Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurðardóttir

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Lilja Sigurðardóttir's latest, and first in a new series, Cold as Hell!

Áróra is no stranger to her sister's issues. In fact, she's had to return to Iceland a number of times to help the elder sister out of trouble. Which is why she's none too pleased when their mother calls and asks her to return once again to check on Ísafold. It seems she's been out of touch long enough for their mom to be concerned. What's more, she hasn't updated her social media either.

Áróra arrives certain that she'll find her sister in the same situation as before. And also certain that, like the previous times, she'll be nursing wounds from abuse by the boyfriend she refuses to leave.

And yet, when she arrives in Iceland she finds no trace of Ísafold. It's as though she's disappeared.

With the help of a detective, she begins to look into Ísafold's life, trying to find clues as to her whereabouts.

Meanwhile, she can't help but get involved in another case as well. And this one could be very financially rewarding!

First off, you'll notice I'm super late with this post. Like ten days by the poster. Life has been...yeah. And yet, as with last year, I find that Nordic Noir offers me such a welcome escape! Sinking into this story of sisters and financial investigation (which is what Áróra actually does for a living) was a fantastic diversion. 

Áróra and her sister have a complicated relationship. There's a big gap between them and Ísafold was resentful of her younger sister for quite some time. At least, it seems, until she could get something from her. Usually help in cleaning up her messes (literal and figurative). 

They moved to the UK young but Ísafold returned to Iceland as soon as she was able. And then she met Björn. Who was not a good partner. They tried to get Ísafold to leave him on multiple occasions, but inevitably she would refuse. And it's that combination of issues that has left Áróra with very little patience when it comes to her sister. 

And of course Áróra is concerned. But she knows her sister won't change. 

This time, though, things might just be different. Because no one has seen Ísafold. And not only that, the things that have happened in her life recently have been kept secret from her family...

The family dynamic is fabulous! But of course it's Áróra who drives the story. And I absolutely loved her! She has a bit of a nebulous sense of right and wrong, doing what she wants to do when she wants to do it regardless of whether it's exactly the right thing to do. 

She's a financial investigator and we meet her while she's working a case for a man who claims his wife stole all of their money and ran. She recovers it, but the man isn't going to pay up. Fortunately, Áróra has her own ways of negotiating with people like that. 

The book is about much, much more than just the sisters. And it is a bit of a slow burn—much more character driven than plot driven. Translator Quentin Bates does a fabulous job, in my opinion, of capturing and staying true to the author's style, which I think is always a challenge with translations. But Cold as Hell reads wonderfully, with characters and prose that grab you from the very start!

I cannot wait to read more with Áróra! She is exactly the kind of character I adore and is absolutely perfect to carry a series!

If you've yet to dip your toe into the incredibly deep and diverse well of Nordic Noir or, more specifically, Icelandic crime fiction, Cold as Hell is an excellent place to start!

This one is out now in the UK from the fabulous folks at Orenda. It will hit shelves in the States in February.