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 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**
**LONGLISTED for the CWA New Blood Dagger** 'Eva Bj�rg gisd�ttir'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 Bj�rg gisd�ttir'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 J�nasson _________________ 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 S var and H�r�ur, 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 gisd�ttir proves to be adept at this chilly art as any of her confr�res (and consoeurs). Elma is a memorably complex character, and Victoria Cribb's translation is (as usu