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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my first Nordic noir and I didn’t really know what to expect. It started out very much like true crime books I’ve read based on drug smugglers but got a lot darker than I expected. There were some harrowing scenes detailed in this book that made me pull weird faces i’m sure. The story isnt linear, with most of it focussed on the present but with reference to the past, and each chapter changing pov. The jumping around made it difficult to follow and I think it could have been signposted better. The narration was great but I think listening to the audio added to my confusion. There were also elements of the story itself I found confusing or didn’t like, and I disliked most of the characters. But it was an intriguing story that felt real, it built tension well and there were some surprise twists
Po trylogii Lilji Sigurðardóttir nie spodziewałam się cudów i słusznie, bo nie są to wyżyny kunsztu kryminalnego, co dotkliwie pokazał mi tom trzeci, który z braku dostępu do audiobooka, przeczytałam. Już nie raz się przekonałam, że to co bezrefleksyjnie wchłaniam podczas słuchania, nie zawsze jest strawne, gdy się tę książkę czyta. Zacznę może jednak od pozytywów.
Akcja tego cyklu ma miejsce tuż po krachu finansowym, podczas którego bardzo ucierpiała Islandia. Okazało się, że dynamiczny rozwój banków był tylko wielką bańką pełną spekulacji. Teraz tzw banksterzy podlegają prawu i ich kombinacje i machlojki są stopniowo rozpracowywane przez specjalną policyjną komórkę. Jedną z banksterek jest Agla - nieprzytomnie bogata, niezwykle elegancka, lwica jeśli chodzi o finanse i zupełnie nieśmiała w kwestii związku. Agla prowadzi bowiem niecałkiem oficjalny związek z Sonją - ładną, zgrabną matką kilkuletniego chłopca. To ich tête-à-tête doprowadziło do rozpadu małżeństwa Sonji. Adam, jej ex, to sprytny zawodnik, również bankster. Tak ustawił całą sprawę, że dziecko mieszka u niego, a spragniona kontaktów z synem matka musi o nie walczyć. To właśnie ta sytuacja wplątała je w szemrane interesy i teraz pracuje jako kurierka narkotyków. Niewykształcona i w zasadzie niezbyt rozgarnięta Sonja dobrze odnalazła się w tej czynności i może poszczycić się najlepszą skutecznością wśród islandzkich kurierów. W pierwszym tomie dowiadujemy się więc, jak doszło do tego, że Sonja działa w świecie narkotyków oraz kto stoi za wielkim handlem. Autorka wprowadzi też postać Bragiego - celnika, który zbliża się do emerytury i bardzo potrzebuje pieniędzy. Miałam zacząć od pozytywów, więc podkreślę na plus wprowadzenie wątku lesbijskiego, a także dość szczegółowe (aczkolwiek mogą ono być nużące) wyjaśnienie tła islandzkiego krachu finansowego.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.com/2021/12/puapka-siec-klatka-lilja-sigurardottir.html
Akcja tego cyklu ma miejsce tuż po krachu finansowym, podczas którego bardzo ucierpiała Islandia. Okazało się, że dynamiczny rozwój banków był tylko wielką bańką pełną spekulacji. Teraz tzw banksterzy podlegają prawu i ich kombinacje i machlojki są stopniowo rozpracowywane przez specjalną policyjną komórkę. Jedną z banksterek jest Agla - nieprzytomnie bogata, niezwykle elegancka, lwica jeśli chodzi o finanse i zupełnie nieśmiała w kwestii związku. Agla prowadzi bowiem niecałkiem oficjalny związek z Sonją - ładną, zgrabną matką kilkuletniego chłopca. To ich tête-à-tête doprowadziło do rozpadu małżeństwa Sonji. Adam, jej ex, to sprytny zawodnik, również bankster. Tak ustawił całą sprawę, że dziecko mieszka u niego, a spragniona kontaktów z synem matka musi o nie walczyć. To właśnie ta sytuacja wplątała je w szemrane interesy i teraz pracuje jako kurierka narkotyków. Niewykształcona i w zasadzie niezbyt rozgarnięta Sonja dobrze odnalazła się w tej czynności i może poszczycić się najlepszą skutecznością wśród islandzkich kurierów. W pierwszym tomie dowiadujemy się więc, jak doszło do tego, że Sonja działa w świecie narkotyków oraz kto stoi za wielkim handlem. Autorka wprowadzi też postać Bragiego - celnika, który zbliża się do emerytury i bardzo potrzebuje pieniędzy. Miałam zacząć od pozytywów, więc podkreślę na plus wprowadzenie wątku lesbijskiego, a także dość szczegółowe (aczkolwiek mogą ono być nużące) wyjaśnienie tła islandzkiego krachu finansowego.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.com/2021/12/puapka-siec-klatka-lilja-sigurardottir.html
Ég á alltaf svolítið erfitt þegar mér líkar ekki persónur bókar og þarna er það eiginlega bara Tómas sem maður hefur samúð með. Það sem er kannski verst er að þetta er svo ógurlega óspennandi heimur og svo andstyggilegur. En mapur heyrir auðvitað sjaldan þessa hlið og það er það sem er áhugaverðast við bókina
Also published on my blog.
Audible version, narrated by Suzannah Hampton.
HSP/animal lover warning (I feel like this is getting to be standard with any crime/thriller novel..): Two dogs are killed, but you as the reader don’t have a personal relationship to the dogs, and it’s not dwelt on.
To my knowledge/recollection, this is the first book I’ve read by an Icelandic author. It’s set mostly in Reykjavik during the Icelandic financial crisis of 2008-2011.
We follow Sonia, a young mother who is being blackmailed into smuggling drugs into the country. All she cares about is her son and his safety, which her blackmailers are threatening. She slowly tries to build up a life for herself to the point where she’ll have enough money to buy an apartment and feel in a position to go into a custody battle with her ex-husband who has primary custody of their son, all the while being worried that she’ll get caught smuggling. She’s not perfect. She cheated on her husband (hence the ex part), she agreed to smuggle drugs instead of going to the police, and even though she’s desperate to get free of the snare, it has more to do with people having power of her and being able to control her life than it does with any moral objection to smuggling. But, she’s real and she’s a fairly sympathetic character. I found myself rooting for her to be able to get free and get custody. Her ex husband is a giant dick and it’s clear that the kid – Tomas – wants to be with his mum, which helps.
There are two other main points of view from which the story is told, as well as a few chapters from the perspective of Tomas, Sonia’s son. The primary alternate POV is that of Bragi, the customs officer. A large part of the book plays out as a game of cat and mouse between Bragi and Sonia, as he gradually starts to suspect her and tries to catch her in the act. On the one hand, you do sympathise with Bragi as well, as you get to know him a little, and see that his life is quite difficult, but on the other hand you don’t want Sonia to get caught – which brings an interesting dynamic to the story.
The third POV is that of Agla, the woman Sonia cheated on her husband with, who as it so happens works in the banking industry with Sonia’s ex husband Adam – that’s how they first met. Agla and other top brass in the bank are under investigation for fraud. She also still has a (secret) romantic involvement going with Sonia. So Agla’s story gives us insight into the banking crisis and the resulting investigations and it also rounds out Sonia’s life and character. I found this POV and this part of the story interesting, and thought that the back and forth between the different POVs worked mostly well.
That being said, the chapters are extremely short, to the point where it got distracting. The paperback edition is apparently 276 pages long, and it has over 100 chapters, meaning each chapter is only a couple of pages (or in my case minutes) long. It was not necessarily the case that each new chapter was written from the POV of a different character, or that there was a noticeable theme change. I guess it’s just a writing style. Nevertheless, the constant announcement of a new chapter did get in the way of immersing myself in the story, and I think I would have felt the same way while reading.
Another thing that bothered me was Sonia’s naivety. On the one hand she’s this really cool and collected drug smuggler that plans everything out in excruciating detail, and also has a long-term plan for her life, while on the other hand she doesn’t see past the tip of her nose. And – mini spoiler – at one point she thinks she frees herself from the snare by doing something which she has by no means considered all the consequences of and that I found kind of ridiculous. This naivety or short-sightedness is IMO incongruent with other sides of her personality.
And, while I liked the ending, it was a little abrupt.
So, overall an enjoyable read that was exciting and kept me on my toes, with some minor detractors.
Audible version, narrated by Suzannah Hampton.
HSP/animal lover warning (I feel like this is getting to be standard with any crime/thriller novel..): Two dogs are killed, but you as the reader don’t have a personal relationship to the dogs, and it’s not dwelt on.
To my knowledge/recollection, this is the first book I’ve read by an Icelandic author. It’s set mostly in Reykjavik during the Icelandic financial crisis of 2008-2011.
We follow Sonia, a young mother who is being blackmailed into smuggling drugs into the country. All she cares about is her son and his safety, which her blackmailers are threatening. She slowly tries to build up a life for herself to the point where she’ll have enough money to buy an apartment and feel in a position to go into a custody battle with her ex-husband who has primary custody of their son, all the while being worried that she’ll get caught smuggling. She’s not perfect. She cheated on her husband (hence the ex part), she agreed to smuggle drugs instead of going to the police, and even though she’s desperate to get free of the snare, it has more to do with people having power of her and being able to control her life than it does with any moral objection to smuggling. But, she’s real and she’s a fairly sympathetic character. I found myself rooting for her to be able to get free and get custody. Her ex husband is a giant dick and it’s clear that the kid – Tomas – wants to be with his mum, which helps.
There are two other main points of view from which the story is told, as well as a few chapters from the perspective of Tomas, Sonia’s son. The primary alternate POV is that of Bragi, the customs officer. A large part of the book plays out as a game of cat and mouse between Bragi and Sonia, as he gradually starts to suspect her and tries to catch her in the act. On the one hand, you do sympathise with Bragi as well, as you get to know him a little, and see that his life is quite difficult, but on the other hand you don’t want Sonia to get caught – which brings an interesting dynamic to the story.
The third POV is that of Agla, the woman Sonia cheated on her husband with, who as it so happens works in the banking industry with Sonia’s ex husband Adam – that’s how they first met. Agla and other top brass in the bank are under investigation for fraud. She also still has a (secret) romantic involvement going with Sonia. So Agla’s story gives us insight into the banking crisis and the resulting investigations and it also rounds out Sonia’s life and character. I found this POV and this part of the story interesting, and thought that the back and forth between the different POVs worked mostly well.
That being said, the chapters are extremely short, to the point where it got distracting. The paperback edition is apparently 276 pages long, and it has over 100 chapters, meaning each chapter is only a couple of pages (or in my case minutes) long. It was not necessarily the case that each new chapter was written from the POV of a different character, or that there was a noticeable theme change. I guess it’s just a writing style. Nevertheless, the constant announcement of a new chapter did get in the way of immersing myself in the story, and I think I would have felt the same way while reading.
Another thing that bothered me was Sonia’s naivety. On the one hand she’s this really cool and collected drug smuggler that plans everything out in excruciating detail, and also has a long-term plan for her life, while on the other hand she doesn’t see past the tip of her nose. And – mini spoiler – at one point she thinks she frees herself from the snare by doing something which she has by no means considered all the consequences of and that I found kind of ridiculous. This naivety or short-sightedness is IMO incongruent with other sides of her personality.
And, while I liked the ending, it was a little abrupt.
So, overall an enjoyable read that was exciting and kept me on my toes, with some minor detractors.
Ah, Scandi-Noir! We meet once more and again, you didn’t let me down. Snare is one superb tense ride, centred around three characters who all find themselves trapped one way or another.
After a messy divorce, Sonja loses custody of her son. When we first meet her, she’s smuggling drugs into the country. But there’s more to her situation than meets the eye. It becomes clear quite early on that she’s not exactly a willing participant but is finding it hard to escape the hold the vicious criminal world has on her.
Then there’s Bragi, a customs officer. Close to retirement, he refuses to stop working because he has nothing to go home to since he had to make the tough decision of placing his wife in a care home. Bragi has years of experience and is keen to show the young recruits how it’s done so when his instincts tell him Sonja is up to no good, he’s like a dog with a bone.
And finally we have Agla, a bank executive, who’s under investigation in the aftermath of the financial crisis in Iceland. She and Sonja have an incredibly complicated relationship. Agla carries a lot of guilt and shame with her which may just force her to sacrifice herself in order to protect a secret she’s not willing to face up to.
The setting in Iceland works like a charm with its cold, dark and rather short days. It really adds to the level of tension and the threatening vibe, especially in combination with the ashes from the erupted volcano with the difficult name falling from the sky depending on how the wind blows.
What really got me though, were the moments when Sonja was at the airport. I’m a nervous wreck when I have to fly and go through security, even though I know I’m not doing anything wrong! Sonja, however, comes across as completely cool and collected, able to fool just about anyone. I found myself in this odd situation of barely being able to breathe until she made it out safely.
The author has created some brilliant characters and even though Sonja is basically a criminal in her own right, I felt for her and truly liked her. She’s just an ordinary woman who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances, who realises she’s way smarter than she thought and capable of things she never even considered. Especially when it relates to her son, who is always her first priority.
Snare is utterly chilling, compelling and incredibly original. With a brilliantly executed plot and characters you shouldn’t really sympathise with but somehow do, I was completely enthralled. Full of suspense and intrigue, this crime story about love and revenge had me hooked from start to finish.
I can’t possibly leave out the amazing translation by Quentin Bates. At no point did I ever feel I wasn’t reading the original version. This is a fantastic addition to my ever-growing Scandi-Noir shelf and I very much look forward to more by Lilja Sigurdardottir.
After a messy divorce, Sonja loses custody of her son. When we first meet her, she’s smuggling drugs into the country. But there’s more to her situation than meets the eye. It becomes clear quite early on that she’s not exactly a willing participant but is finding it hard to escape the hold the vicious criminal world has on her.
Then there’s Bragi, a customs officer. Close to retirement, he refuses to stop working because he has nothing to go home to since he had to make the tough decision of placing his wife in a care home. Bragi has years of experience and is keen to show the young recruits how it’s done so when his instincts tell him Sonja is up to no good, he’s like a dog with a bone.
And finally we have Agla, a bank executive, who’s under investigation in the aftermath of the financial crisis in Iceland. She and Sonja have an incredibly complicated relationship. Agla carries a lot of guilt and shame with her which may just force her to sacrifice herself in order to protect a secret she’s not willing to face up to.
The setting in Iceland works like a charm with its cold, dark and rather short days. It really adds to the level of tension and the threatening vibe, especially in combination with the ashes from the erupted volcano with the difficult name falling from the sky depending on how the wind blows.
What really got me though, were the moments when Sonja was at the airport. I’m a nervous wreck when I have to fly and go through security, even though I know I’m not doing anything wrong! Sonja, however, comes across as completely cool and collected, able to fool just about anyone. I found myself in this odd situation of barely being able to breathe until she made it out safely.
The author has created some brilliant characters and even though Sonja is basically a criminal in her own right, I felt for her and truly liked her. She’s just an ordinary woman who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances, who realises she’s way smarter than she thought and capable of things she never even considered. Especially when it relates to her son, who is always her first priority.
Snare is utterly chilling, compelling and incredibly original. With a brilliantly executed plot and characters you shouldn’t really sympathise with but somehow do, I was completely enthralled. Full of suspense and intrigue, this crime story about love and revenge had me hooked from start to finish.
I can’t possibly leave out the amazing translation by Quentin Bates. At no point did I ever feel I wasn’t reading the original version. This is a fantastic addition to my ever-growing Scandi-Noir shelf and I very much look forward to more by Lilja Sigurdardottir.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes