An exciting, quick to read Icelandic crime fiction – Betrayal by Lilja Sigurdardottir might be for you.
The plot:
Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a difference again.
But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some danger? And why has the death of her father in police custody so many years earlier reared its head again?
As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones, and the stakes are raised ever higher…
It could’ve easily been dull and stodgy, but you’ll read 100 pages without even knowing
I’ve previously read two books by this author – Trap (my review here), and Cage – books #2 and #3 in the “Reykjavik Noir” book trilogy. It’s a mixed bag for me, because I remember being utterly captivated by Trap, and then lacking something in Cage. Betrayal, separate to this series and following politics, was enjoyable, and I’m glad I gave Lilja another chance.
Sitting at a strong 3-star read, this book offers an insight into politics within Iceland, as well as other topics, including mental health and general crime (both in Iceland and further afield) – there are a few paragraphs which are violent, but I’d say if you don’t like all the gore, you’re fine with this.
You have an incredibly strong personality within the protagonist, Ursula, who I adored. It’s a very female-led book, which is great for when particular topics arise – you see multiple perspectives, as well as women in power and issues they may face, including threats and scandal. Also weaved into this is the barrier between women – you have one who is a cleaner, another in a working-class position (read the book as I don’t want to provide spoilers!), and another who has a background in helping people, turned to a political figure.
I did find it quite difficult to picture certain characters, as you weren’t given huge amounts of descriptions – some I could picture vividly, whereas others I couldn’t even imagine – this is a big aspect of the reading experience for me.
Chapters were split between days with paragraph breaks offering multi-characters opinions. This jumped around at just the right time, giving you mini cliff-hangers so you declare and fail at “one more page”. Although there wasn’t a real differentiation of voices, you could clearly tell which story you are on as they are usually set in different locations and moods.
I’m glad the author went the way they did – it could’ve easily been dull and stodgy, but you’ll read 100 pages without even knowing. It’s fast-paced due to the short chapters and lots of conversation, and a very engaging read.
Betrayal has an interesting plot, especially as you have three stories woven into one, and I hope Ursula comes back again – a good scandi noir, although I’m a bit tired with one of the plots, so I’d recommend!
Betrayal, Lilja Sigurdardottir, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Book Depository
Pages: 276
Publisher: Orenda Books
Genre: Crime Fiction/ Scandinavian Noir
