Tag: advance review copy

#BlogTour #Book Review Cold As Hell by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, translated by Don Bartlett @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

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Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Cold As Hell by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, translated by Don Bartlett. My thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Orenda Books for my digital review copy. Cold As Hell is available now as an ebook and will be published in paperback on 28th October 2021.

Cold As Hell Short Run Cover AWAbout the Book

Icelandic sisters Áróra and Ísafold live in different countries and aren’t on speaking terms, but when their mother loses contact with Ísafold, Áróra reluctantly returns to Iceland to find her sister. But she soon realizes that her sister isn’t avoiding her… she has disappeared, without trace.

As she confronts Ísafold’s abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend Björn, and begins to probe her sister’s reclusive neighbours – who have their own reasons for staying out of sight – Áróra is led into an ever-darker web of intrigue and manipulation.

Baffled by the conflicting details of her sister’s life, and blinded by the shiveringly bright midnight sun of the Icelandic summer, Áróra enlists the help of police officer Daníel, as she tries to track her sister’s movements, and begins to tail Björn – but she isn’t the only one watching…

Format: Paperback (276 pages)          Publisher: Orenda Books
Publication date: 28th October 2021 Genre: Crime, Thriller, Literature in Translation

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My Review

Opening with a chilling prologue, the book alternates between the point of view of Áróra and several other characters, some of whom this reader immediately suspected were not who they claimed to be and whose true nature was probably quite different from that presented. Ah, but of course Lilja Sigurðardóttir is too clever and skilful a writer not to trip the reader up; she certainly did this one! The fact that events unfold over the space of a few weeks and the chapters are short kept the pace high and led to that ‘just one more chapter’ feeling, although this is a book that could easily be read in one sitting.

In Áróra the author hasn’t given us a straightforward heroine. She’s a complex character who has come to resent the frequent need to rescue her sister from situations Áróra feels are of her sister’s own making. It’s only at the urging of Violet with perhaps a mother’s instinct that the cause of Ísafold’s disappearance is something sinister that persuades Áróra to travel to Iceland in search of answers. Áróra’s occupation as a financial investigator provides the opportunity for the introduction of a subplot which delves into the murky world of financial crime. Finding money which others have tried to hide away is something of a drug for Áróra, who thinks of herself as a kind of ‘avenging angel’. It leads to her taking personal risks which on occasion threaten her safety.  Brought up in Britain but with an Icelandic father, I liked the way we see Áróra having to acclimatise to the more open and trusting Icelandic society whose population is seemingly fuelled largely on coffee!

Áróra is persuaded by her mother to enlist the help of Daníel, a relative by marriage and serving police officer. His involvement opens doors that would otherwise be closed to Áróra and they make an effective team, with hints of the possibility of something more in future.  I liked Daníel as a character even if he does have somewhat of an obsession with maintaining an immaculate lawn!  And I particularly liked his neighbour Lady Gúgúlú, an unlikely combination of drag artist and physicist. As she observes to Daníel, ‘Well, I have many different selves, darling. Just the same as you do. Just like everyone else. Most people only let one of these show.’

The author lays down plenty of false trails that are impossible to resist following and which distract you from what’s really going on. Does everyone get what they deserve? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Cold As Hell is a taut, atmospheric and skilfully crafted crime thriller, and a great  introduction to what promises to be an addictive new series for fans of Icelandic noir.

In three words: Clever, intriguing, pacy

Try something similar: End of Summer by Anders de la Motte

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Lilja Author Pic JPEGAbout the Author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir 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, her English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy, Cage, winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja’s standalone, Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner

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#BlogTour #BookReview A Woman Made of Snow by Elisabeth Gifford @RandomTTours

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Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for A Woman Made of Snow by Elisabeth Gifford. My thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Corvus for my digital review copy.

A Woman Made of SnowAbout the Book

A gorgeous, haunting and captivating novel of a century-long family mystery in the wilds of Scotland, and one woman’s hunt for the truth.

Scotland, 1949: Caroline Gillan and her new husband Alasdair have moved back to Kelly Castle, his dilapidated family estate in the middle of nowhere. Stuck caring for their tiny baby, and trying to find her way with an opinionated mother-in-law, Caroline feels adrift, alone and unwelcome.

But when she is tasked with sorting out the family archives, Caroline discovers a century-old mystery that sparks her back to life. There is one Gillan bride who is completely unknown – no photos exist, no records have been kept – the only thing that is certain is that she had a legitimate child. Alasdair’s grandmother.

As Caroline uncovers a strange story that stretches as far as the Arctic circle, her desire to find the truth turns obsessive. And when a body is found in the grounds of the castle, her hunt becomes more than just a case of curiosity. What happened all those years ago? Who was the bride? And who is the body…?

Format: Hardcover (304 pages)         Publisher: Corvus
Publication date:  7th October 2021 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

I’ve become a great fan of Elisabeth Gifford’s books having read and enjoyed The Sea House, The Lost Lights of St Kilda and my absolute favourite, The Good Doctor of Warsaw. I’m pleased to say A Woman Made of Snow incorporates all the elements I’ve enjoyed in previous books: fascinating period settings, atmospheric locations, a combination of mystery and love story, and a cast of well-crafted characters. I mean, what more do you want from a work of historical fiction?

The book moves back and forth in time between 1949 and a century earlier focusing on the inhabitants of Kelly Castle through the years. Caroline (Caro) is trying to balance the demands of motherhood with her desire for independence.  She finds living at Kelly Castle difficult to get used to whereas for Alasdair, away for much of the day at work, it seems so easy to adapt to its routines. ‘A map of Alasdair would have clear lines, useful for going places. A map of herself, Caro realized, would be full of shaded liminal areas, still in the process of becoming, coastlines up for discussion.’ Caro is also trying to navigate the tricky relationship with her mother-in-law, Martha, who seems to find fault in much that Caro does, whether that’s the names she calls things – ‘mirror’ rather than ‘looking glass’ – or the way she looks after her daughter.

Charlotte, Caro’s counterpart in the earlier timeline, is facing a similar conflict between the expectations of society and a desire for personal freedom: to go where she wants to, dress how she wants, to eschew marriage. Despite being financially independent, she still finds the world a place dominated by men and where double standards apply when it comes to men’s and women’s behaviour. ‘It was a bitter truth to learn, that men may wade through all kinds of muddy waters and come out smelling if not sweet, then at least acceptable. Not so for a woman.’  Charlotte’s affection for a member of the Gillan family, destined to remain unrequited, nevertheless inspires a loyalty and sense of duty that will remain unacknowledged for years.

For me, the standout sections of the book were those set in the Arctic aboard a whaling ship. These positively oozed atmosphere, capturing both the beauty of the scenery and its inherent dangers – the intense cold, the risk of frostbite or of ships becoming icebound or even crushed in the shifting ice. It also introduced me to a way of life I had limited knowledge of before, about which I’ll say no more so as not to spoil your enjoyment of the story.

As well as being an intriguing mystery and a touching love story, what I enjoyed about the book was the way it explored more serious issues such as gender and social inequality, and racial prejudice. The latter is demonstrated in the most dramatic way by an act so despicable it left me reeling.

Those who enjoy the mystery element of a story will be gripped by the gradual accumulation of clues about the identity of the body found in the grounds of Kelly Castle. Mirroring the research that goes into writing a work of historical fiction this involves perusing diaries, letters and photographs. Prepare to be surprised when the answer is finally revealed, and to find yourself a little tearful at the end of the book.

A Woman of Snow is another thoroughly absorbing and satisfying read from the pen of Elisabeth Gifford.

In three words: Emotional, intriguing, atmospheric

Try something similar: The Secret by Katharine Johnson

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Elisabeth Gifford Author PicAbout the Author

Elisabeth Gifford grew up in a vicarage in the industrial Midlands. She studied French literature and world religions at Leeds University. She has a Diploma in Creative Writing from Oxford OUDCE and an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway. She is married with three children, and lives in Kingston upon Thames. A Woman Made of Snow is her fifth novel.

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