#BlogTour – #BookReview of #DeadSweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir @katrinjul @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours @graskeggur #RandomThingsTours #Iceland

calturner

Dec 22

I'm excited to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for superb Icelandic political thriller Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir. Thank you to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this outstanding book.

About the book:

A murder is just the beginning…

When Óttar Karlsson, a wealthy and respected government official and businessman, is found murdered, after failing to turn up at his own surprise birthday party, the police are at a loss. It isn't until young police officer Sigurdís finds a well-hidden safe in his impersonal luxury apartment that clues start emerging.

As Óttar's shady business dealings become clear, a second, unexpected line of enquiry emerges, when Sigurdís finds a US phone number in the safe, along with papers showing regular money transfers to an American account. Following the trail to Minnesota, trauma rooted in Sigurdís's own childhood threatens to resurface and the investigation strikes chillingly close to home…

Atmospheric, deeply unsettling and full of breakneck twists and turns, Dead Sweet is a startling debut thriller that uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives, and kicks off an addictive, mind-blowing new series.

About the author:

Katrín is a Policy advisor and author. She received the Blackbird Award, an Icelandic crime-writing prize, for her first novel, Sykur (en: Dead Sweet) in 2020. Her debut novel was reviewed well by critics and hit the best-selling lists in the first weeks after publication.

She was the Managing Director of Finance Iceland from 2016-2022. She has a political background and was a member of Parliament from 2003 until 2016. The Minister of industry, energy and tourism from 2009-2012 and Minister of finance and economy from 2012-2013. She served as the Social Democratic Alliance's vice-chair from 2013-2016.

She studied Anthropology and has an MBA from Reykjavík University.

My Review:

Dead Sweet is the first in a brand new series by Icelandic crime writer Katrín Júlíusdóttir. Skilfully translated by Quentin Bates, it is a gripping debut political thriller, with a twisty, fast paced and intriguing storyline that keeps you on your toes from beginning to end.

When wealthy and respected government official and businessman Óttar Karlsson is found murdered, the police are at a loss as to why anyone would want him dead. But then young police officer Sigurdís finds a well-hidden safe in Óttar's impersonal luxury apartment and clues begin to emerge. As his shady business dealings become clearer a second, even more unexpected, line of enquiry emerges, taking the investigation in a direction that soon begins to strike chillingly close to home - closer than Sigurdis could ever have imagined…

With twists, turns and a fast paced, suspense filled storyline, this is a book I did not want to put down. As the strands of the story begin to come together, the tension becomes almost unbearable as the story moves forward towards an exhilarating finale that left me feeling breathless and eager for more.

Dead Sweet is a beautifully written, atmospheric political novel that draws the reader in from the very first page. There's a chilling sense of unease throughout that leaves you feeling strangely unsettled as you get deeper into the mystery at the heart of the story. With a strong and varied cast of characters and a shocking, intense storyline, Katrín Júlíusdóttir has written an intelligent political thriller that's Icelandic Noir at its very best. I loved it and can't wait to read more - and if this first book in the series is anything to go by we're in for a real treat!

Dead Sweet is a stylish, complex and superbly plotted political crime thriller that I would highly recommend.

Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir is available to purchase now: