The Creak on the Stairs
Ratings2
Average rating4
15
Ratings2
Average rating4
When a woman's body is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, investigators discover shocking secrets in her past. First in the disturbing, chillingly atmospheric, addictive new Forbidden Iceland series. **WINNER of the CWA New Blood Dagger** **WINNER OF THE CWA JOHN CREASEY NEW BLOOD DAGGER** **WINNER of the Storytel Award for Best Crime Novel 2020** **WINNER of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Novel** **SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Independent Voice** **SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Debut Novel** 'Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's accomplished first novel is not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made' The Times 'Fans of Nordic Noir will love this moving debut from Icelander Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's. It's subtle, nuanced, with a sympathetic central character and the possibilities of great stories to come' Ann Cleeves 'An exciting and harrowing tale from one of Iceland's rising stars' Ragnar Jónasson _________________ 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. For fans of Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Ruth Rendell, P D James, Sarah Hilary and Camilla Lackberg _________________ 'Elma leaves Reykjavik CID for a job with the police in her hometown of Akranes, deeming it "every bit as quiet as it appeared to be" — until the discovery of a murdered woman starts to unravel a thread of long-buried crimes hidden deep in the community. Elma is a fantastic heroine' Sunday Times 'We're used to Icelandic writers lowering the temperature — in more ways than one — and Ægisdóttir proves to be adept at this chilly art as any of her confrères (and consoeurs). Elma is a memorably complex character, and Victoria Cribb's translation is (as usual) non-pareil' Financial Times 'A deserted lighthouse and a murdered woman set the scene for this haunting and compelling mystery where the dark secrets of a small town are shockingly exposed. As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter' Lisa Gray, author of Thin Air 'The setting in Iceland is fascinating, the descriptions creating a vivid picture of the reality of living in a small town. The Creak on the Stairs is a captivating tale with plenty of tension and a plot to really get your teeth into' LoveReading 'At each stage, Ægisdóttir is not giving us information but asking things of us. She's getting us to think through the implications: what if it's him, what if it's her, what would it mean? We're involved, we've got skin in the game and we can't ask for more as readers' Café Thinking
Featured Series
4 primary booksForbidden Iceland is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Victoria Cribb, and Jean-Christophe Salaün.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was a really good mystery. I kept thinking I'd figured it out and then, nope! It was great. Elma was such a good detective too. I didn't love some of the misdirection, especially when it wasn't relevant, but that's a mystery for you. I could see reading more of this series.
(This was also particularly good for me in that I'd been to Akranes in 2007. I remembered a couple of the places talked about and have a book I could pull out to look at other things. I liked that a lot.)
An Icelandic crime procedural. This taps into the strong history of Nordic noir novels. The Icelandic setting provides a suitably bleak setting for a grim story of abuse, emotional damage and murder in a small tight nit community. The Nordic countries have been producing some of the best crime noir novels over the last couple of decades. The powerhouses of the genre all seem to come from this region. As a resident in Norway, it always fascinates me seeing the references to Scandi culture. The ironic thing is that these countries are in reality some of the safest in the world with a very low level of violent crime. Eva Bjorg definitely follows in the veins of the Nesbø and Larsson type novel, with a gritty realism and emotional trauma. The images of abuse that we get teased with are frightening in their realism. All the protagonists are in some way damaged or compromised. The small community setting lends a claustrophobia to the proceedings - everyone knows everyone and there are several possible motives out there.
The pacing of the novel is good - the way the jigsaw pieces are gradually placed together makes the reveal at the end feel well earned. There is nothing especially innovative in the story here, but the way it is constructed and the genuineness of the voice gives it a powerful dynamic. Definitely a new voice in Nordic Noir that I will have to follow more!
