Boys Who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdottir

Happy Tuesday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for Eva Björg Ægisdottir's latest in the Forbidden Iceland series, Boys Who Hurt. 

Elma is just back from maternity leave when she's called out to investigate a missing person's report. The man in question didn't show up to work and when his mother was contacted, she could get no response from him. Police were sent out to his summer home to discover his car at the scene but no answer when they knocked. And so, key in hand, Elma and her partner are sent out to enter the home. 

What they discover is the days old body of the man, apparently stabbed to death in his own bed. 

Meanwhile, Sæver, home with their baby daughter, finds a box with an old diary that captures his attention. And strangely, the diary may actually have a connection to Elma's case.

This is the fifth book in the series that started with The Creak on the Stairs. 

I know I've praised the series and the author on the characters before. In truth, this is the key to a great series: characters you care about and WANT to follow through multiple books. And the fact that they're always being further developed is key as well. They grow with each new title!

But I want to point out today the setting and the fact that it also is a character of sorts. 

The series is set in the small town of Akranes. Now, I've not yet been to Iceland but it's already small. A tiny town, insular due to location and peoples' proclivities, makes for a perfect place for a book like this one that leans heavy into secrets. 

And I love, love, love the dual timeline and the diary aspect! In fact, the latter is a definite draw for me in any plot (found documents informing on current happenings). 

Of course by the time you get five books in, reviewing becomes a challenge just in terms of avoiding spoilers, which I hope I've managed to do here (sorry—it also means being vague). That said, I absolutely do recommend reading the series in order to get the full effect and rounded experience. Like I said, though, that shouldn't be an issue because you are going to love these characters and will devour the books!

Shout out to Victoria Cribb, the translator, because they never get the recognition they deserve. It's a challenge, I'm sure, to retain the author's voice while also translating into a language where not everything (especially regional turns of phrase and such) translates exactly! A good translator, like Cribb, does both magnificently!