Scan barcode
juliaosk's review against another edition
5.0
Nei sko halló!!
Það er ljóst að Ísland eigi nýjan ofur höfund!!
Geggjuð bók sem hélt manni á tánum allan tímann.
Það er ljóst að Ísland eigi nýjan ofur höfund!!
Geggjuð bók sem hélt manni á tánum allan tímann.
jemima_reads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
markhoh's review
4.0
Always on the lookout for new voices in Nordic Noir, I devoured the atmospheric first novel, The Creak on the Stairs by Icelandic author, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. Girls who lie is the second instalment in the Forbidden Iceland series, featuring Chief investigating officer Elma, set in the West Iceland town of Akranes. As I’ve said before, any book that begins with a map and a list of foreign names and words with the correct pronunciation gets me slightly hooked and Ægisdóttir generously supplies both.
Girls who lie is written in two time lines with alternating chapters devoted to the development of two parallel and intersecting stories. I found myself making a number of assumptions about both stories as the book unfolded, both of which were shattered and left me a little jaw dropped at one point as the pieces of the puzzle started to come together and led to a satisfying conclusion that was neither predictable nor unexpected.
We were introduced to Chief investigating officer Elma in the first book in the series and I think I wrote that she was a welcome new addition to the collection of damaged and dark Noir detectives. Ægisdóttir reveals a little more about Elma in this book including the reasons contributing to the sadness that underpins her departure from Reykjavík and return to her childhood home of Akranes. There are a couple of seemingly predictable and cliche elements in the development of her character, including the chemistry that appears inevitable between her and fellow investigator Sævar. There are definitely echoes of fellow Icelandic Noir author, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s Huldar and Freya Children’s House series as far as that element goes.
Overall this was a satisfying read and Ægisdóttir definitely sits on my ‘to continue to read’ shelf. I found the translation a little linear and stilted for my liking and would have liked a little more atmosphere and mood to infiltrate the pages to envelop me in the Icelandic landscape that I love so much. 4 star read.
Girls who lie is written in two time lines with alternating chapters devoted to the development of two parallel and intersecting stories. I found myself making a number of assumptions about both stories as the book unfolded, both of which were shattered and left me a little jaw dropped at one point as the pieces of the puzzle started to come together and led to a satisfying conclusion that was neither predictable nor unexpected.
We were introduced to Chief investigating officer Elma in the first book in the series and I think I wrote that she was a welcome new addition to the collection of damaged and dark Noir detectives. Ægisdóttir reveals a little more about Elma in this book including the reasons contributing to the sadness that underpins her departure from Reykjavík and return to her childhood home of Akranes. There are a couple of seemingly predictable and cliche elements in the development of her character, including the chemistry that appears inevitable between her and fellow investigator Sævar. There are definitely echoes of fellow Icelandic Noir author, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s Huldar and Freya Children’s House series as far as that element goes.
Overall this was a satisfying read and Ægisdóttir definitely sits on my ‘to continue to read’ shelf. I found the translation a little linear and stilted for my liking and would have liked a little more atmosphere and mood to infiltrate the pages to envelop me in the Icelandic landscape that I love so much. 4 star read.
delton215's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mcastello13's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is more like 4.5 stars - and it was going to be 5 stars until the ending, which brought it down a bit for me.
This book continues a so-far fantastic series that I am enjoying immensely. It features really smartly-drawn, realistic characters - both those commuting the crimes and the detectives trying to solve the cases - in a beautifully pared-back, emotionally-evocative way. There’s great psychological complexity and the community of Akranes, along with the Icelandic weather, culture, and atmosphere, is brought to life so vividly while still allowing the case at the center of the novel to shine though and captivate the reader. And I especially loved how the relationships between Elma and various people in her life were developed further in this one.
That all said, as I mentioned, the ending was a little frustrating for a few reasons:
1) I felt it a little carelessly reinforced a dangerous, generally untrue stereotype about rape cases
2) we never actually get full closure with the case (although maybe that will be ironed out in the following book)
3) what is happening with Elma and Sævar??? (I’m not actually complaining about this one, more dying of curiosity to see where this plot line goes. The way it was left off was wonderfully cruel and I’m even more desperate now to get my hands on the next in the series!!)
This book continues a so-far fantastic series that I am enjoying immensely. It features really smartly-drawn, realistic characters - both those commuting the crimes and the detectives trying to solve the cases - in a beautifully pared-back, emotionally-evocative way. There’s great psychological complexity and the community of Akranes, along with the Icelandic weather, culture, and atmosphere, is brought to life so vividly while still allowing the case at the center of the novel to shine though and captivate the reader. And I especially loved how the relationships between Elma and various people in her life were developed further in this one.
That all said, as I mentioned, the ending was a little frustrating for a few reasons:
1) I felt it a little carelessly reinforced a dangerous, generally untrue stereotype about rape cases
2) we never actually get full closure with the case (although maybe that will be ironed out in the following book)
3) what is happening with Elma and Sævar??? (I’m not actually complaining about this one, more dying of curiosity to see where this plot line goes. The way it was left off was wonderfully cruel and I’m even more desperate now to get my hands on the next in the series!!)
brennaw's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
herewithabook's review against another edition
3.0
Þetta var góð bók. flott "plot-twist", þetta er önnur bók úr sama heimi og ég hafði ekki lesið þá fyrstu þannig vantaði smá upplýsingar um aðalpersónurnar en bókin virkaði samt vel ein og sér.
abbie_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Lots of twists and turns - maybe even too many? I sometimes found myself a bit lost at what was going on, who was who and what the truth was, but that could be put down to the fact I’m sick at the minute and have a lot of brain fog.
But it’s a very compulsive read! Keeps you on your toes.
Although I’ve read two Icelandic crime novels now and noticed both of them have some weird fatphobic stuff in them. Just a coincidence?
But it’s a very compulsive read! Keeps you on your toes.
Although I’ve read two Icelandic crime novels now and noticed both of them have some weird fatphobic stuff in them. Just a coincidence?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Fatphobia