#BlogTour – #BookReview of #YouCantSeeMe by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir @evaaegisdottir @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours #ForbiddenIceland #CrimeFiction #IcelandNoir

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Jul 28

I'm delighted to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for compelling thriller You Can't See Me, standalone prequel to the stunning Forbidden Iceland series by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. Thank you to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this excellent book.

About the book:

A wealthy Icelandic family is investigated and dark secrets are exposed when a body is found on the lava fields outside the hotel where they've gathered for a reunion … the chilling, gripping prequel to the addictive Forbidden Iceland series

The wealthy, powerful Snæberg clan has gathered for a family reunion at a futuristic hotel set amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland's remote Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Petra Snæberg, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the event, and her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social-media presence has attracted the wrong kind of followers. Ageing carpenter Tryggvi is an outsider, only tolerated because he's the boyfriend of Petra's aunt, but he's struggling to avoid alcohol because he knows what happens when he drinks … Humble hotel employee, Irma, is excited to meet this rich and famous family and observe them at close quarters … perhaps too close…

As the weather deteriorates and the alcohol flows, one of the guests disappears, and it becomes clear that there is a prowler lurking in the dark.

But is the real danger inside … within the family itself?

Masterfully cranking up the suspense, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir draws us into an isolated, frozen setting, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted, as the dark secrets and painful pasts of the Snæberg family are uncovered … and the shocking truth revealed.

A Golden Age mystery for the 21st Century, with a shocking twist.

About the author:

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in Globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland and deciding to write a novel – something she had wanted to do since she won a short-story competition at the age of fifteen. After nine months combining her writing with work as a stewardess and caring for her children, Eva finished The Creak on the Stairs. It was published in 2018, and became a bestseller in Iceland. It also went on to win the Blackbird Award, a prize set up by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jónasson to encourage new Icelandic crime writers.

It was published in English by Orenda Books in 2020.

The critically acclaimed Girls Who Lie (book two in the Forbidden Iceland series) soon followed, with Night Shadows (book three) following suit in July 2022.

Eva lives in Reykjavík with her husband and three children..

Follow her on Twitter @evaaegisdottir

You Can't See Me is translated by Victoria Cribb.

My Review:

You Can't See Me is the fourth book in Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's Forbidden Iceland series. Icelandic Noir at its very best, this prequel is a beautifully written and atmospheric standalone thriller that takes place before the events of the previous three books and, surprisingly, does not feature police officer Elma, instead focusing its attention on the many members of the Snæberg family.

You Can't See Me is a complex, well plotted thriller that drip feeds information slowly, with each chapter alternating between various characters differing points of view. The isolated setting amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland's remote Snæfellsnes peninsula brings this story vividly to life, its frozen landscape giving this chilling thriller a dark edge that made me shiver with anticipation.

In this standalone novel, we join Detectives Sævar and Hörður as they investigate a mysterious death on the lava fields outside the hotel where the wealthy and powerful Snæberg clan are gathered for a family reunion. The Snæberg family are a fascinating creation, each member harbouring dark and painful secrets that slowly begin to be uncovered… until eventually a final devastating truth is revealed.

As more discoveries are made and the tension rises who, if anyone, can be trusted? And where does the real danger lie? Outside? Or could it possibly be within the family itself?

Stunningly translated by Victoria Cribb, You Can't See Me is a compelling Icelandic Noir thriller that is filled to the brim with intrigue and suspense. With a fascinating cast of characters and an intricately plotted and addictive storyline that will keep you guessing throughout, this is a dark, emotional and disturbing read that I enjoyed immensely.

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's writing just keeps on getting better and better as she deftly brings the threads of the story together. With a dark and dangerous family dynamic that is only ever going to lead to tragedy, You Can't See Me is a cleverly nuanced, character driven psychological thriller that I loved.

As the tension ratchets up to breaking point, the story moves forward towards a conclusion that I can honestly say I did not see coming. With a larger than life, twisted cast of characters who I was transfixed by, this is a book that kept the surprises coming thick and fast. Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's writing is superb, with a depth to it that, as clichéd as it sounds, really did take my breath away.

A fantastic addition to the series, You Can't See Me is Icelandic Noir at its very best!

Highly recommended.

You Can't See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is available to purchase now: