Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir translated by Quentin Bates Paperback Tour
This brilliant book is now out in paperback!
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.
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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.
My Review
What a brilliant debut novel from a new Icelandic writer. Definitely one to watch and the first novel in a cracking new series.
Police officer Sigurdís nearly lost her job after losing her temper with a suspect. She couldn’t hold back. It was a domestic violence incident and we discover that Sigurdís herself was also a victim when she was a child. Her father, a respected senior officer in the police force beat her mother and then one day became so violent he nearly killed them all – Sigurdís, her brother Einar and their mother. He was arrested and sent to prison and Sigurdís and Einar went to live with their mother’s sister Halla.
In her first case back at work, Sigurdís is called upon to help investigate the murder of Óttar Karlsson, a wealthy and respected government official and businessman, who was found dead on the beach. Who would have killed him? It was a brutal attack. He didn’t die straight away. He was left to suffer first.
The police has no leads, until Sigurdís finds a hidden safe in Óttar’s house, which contains evidence of shady business dealings, a mysterious phone number, and papers showing regular money transfers to an American account.
Head of department Garðar, is certain that someone wanted revenge for being cheated out of their livelihood, but Sigurdís has other ideas. She believes it’s more personal and linked to a woman in America who knew Óttar when he was at Univeristy in Minnesota.
It’s fascinating and exciting, but little did I know how it would pan out. When Sigurdís digs deeper and even travels to America to investigate further, it becomes darker and darker, with some shocking revelations. And that’s all I can say! And there’s even a hint at a possible romance for Sigurdís in the books to come.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Katrín Júlíusdóttir has a political background and was a member of the Icelandic parliament from 2003 until 2016. Before she was elected to parliament, Katrín was an advisor and project manager at a tech company and a senior buyer and CEO in the retail sector. She worked from a young age in the fishing industry, was a store clerk and also worked the night shift at a pizza restaurant. She studied anthropology and has an MBA from Reykjavík University. Katrín’s debut novel Dead Sweet received the Blackbird Award and was an Icelandic bestseller upon publication. She is married to critically acclaimed author Bjarni M. Bjarnason, who encouraged her to start writing. They have four boys and live in Garðabær.
About Orenda Books
Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.
