich sagen, dass das Buch an sich nicht schlecht war. Allerdings kann ich ihm trotzdem keine 5 Sterne geben. Das Buch hatte richtig gute Ansätze und es gab immer wieder Momente, wo es spannend wurde. Leider ließ mich dann das Buch ein wenig hängen. Von einem Crime Noir-Roman hätte ich mir mehr erwartet. Die Idee für den Roman war gut, die Umsetzung leider nicht so ganz 100% on point. Mir machten einige Reaktionen der Charaktere keinen Sinn. Nichtsdestotrotz hatte ich Spaß, diesen Roman zu lesen und werde offen in das nächste Buch in der Serie gehen.