Source: Review copy from Orenda Books for the Random Things blog tour – thank you!
Translated by Larissa Kyzer
Katrín Júlíusdóttir’s first novel Dead Sweet was published in translation in 2023. It introduced us to detective in training Sigurdís and her younger brother Einar, who had a troubled start to life. We discovered part of their story in that novel, however, it is re-capped and expanded on in Stop Dead, so there is no need to have read Dead Sweet first (although it is excellent!). Katrín Júlíusdóttir served as Iceland’s Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism and Minister of Finance and Economy before turning to writing. The crime in the first book concentrated on corruption between business and government; in the second we turn to the world of TV.
As the novel begins, a suspicious death occurs during the Reykjavik Marathon. Controversial TV personality Olga Einarsdóttir is found stabbed to death on a quiet part of the course. The closest CCTV shows a man with a bib number 1407 running near her. Olga was a fading star in the world of documentary TV, and had turned to a confrontational Springer-esque style of reality show lately – making no friends with the controversies stemming from the show and on social media and, as we’ll find out a whole lot of enemies.
Sigurdís has been studying criminal psychology in Florida, living with a boyfriend Jeff, when she hears that Garðar, her boss and mentor, has been suspended from the Reykjavik CID as a result of investigations into the murder of Sigurdís’ father. Yes, you heard that right. It’s Garðar’s plight that draws her back to Iceland for he’s a kind of surrogate father, Jeff will get along fine without her.
In Garðar’s absence, her colleague Unnar is running the department, and he gets Sigurdís to help with Olga’s murder. Sigurdís and Unnar have a mutual attraction, but they shouldn’t get together while he is her boss, however … Back on the investigation, Sigurdís will use her intuition and lateral thinking, which so helped her in the first novel, to help things progress.
Sigurdís develops as a character so much in this novel. She is complicated, her family history is even more complicated. Olga’s situation was complicated too, and as Sigurdís investigates and things get darker, she will uncover the truth about her father too. The two stories unfold in parallel to create a compelling narrative. Stop Dead was even better than Dead Sweet, and I can’t wait to find out what the author has in store for her heroine next.
Katrín Júlíusdóttir, Stop Dead – Orenda books, 239 pages. BUY at Waterstones or Amazon UK via my affiliate links.
For a country with as small a population as Iceland there’s a helluva lotta murders going on… Just joking! I’m interested to assume the author’s political career will have given her an insight into corruption – that must make it difficult if readers might be wondering if real life and people are inspirations. Anyway an author to bear in mind for Nordic FINDS!
Both books are excellent!
As I have actually run the Reykjavik Marathon, I feel I need to read this one! Is the murder very gruesome?
Funnily enough this is the least gruesome Icelandic noir I’ve read, I think. Full of questionable people with dodgy motives though 😀
A new author for me and the setting is so interesting.