A fantastic, unsettling debut by an author you need to keep your eye on if you’re a crime fiction fan – check out The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Björg Ægisdottir.
The plot:
When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.
Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her collegues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day
But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice before it’s too late.
An easy high- 4/5 star read for me
I actually read a sampler of The Creak on the Stairs about a year before reading the whole book, and I was definitely right when I thought it was going to be a whirlwind of a read. It’s packed full of a chilling plot to add to the Nordic atmosphere.
This book offers an amazing reading experience – you’re fully submersed into Iceland and the unsettling topics, as well as having multiple chapter perspectives, and an epilogue which you can’t help to think back to.
I really connected with one of the key characters; Elma was realistic, and not an ‘over the top’ character, but there’s something memorable about her. You’re given an insight into her life, and I honestly PRAY there is another book where she features again in this new ‘Forbidden Iceland’ series. Not ‘in your face’ police, but nice when needs to be, and gets the job done!
The plot itself, as you start to uncover the truths and lies, is incredibly unsettling, although believable. There wasn’t those huge plot twists with a standard thriller, but what begins as a ‘whodunnit’, turns into an intricate and well thought-through, disquieting plot.
It’s fair to say you’re given an impression early on that it will not be an easy crime to solve, but it escalates in a measured way, giving you bits of information here and there until you’re suddenly struck with this discovery which chills you to the bones.
A book which your mind will constantly wander to. There are some trigger warnings which offer major spoilers, so get in touch via my home page here if you want to find out more.
Incredibly well done, and an easy 4/5 star read for me. Don’t expect anything fast-paced but settle into this wonderfully curated book which lets you become a fly on a wall in a close-knit community.
If you won’t take my word for it, this book has already won 2 awards and been shortlisted for a further 2.
The Creak on the Stairs, Eva Björg Ægisdottir, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Book Depository
Pages: 304
Publisher: Orenda Books
Genre: Crime Fiction/ Nordic Noir
