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Snare

(Reykjavík Noir Trilogy #1)

Lilja Sigurðardóttir (Goodreads Author),

Quentin Bates (Goodreads Author) (Translator)

3.80 · Rating details · 1,452 ratings · 238 reviews

After a messy divorce, attractive young mother Sonia is struggling to provide for herself and keep custody of her son. With her back to the wall, she resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world. As she desperately looks for a way out of trouble, she must pit her wits against her nemesis, Bragi, a customs officer, whos ...more

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Kindle Edition, 276 pages

Published September 12th 2017 by Orenda Books (first published October 15th 2015)

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Mar 16, 2018 Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: orenda

"Snare" is a brilliant crime thriller with a very clever and intelligent storyline which is unique, original and gripping. It has a suspenseful plot line with incredible well defined characters and with it being so thrilling and fast paced this addictive book will have you reading well past your bedtime - I did and loved every minute!
It's the first in the Reykjavik Noir Trilogy and considering how good this book is I really can't wait for the next two!!
Set in a Reykjavik that is still covered "Snare" is a brilliant crime thriller with a very clever and intelligent storyline which is unique, original and gripping. It has a suspenseful plot line with incredible well defined characters and with it being so thrilling and fast paced this addictive book will have you reading well past your bedtime - I did and loved every minute!
It's the first in the Reykjavik Noir Trilogy and considering how good this book is I really can't wait for the next two!!
Set in a Reykjavik that is still covered in the dust of a recent volcanic eruption, Sonja has just gone through a messy and heartbreaking divorce which saw her handing over custody of her son to her husband. Falling into the ruthless and frightening criminal world to stay afloat she starts smuggling cocaine into Iceland. Desperately now looking for a way out of trouble she pits her wits again her nemesis, Bragi, a customs officer who has been watching her from afar, every time she lands in Iceland. To complicate matters, Sonja is in a relationship with a woman, Alga. Once a high level bank executive she is now currently being prosecuted in the aftermath of the Icelandic financial crash.
I really loved Sonja and truly felt for her predicament, sympathising with her at every move, she's not a bad person but just drawn into a situation she has no control over and is meticulously planning a way out of it all, in the hope of regaining custody of her son Tomas. All through the book I felt trapped in the 'snare' with Sonja and felt her every emotion and action that she took.
I also liked the side storyline of Braji and his devoted wife Valdis, who suffering from Alzheimer's appears to be being abused in the care home she is in. Emotional and breathtaking this atmospheric thriller about love and crime really does keep you enthralled until the exciting climax!
There's an excellent glossary at the beginning too, to thoughtfully help with the pronunciation of any Icelandic names you don't understand. Fabulously translated by the incredibly talented Quentin Bates, this book's narrative and dialogue flows seamlessly and really makes for an enjoyable read.
"Snare" is written by Icelandic crime writer Lilja Sigurdardottir, who has already written four crime novels and this book is hitting the bestseller lists worldwide with translation and film rights have already been bought. I can definitely see this author becoming very famous globally and I for one cannot wait to read her future offerings!

5 stars ...more

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Oct 11, 2017 Amy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: physical-arcs

Snare is told via three separate points of view, that of Sonia, Bragi and Agla. All of their lives and stories merge at some point in really interesting ways and the cat and mouse game between Sonia and Bragi was unbelievably tense and exciting. My heart was in my throat for most of this book, as much as I shouldn’t have wanted Sonia to keep getting away with drug running I couldn’t help but sympathize with her and truly hoped she would find a safe way out.

Sigurdardottir is a fantastic writer, ...more

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Oct 03, 2017 Eva rated it it was amazing

Ah, Scandi-Noir! We meet once more and again, you didn’t let me down. Snare is one superb tense ride, centred around three characters who all find themselves trapped one way or another.

After a messy divorce, Sonja loses custody of her son. When we first meet her, she’s smuggling drugs into the country. But there’s more to her situation than meets the eye. It becomes clear quite early on that she’s not exactly a willing participant but is finding it hard to escape the hold the vicious criminal wo Ah, Scandi-Noir! We meet once more and again, you didn’t let me down. Snare is one superb tense ride, centred around three characters who all find themselves trapped one way or another.

After a messy divorce, Sonja loses custody of her son. When we first meet her, she’s smuggling drugs into the country. But there’s more to her situation than meets the eye. It becomes clear quite early on that she’s not exactly a willing participant but is finding it hard to escape the hold the vicious criminal world has on her.

Then there’s Bragi, a customs officer. Close to retirement, he refuses to stop working because he has nothing to go home to since he had to make the tough decision of placing his wife in a care home. Bragi has years of experience and is keen to show the young recruits how it’s done so when his instincts tell him Sonja is up to no good, he’s like a dog with a bone.

And finally we have Agla, a bank executive, who’s under investigation in the aftermath of the financial crisis in Iceland. She and Sonja have an incredibly complicated relationship. Agla carries a lot of guilt and shame with her which may just force her to sacrifice herself in order to protect a secret she’s not willing to face up to.

The setting in Iceland works like a charm with its cold, dark and rather short days. It really adds to the level of tension and the threatening vibe, especially in combination with the ashes from the erupted volcano with the difficult name falling from the sky depending on how the wind blows.

What really got me though, were the moments when Sonja was at the airport. I’m a nervous wreck when I have to fly and go through security, even though I know I’m not doing anything wrong! Sonja, however, comes across as completely cool and collected, able to fool just about anyone. I found myself in this odd situation of barely being able to breathe until she made it out safely.

The author has created some brilliant characters and even though Sonja is basically a criminal in her own right, I felt for her and truly liked her. She’s just an ordinary woman who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances, who realises she’s way smarter than she thought and capable of things she never even considered. Especially when it relates to her son, who is always her first priority.

Snare is utterly chilling, compelling and incredibly original. With a brilliantly executed plot and characters you shouldn’t really sympathise with but somehow do, I was completely enthralled. Full of suspense and intrigue, this crime story about love and revenge had me hooked from start to finish.

I can’t possibly leave out the amazing translation by Quentin Bates. At no point did I ever feel I wasn’t reading the original version. This is a fantastic addition to my ever-growing Scandi-Noir shelf and I very much look forward to more by Lilja Sigurdardottir. ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Kylie H rated it really liked it

Shelves: drama, crime, great-read, adrenalin

I have had this book for quite a while but glad that I finally got to read it.
Sonia is in a 'snare' through a series of events and working as a drug mule. She is divorced and gets to have her son every second weekend. She hopes to save enough to free herself of the snare and get shared custody of her boy.
Bragi is a customs officer nearing retirement. He soon becomes suspicious of the attractive young woman that is frequently passing through the airport.
The book unfolds like a train wreck, it is ...more

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Oct 11, 2017 Joanna Park rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Snare is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time mainly because of its hard-hitting and sometimes harrowing, main story line about drug smuggling. It’s a subject we hear a lot about int he news and I’ve often wondered how and why people resort to drug smuggling in the first place, especially with all the risks involved. In Snare, the author offers up one explanation in a gripping and unflinching narrative that really had me breathless at times as I wondered what on earth would h Snare is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time mainly because of its hard-hitting and sometimes harrowing, main story line about drug smuggling. It’s a subject we hear a lot about int he news and I’ve often wondered how and why people resort to drug smuggling in the first place, especially with all the risks involved. In Snare, the author offers up one explanation in a gripping and unflinching narrative that really had me breathless at times as I wondered what on earth would happen next. Some of the passages describing the drug smuggling are quite harrowing and horrifying. I’d like to think such things don’t happen in real life, but sadly i don’t think this is the case, except maybe the tiger?! (I hope). The fear and desperation some of the characters feel throughout the book is almost palpable a times and you really feel for them in those situations as well as disbelief that people can be so unfeeling and cruel.

I really like Sonja. I thought she seemed a very in control, clever and resourceful woman who had some ingenious methods for getting drugs into Iceland. These were quite thrilling to read about as you were never quite sure if she’d get caught or not and I did find myself holding my breath at times as events unfolded. I fond that I had a lot of sympathy wither her and the situation that she finds herself in, not just in the drug smuggling but the tense home situation with her ex husband. I felt indignant on her behalf for all the upset she was suffering and warmed to her throughout the book hoping she’d find a way out of the mess. Her relationship with her son Thomas was really beautiful to read about and helped provided some light relief in a tense book. The passages describing their time together and their obvious love for one another bought a tear to my eye and I had a smile on my face as I read about their exploits. It was very poignant to read about the restraints on their relationship and my heart ached for the pair of them, imagining what they must be feeling.

The author mentions some interesting information about Icelandic traditions and food which was fascinating to read about. I was particularly intrigued by snowflake bread and wish to try it for myself.

Snare is the first book in the Reykjavik Noir series and I very much look forward to reading more from her. I’m hoping that the same characters are involved as I would like to find out what happens next for Sonja.

Huge thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Cater for my copy of this book and for inviting me on the blog tour. ...more

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Nov 08, 2017 Crime by the Book rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Find my full review here: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/1...

A taut and engaging blend of Nordic Noir sensibilities and high-stakes action thriller! This is a strong series launch. Books involving the drug trade aren’t typically my cup of tea, but I enjoyed this one!! ...more

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Oct 25, 2017 Janel rated it really liked it

Lilja Sigurðardóttir is a name I won’t quickly be forgetting, Snare was an enticing read, filled with tension and a few heart-stopping moments. As the blurb indicates, there are three storylines taking place in this novel. Sonja caught up in the drug smuggling ring, looking for a way out and hoping to gain custody of her son. Bragi, a customs official, who suspects something is amiss with the beautiful woman who travels so frequently. And lastly, Alga, Sonja’s ‘kind-of’ girlfriend who is facing Lilja Sigurðardóttir is a name I won’t quickly be forgetting, Snare was an enticing read, filled with tension and a few heart-stopping moments. As the blurb indicates, there are three storylines taking place in this novel. Sonja caught up in the drug smuggling ring, looking for a way out and hoping to gain custody of her son. Bragi, a customs official, who suspects something is amiss with the beautiful woman who travels so frequently. And lastly, Alga, Sonja’s ‘kind-of’ girlfriend who is facing prosecution. These storylines are weaved together perfectly to create a tension filled read.

Sonja is one of those characters you can’t help but root for, yes, she’s smuggling kilos of cocaine into the country but she just so damn likeable! She’s very aware of the situation she’s in and is so close to being able to escape the criminal world; every time Sonja comes through customs, your heart starts beating a little faster, hoping she’s not caught. And this anxiety is heightened once Bragi sets his sites on her. So how does Alga’s storyline fit in, well you’ll just have to read this one for yourself to find out. But I’m willing to bet money that you cannot figure out how these intertwined storylines come together. It was so clever, so unexpected, and it made so much sense, I was mightily impressed.

In terms of characters, it was Sonja’s son, nine-year-old, Tómas who stole the show for me. It’s always hard for a kid when their parents separate, and I liked that it was Adam who had custody, as it’s not often in novels (or real life) that it’s the father with custody and the mother with every other weekend visitation. The love and loyalty Tómas had for his mother was so sweet and this has me rooting for Sonja even more.

Snare is a truly gripping read, elements of the storyline were so original, and this made it harder to predict were the plot was going. The ending was as it should be, it wrapped up the novel nicely and left me eager for more, so I’m extremely grateful Snare is the first book in the Reykjavik Noir trilogy! You know you’re hooked to a novel when you read words such as “Eyjafjallajökull”, and know you’re pronouncing it wrong but you don’t even care because the writing is so smooth, it just flows. When I saw this novel being described as a “sexy Nordic crime thriller”, I never paid too much attention to the word “sexy” because it’s not one I’d used to describe a book – but I totally get it now! Snare is racy, not only in its fast-paced delivery but it has this seductive quality to it; you’re drawn to its dark and tense atmosphere, but you’re also drawn to Sonja.

Thanks must be given to Quentin Bates for the wonderful translation that allowed me to read this book, it truly felt like nothing was lost in translation.

Snare is dark, exciting, and sits where it belongs – alongside my other favourite Nordic Noir novels; the film rights have already been sold. It’s official, Snare is a raging success, do yourself a favour and read this book!

*My thanks to Orenda Books for providing me with a copy of this book* ...more

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Jan 31, 2018 Bandit rated it liked it

Time for some international reading. Iceland this time, a land of readers and writers if statistics are to go by. Also a land of brutal weather, terrible food and gorgeous scenery. All these ingredients were presents and permanently featured, it’s the story itself that was sort of underwhelming. Scandinavian fiction in general has a sort of flat aspect to it, but here it went beyond muted to plain averageness. Plus the ending was a definite detractor. Yes, I understand it’s a first in a new seri Time for some international reading. Iceland this time, a land of readers and writers if statistics are to go by. Also a land of brutal weather, terrible food and gorgeous scenery. All these ingredients were presents and permanently featured, it’s the story itself that was sort of underwhelming. Scandinavian fiction in general has a sort of flat aspect to it, but here it went beyond muted to plain averageness. Plus the ending was a definite detractor. Yes, I understand it’s a first in a new series and series are nearly impossible to avoid, ok, but every entry should still be self contained and offer a proper resolution. This one sort of just ended in a pretty unsatisfying way. The plot is this…a woman goes through an ugly divorce and subsequent financial challenges entangle her in a…yes, you got it, Snare. Now she, Sonja, has to shuttle cocaine into the country. All the while hoping to get out of the racket and get back the custody of her child. All the while maintaining a terribly dysfunctional love affair with Agla, a woman who is ashamed of her sexuality and also embroiled in a financial scam investigation. And then there’s a security person at the airport who is onto Sonja’s act. So it’s all challenging and complicated. And you’d think would be really compelling, but it’s just compelling enough. The Sonja and Agla thing is just a nuisance, you’d think a country that essentially pioneered gender equality, gay rights and all that would see their citizens have a more progressive mentality, but no, Agla’s so stuck in the closet, she can practically see Narnia from there and the entire relationship is just a sad mess. The state of the country in this book is also kind of a sad mess, set in 2010/2011 financial crisis, Iceland comes across as provincial and claustrophobic and gray. Maybe it just doesn’t mesh with my romanticized version of it. Or maybe it’s just the depressing reality of civilizations unable or unwilling to live up to the high standards nature sets. Anyway, this book had its moments, enough of them to make the reader care, probably enough to want to check out further installments…although it may not have been memorable enough to ensure the recollection of prior events by the time the sequel comes out. But actually I do think I may be invested enough in the character to want to see what's next. At least right now. Snare may also work as a manual for aspiring smugglers, Sonja has an OCD like precision about her work. But then again as the book demonstrates you might not want to go that way. The ending had a nice twist to it, really enhanced the story, although with the mystery out of the way, the next one is setting up to be just a straight up power struggle with known players. Time will tell. Maybe the author has some new tricks up her sleeve. Oh…is this still Scandinavian noir if it really isn’t that noirish? It’s definitely Scandinavian, but the style doesn’t really suggest noir. Maybe it’s become more of a general generic sort of thing now. Geographically specific thriller fiction. Thanks Netgalley. ...more

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Dec 02, 2017 Raven rated it liked it

Snare proved a curious mix for me, as my overriding feeling that this was almost two books running parallel to each other, with a gripping story of drug running, running alongside a slower Borgen-esque feeling of financial impropriety, and double dealing. I’ll be honest, and say that I didn’t take to the latter thread as much as the former, finding it a little turgid against the relative excitement of the drug smuggling narrative, and although I was slightly questioning of the veracity of single ...more

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Feb 11, 2018 Megan (ChroniclesOfABookworm) rated it it was ok

*Received on NetGalley*

The ending just didn't do it for me. Super lackluster and devoid of any real thrill. ...more

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Aug 29, 2019 Callum McLaughlin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: translated, queer-rep, crime-and-thriller

In some instances, the gripping pace of a thriller can come at the expense of character depth. Not so in Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s Snare. This excellent example of noir fiction takes us into the underbelly of Iceland, following a tangled web of brilliantly well-realised characters, each as complex and morally ambiguous as the next.

Sonja is struggling to make ends meet in the wake of a messy divorce which saw her lose custody of her young son. Drawn into a dangerous crowd, she now works as a drug sm In some instances, the gripping pace of a thriller can come at the expense of character depth. Not so in Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s Snare. This excellent example of noir fiction takes us into the underbelly of Iceland, following a tangled web of brilliantly well-realised characters, each as complex and morally ambiguous as the next.

Sonja is struggling to make ends meet in the wake of a messy divorce which saw her lose custody of her young son. Drawn into a dangerous crowd, she now works as a drug smuggler, bringing cocaine into Iceland to raise the funds she needs to try and get her son back. Customs officer Bragi is growing increasingly suspicious of Sonja’s activities, the two quickly becoming involved in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. But Bragi has problems of his own, with fears that his wife – who is suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s – is being mistreated in her care home. Meanwhile, Sonja’s sort-of-girlfriend, Agla, is struggling to come to terms with their budding relationship and what it means for her sexuality. Working in banking, she is also undergoing investigation for misconduct in relation to the financial crisis that hit the country hard.

As you can glean from the above, there’s no shortage of exciting subplots to keep you hooked throughout the entire narrative. The various threads link together directly, but they are also connected thematically, with each character’s story looking at obsession and addiction in some shape or form. Though she struggles with the labels that come with a same-sex relationship, Agla can’t keep her distance from Sonja, and speaks of being literally addicted to her. Her reliance on alcohol also sits in interesting contrast with Sonja’s drug smuggling, which is undoubtedly fuelling the addictions of others. Bragi, meanwhile, could be described as being addicted to his job, the threat of retirement looming uncomfortably close. The case he’s drawn into will force him to question just how far his loyalty can be pushed. With no one wholly good or bad, the author urges us to question where we draw the line on the issue of justice, and if there’s ever a valid reason for good people to do bad things.

The backdrop of the financial crash, and the Icelandic streets dusted with volcanic ash from the famous eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, help to add a certain grittiness, whilst also setting the story firmly in a specific time and place. Solid writing, great pacing, and seamless translation saw me fly through Snare. Page-turning tension and emotional complexity elevated what could have been a non-descript crime flick into something decidedly more nuanced. It could easily be enjoyed as a standalone, but it is technically the first in a trilogy. My eagerness to see where the author takes these characters next despite how rarely I reach for a multi-book series speaks volumes in itself. ...more

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Dec 06, 2017 Paul rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-thrillers

Snare – An Extraordinary Thriller from an Icelandic Author

Orenda Books are on a roll, they keep finding the best of Icelandic Noir, having Quentin Bates translate, and giving the English reader a new author. Lilja Sigurðardottir is already a successful playwright and author, and she has written a brand-new series and Snare is the first in the series of Reykjavik noir series.

Sonja has recently gone through a terrible divorce from her Adam, and she did not get a very good deal from her lawyer. He ...more

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Dec 07, 2017 Anne rated it it was amazing

A snare is a trap from which it is difficult to escape. This book certainly lives up to its name. I was caught in Lilja Sigurdardottoir's trap from the very first paragraph and she kept me captive until I turned the final page. This is one hell of a story, a mind blowing read.

Lead character Sonja is ensnared, she's caught up in a seedy, dangerous underworld. Smuggling cocaine into Iceland in order to save enough money to get her beloved son back from his father; her estranged husband.
This author A snare is a trap from which it is difficult to escape. This book certainly lives up to its name. I was caught in Lilja Sigurdardottoir's trap from the very first paragraph and she kept me captive until I turned the final page. This is one hell of a story, a mind blowing read.

Lead character Sonja is ensnared, she's caught up in a seedy, dangerous underworld. Smuggling cocaine into Iceland in order to save enough money to get her beloved son back from his father; her estranged husband.
This author describes the snare vividly, not just dealing with operational aspects of the smuggling process but dealing with Sonja's desperation and determination too. Sonja's life is tangled and complicated. Her son Tomas is living with Adam, her ex husband, who is doing everything he can to make sure that Sonja and Tomas' relationship is not easy.

Also on the scene is Agla; the disgraced banker who is facing prosecution for her part in the downfall of the Icelandic financial sector. She's also the reason that Sonja and Adam are no longer married.

Whilst Snare is just a short book at around 220 pages, I felt as though I had travelled to Iceland many times, I experienced the tension of the customs checks at the airport and the huge relief as Sonja escaped detection, time and time again. It is the fact that as a reader I was backing Sonja all of the way, despite the fact that she was mixed up in highly illegal activities, that proves how well this author can write. She's created a character in Sonja that defies my logic; she's a warm, loving mother who cares for those closest to her, and helps her neighbour, yet she doesn't think twice about allowing an innocent person to take the blame, and a possible jail sentence so that she can escape.

The reader is also treated to the wonderful Bragi. Nearing retirement age, Bragi is a customs officer. He is a beautifully crafted character, with a deep deep sadness that makes him so incredibly realistic. As he sits alongside his wife of over 50 years, who no longer knows him, due to her dementia; and brushes her hair and feeds her porridge, my heart almost broke. Yet he too, has a steely determination that runs through him, and he may have met his match in Sonja.

Snare is incredible. I loved every single page; the setting, the characters and the intricately woven plot. I am delighted that Lilja Sigurdardottir has two more books to come in this fabulous new series.
Has to be in the running for my Top Books of 2017 list. Outstanding. I loved it.https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbo... ...more

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Oct 21, 2017 Susan Hampson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: author-reads

Sonja is a very convincing liar. Everything about her, from the successful business woman who her documents say she is, to the classy way she looks, it is all lies. Sonja is a high-class drug smuggler and to be honest she is bloody good at what she does. At just a phone call Sonja can be jetting off anywhere in the world to smuggle cocaine back into her home country of Iceland. Talk about crafty, phew I won’t even glance at a stranger in an airport ever again never mind talk to one! This is one ...more

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Feb 21, 2018 Ken Fredette rated it really liked it

Lilja made a good story even better by flying off to London or Copenhagen as Sonja's pickups places before she would fly back to Iceland. It was a exceptionable round you go type of story that was really hard to except as noir but it actually was. I like the action it gave and made the story believable by all the characters that had some function in it. I'll let the people make there minds up in reading this story, they won't regret it at all. The only thing I found was the actual use of snare t ...more

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Sep 18, 2017 Thebooktrail rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-set-in-iceland, thriller

Fuller review to follow for Blog tour but just had to write this now as this was very unique and sharp as a knife!

Snare

Visit the locations in the novel: Visit Iceland

Read this last night and I had to write a short review now simply because it’s quite unlike anything I’ve read before. The tension, being part of a drugs run. I even feel nervous going through customs anyway so when this woman does knowing she has something illegal in her bag – I can’t imagine! The tricks that both sides use – the smugg ...more

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Oct 21, 2018 aliza rated it really liked it

be gay do crime, essentially

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Nov 27, 2017 Coenraad rated it it was amazing

A stylish crime novel without a murder. In a country with an economy just about wiped out by the 2008 economic crash, a divorced woman is coerced into smuggling cocaine into the country to improve her financial prospects and win custody of her son. Her lover is investigated for market manipulation. An elderly customs official starts following her moves out of and into the country. With these three characters as focalisators Lilja weaves her tale. It is engrossing, not only because of the narrati ...more

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Oct 22, 2018 Kirsty rated it liked it

Shelves: iceland, crime

I read this as I'm a nerd for anything Icelandic. Although a lot of books are published in Iceland, the main ones available in English here are crime novels or Sjón, which is fine enough, but easy to tire of. This book was a bit of a disappointment as it never gets going. The entire book felt like throat-clearing, like the author was setting the groundwork and getting ready to tell a really good story here it is any minute now oh no now the book is finished. I know it's the first in a series but ...more

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Oct 06, 2018 Yvonne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, one-from-my-tbr-shelf, part-of-a-series, crime-thriller, mystery, crime-mystery

Sonia is offered help why she is going through a messy divorce and custody battle of her son. A simple errand is all that is required but little did she know that this simple errand would take her into a world of drug trafficking. Once she is in, she is in and she is now finding how difficult it is for her to escape this drug, money, and greed filled world. Sonia is in a relationship with Agla, Agla has her own problems and is under investigation for her role in Iceland's economic crash.

If I tel Sonia is offered help why she is going through a messy divorce and custody battle of her son. A simple errand is all that is required but little did she know that this simple errand would take her into a world of drug trafficking. Once she is in, she is in and she is now finding how difficult it is for her to escape this drug, money, and greed filled world. Sonia is in a relationship with Agla, Agla has her own problems and is under investigation for her role in Iceland's economic crash.

If I tell you that I spent the afternoon reading this book from start to finish, then it will give you some idea of how addictive it was. There are so many stories that have been brilliantly threaded in and around each other. The cat and mouse game of drug smuggling, an economic crash and ensuing investigation, a broken family, a man looking after his ill wife are just some of the themes.

This author gave me a story that had me rooting for a character that was smuggling drugs!!! This is not something I would do, but the way the author made me believe Sonia's plight and how I could sympathise with her dilemma show how well the author has written. Another thing about Sonia that goes against the grain for me is her ability to lie. In theory, I should really not like this character at all... but the author has given her a story that has so much to it, that I cannot help rooting for her.

There are various characters in this book and while some have an obvious reason for being there, others seem to have a small part and move on, it is only as I read the second book that their role really comes into play and their motives are being realised. I was never completely sure as to who I could trust, they all have their own motives and what they think is their own priority.

I mentioned cat and mouse earlier, and this is the way Sonia has to use her wits to get through customs while carrying her haul of drugs, the various ways she hides the drugs and also the way she manages to dodge officials was clever. You know what I could go on about this book so much, but I think I would end up giving away spoilers, so I'm leaving it there.

This is a book with a story that is so addictive, believable and really gets under your skin, the descriptions and the slower pace of the book are perfect for this Icelandic noir. At the beginning of the book, there is a very useful guide for the pronunciation of the various names. Yes I did read them and attempt to pronounce them and I think I am still way off saying them right especially Eyjafjallajökull and some others, but a very useful addition all the same. I have to mention Quentin Bates, the translator. He is seamless in his translation and this means I get to read a book that I would never have been able to read.

This is a story that is addictive, the characters are convincing and believable, the writing is wonderful, the translation is brilliant. I loved everything about this book and I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. This is a book I highly recommend. ...more

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Feb 07, 2018 Laura Rash rated it really liked it

A very complicate story covering drug dealers, mules, messy divorce & custody, Bank discrepancies & elder abuse. Somehow with all the different point of views telling the story it made for an interesting & entertaining read.
Thanks to Orenda for this copy.

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Oct 26, 2017 Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) rated it really liked it

‘She was almost at the southern end of Hyde Park when she realised that she was running. She slowed down to catch her breath. She wiped the tears from her eyes, but it made no difference as they continued to run freely down her cheeks. This had to be her last trip. She couldn’t do this anymore.’

SNARE is the first book in the Reykjavik Noir Trilogy by Icelandic writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir. Set in a Reykjavík, still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, SNARE is described ...more

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Sep 28, 2017 Mary Picken rated it it was amazing

Oh I really did enjoy this book very much indeed. Its a delight to take part in the blogtour for a book which I am sure will become a massive success.

Sonja and Adam have not long emerged from a bitter divorce; one in which Sonja was caught in the marital bed with Agla, a colleague of Adam’s in the banking industry.

Now Sonja has been left with no income, no house, and worst of all, she has lost custody of her only son, Tomas, whom she can now only see once a fortnight.

Now living in rented accommo Oh I really did enjoy this book very much indeed. Its a delight to take part in the blogtour for a book which I am sure will become a massive success.

Sonja and Adam have not long emerged from a bitter divorce; one in which Sonja was caught in the marital bed with Agla, a colleague of Adam’s in the banking industry.

Now Sonja has been left with no income, no house, and worst of all, she has lost custody of her only son, Tomas, whom she can now only see once a fortnight.

Now living in rented accommodation, Sonja is desperate to get her son back, but she knows that to do that she will have to have a secure income and a permanent residence, but all of those seem very far away for this young mother who was Tomas’ main carer and whom Tomas misses a great deal.

With no obvious way out, Sonja is despairing until she is offered a lifeline. Not without danger, but lucrative enough to get her back on the housing ladder if she can play her cards right, Sonja embarks on her new life as a smuggler, inventing a whole new persona for herself and risking everything to reunite her with her son on a full time basis.

But life is never quite that simple, especially when you are a middle class housewife trying to deal with the criminal underworld, and Sonja soon finds herself trapped between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

This is the book’s central storyline and how it plays out is both tense and fascinating. Watching Sonja being sucked in ever deeper as she struggles to try and retain even a vestige of control of her life is chilling and the risks to which she is exposed are very harrowing indeed.

Meanwhile, Agla, with whom Sonja was originally entangled, is experiencing many difficulties of her own. Not only is she being investigated for bank fraud following the Icelandic bank crash, but she is also very conflicted about her relationship with Sonja. She loves the sex and being with Sonja, but she is embarrassed by their relationship; she cannot admit to wanting Sonja. Between the stress that the investigation is causing and the relationship, Agla is drinking way too much and her relationship with Sonja is somewhat frazzled and occasionally tempestuous.

Bragli is nearing retirement age. He is so close in fact, that his superiors keep suggesting he leaves, but his work is the only thing that keeps Bragli going, outside of the constant visits to his ailing wife, who is being cared for in a home as a result of dementia. All he wants is to be able to look after her properly, as he worries that the care she is getting may not be as gentle as it should be.

The cat and mouse game followed by Sonja and Bragli forms another credible part of this easy to read story. Written in fairly short chapters, Snare is an incredibly pacy book, in which the translation effortlessly carries you from one person’s perspective to another.

It’s a very straightforward read, but also quite different to anything I have read recently and I thoroughly enjoyed it, in particular watching Sonja as a daring and quite dauntless protagonist who will stop at nothing to hold on to what she loves most.

Snare is the first book in the Reykjavik Noir trilogy, and I am now champing at the bit to read the others.

Highly recommended. ...more

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Sep 27, 2017 Christen Moore rated it it was amazing

2017 has been a year of discovery for me. I discovered I enjoy reading crime fiction books with sci-fi elements as well as action thrillers. I am so glad I stepped outside of my usual preferences and gave these sub-genres of crime fiction a chance. Snare further confirmed that I will be picking up more actions thrillers in the future. Snare is a thrilling, fast paced, tense story of a woman who is down but she should not be counted out.
Sonia has found herself in a terrifying and dangerous situa 2017 has been a year of discovery for me. I discovered I enjoy reading crime fiction books with sci-fi elements as well as action thrillers. I am so glad I stepped outside of my usual preferences and gave these sub-genres of crime fiction a chance. Snare further confirmed that I will be picking up more actions thrillers in the future. Snare is a thrilling, fast paced, tense story of a woman who is down but she should not be counted out.
Sonia has found herself in a terrifying and dangerous situation. After her divorce and the loss of custody of her son, Sonia has begun to smuggle drugs into Iceland. She is successful but she knows sooner or later her luck will run out. Her goal is to get enough money from smuggling to get full custody of her son and start a new life. This plan is going smoothly until Bragi, a customs officer, takes an interest in Sonia’s travels. So, begins a game of cat and mouse between Bragi and Sonia.
This story takes place in Iceland in 2010. This was a rough year for the country. Icelanders are in the middle of a financial crash and the air is covered in volcanic ash due to the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. Sigurðardóttir captures the fear, and despair that envelopes the country and its people. You can feel how desperate Icelanders are for financial relief and fresh air. Sigurðardóttir describes people who are out of work and are willing to serve jail time for a price. This gave the story an anxious and tense tone. This also made some of the characters more relatable, some of their more dubious actions are understandable.
Although I enjoyed the main character Sonia, I was more intrigued by Agla, Sonia’s love interest. I do not want give away too much of the plot but Agla has just as many issues as Sonia. She is facing prosecution for her part in Iceland’s financial crash. She is also in denial about her feelings for Sonia. I
found Alga so interesting because while her and Sonia are both in dangerous situations their reactions and the way they are dealing with the situations is different. Sonia is constantly looking for ways to better her situation. If one way fails, she thinks of another way. In contrast, Agla has ideas to get herself out of her fix but seems OK if these ideas fall through. Agla’s background is also very interesting I would love to read more about her. Maybe read this story again but told from her perspective only.
Although the subject matter and atmosphere are dark; I found Snare to be a fun read. It gave me a break from the books I have been reading with more death and gore but had all the aspects of Nordic Noir that I love. The story is fast paced, exciting, and thrilling. I hope that this book is part of a series. I would love to read more about Bragi, Alga, and Sonia.

Murder and Moore Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
...more

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Oct 14, 2017 Susan Corcoran rated it really liked it

Many thanks to Orenda Books, blog tour organiser Anne Cater and the author for the ARC copy of Snare in return or an honest review.

It has to be said, I adored Snare and for numerous reasons. The outstanding quality of the writing, how the story slowly builds to a thrilling conculsion and the way the characters make you question your own actions if you to where caught in the Snare.

Its a slow burner, where the tension is built carefully. You don’t notice it at first, then suddenly you feel the mus Many thanks to Orenda Books, blog tour organiser Anne Cater and the author for the ARC copy of Snare in return or an honest review.

It has to be said, I adored Snare and for numerous reasons. The outstanding quality of the writing, how the story slowly builds to a thrilling conculsion and the way the characters make you question your own actions if you to where caught in the Snare.

Its a slow burner, where the tension is built carefully. You don’t notice it at first, then suddenly you feel the muscles in your chest begin to tighten, your nerve ends tingle and your gripping your kindle or book so tightly your hands hurt. It has you sitting there literally on the edge of your seat, uncertain if your brave enough to turn the next page.

All the characters are superbly drawn, from Sonia who you initially might find yourself disliking, given she smuggles drugs, but bare with her, I promise she’s is worth it. Then there is Alga who is a deeply troubled character, in love with Sonia, but ashamed of her sexuality and tied up herself in crimes we might find hard to forgive her for. Even Bragi, an essentially good man, who weaves his own snare around Sonia, determined to catch her out. Importantly two LGBT characters are given a central role in a main stream story and weren’t there as background filler, which I adored. It might seem a minor thing, but its still rare for this to happen and I want to applaud Lija Sigurdardottir for the way she gives a voice to characters like Sonia and Alga.

The intracies of the plot line and the subtle way it weaves you the reader into a snare, holding your tight within the narrative is to be celebrated! It’s rare for a book to carefully weave a narrative into your subconcious in such a way you find it hard to move on from it when it’s finished, but Snare does! It’s portrayal of the drug smuggling sub culture that is around us all, even though we don’t partake or are aware of it’s presence it disturbing and worrying. You will look around you when your finished and wonder, who do I know that could be caught in such a snare.

Supberb writing, story telling and a bright new star in Lilja Sigurdardottir.

A special mention must be given to Quentin Bates who’s translation of Snare is flawless. It takes great skill to translate another writer’s work and he derserves to be applauded for capturing the essence of the orginal story and bringing it to a British audience. ...more

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Oct 15, 2017 Dee-Cee It's all about the books rated it really liked it

Set in Rekyjavík, Sonja finds herself in a desperate situation after her divorce from Adam. Losing custody of her son Tómas, Sonja is desperate to get herself back on her feet and get Tómas back for good but the more she tries the deeper she finds herself trapped in the dark depths of drug smuggling and danger.
Sonja really has quite a complicated life. She’s smuggling drugs into the country but it’s not through choice and I really couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. Tómas, her son means the wor Set in Rekyjavík, Sonja finds herself in a desperate situation after her divorce from Adam. Losing custody of her son Tómas, Sonja is desperate to get herself back on her feet and get Tómas back for good but the more she tries the deeper she finds herself trapped in the dark depths of drug smuggling and danger.
Sonja really has quite a complicated life. She’s smuggling drugs into the country but it’s not through choice and I really couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. Tómas, her son means the world to her and she will do anything to get him back and make a better life for the pair of them. Sonja is also in a relationship with Agla, a high level bank executive who is under prosecution after the Icelandic financial crash and she also has connections with Sonja’s ex Adam. If all that isn’t enough to complicate things for Sonja throw in Bragi, a customs officer. Close to retirement, Bragi sets his sights on Sonja. He’s convinced she’s up to no good and makes a point of focussing a lot of attention on Sonja as she leaves and re-enters the country.
Snare really is quite a tense read, it’s fast-paced and had me totally hooked from page one. The airport scenes were especially tense, I could feel Sonja’s fear as if it were my own and I found myself holding my breath, waiting in fear until Sonja was safe. It’s filled with some excellent characters too, some likeable and some quite terrifying.
Snare is a story you can’t help ending up totally absorbed in. It’s almost like I was caught in a snare, I just couldn’t put it down. I will admit the ending had me quite frustrated because it left me wanting more but I’ve read somewhere that this is the first in a series so I’m now a happy bunny and very excited to be hopefully reading more soon.
Quentin Bates really has done a fantastic job of translating Snare, at no point did it feel like I was reading a translation at all.
So I think it is safe to say that yes, I will be recommending Snare. It’s unique, chilling, tense and full of suspense. A real page turner. ...more

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Nov 07, 2017 Calzean rated it liked it

Shelves: author-iceland, woman-author, culture-iceland, crime-thriller-mystery

A good page turner covering the impact of the financial crisis in Iceland and the scourge of drugs, albeit some of the storylines are fairly predictable.
The book follows Sonja who is separated from her husband Adam after being caught in bed with Agla, a co-worker with Adam. The other characters are Tomas, Sonja's son and Bragi a 70 year old customs officer.
Poor Tomas is a young boy struggling with the divorce of his parents. This is made worse as his mother is a drug mule and his father is like ...more

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Dec 03, 2017 Adam rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, scandinavia

Think Weeds by way of Arnaldur Indriðason. Not really my thing, I guess I prefer something a little more grounded, maybe not realistic, per se, but ultimately grounded in the minutae of how, for example, the drug trade works. Still, there's a bit about halfway through involving (view spoiler) that came as a delightful surprise. ...more

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Jan 25, 2018 Alan Bevan rated it liked it

Interesting to read a story set in Iceland. Not much else interested me though...

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Oct 02, 2019 Ross Cumming rated it really liked it

This novel is set in Iceland and is told from three different points of view. Sonja is newly divorced and is trying to make a new life for herself but has been caught up in a 'snare' by her lawyer, who is using her as a drugs courier to smuggle cocaine into Iceland. Her husband has custody of her son Tomas and she is trying to win him back but this has been complicated by her gay relationship with her lover Alga. Alga is a bank employee who has been implicated in the Icelandic banking scandal an This novel is set in Iceland and is told from three different points of view. Sonja is newly divorced and is trying to make a new life for herself but has been caught up in a 'snare' by her lawyer, who is using her as a drugs courier to smuggle cocaine into Iceland. Her husband has custody of her son Tomas and she is trying to win him back but this has been complicated by her gay relationship with her lover Alga. Alga is a bank employee who has been implicated in the Icelandic banking scandal and is currently under investigation. She uses alcohol to try and forget her problems and she also denies that her affair with Sonja makes her a lesbian. Bragi is a customs official at Reykjavik airport who has taken an interest in Sonja's comings and goings and has his suspicions about her but has as yet to find anything to implicate her as a smuggler. He is nearing retirement age and his superiors are trying to force him out but his wife suffers from alzheimer's and is in full time care and he feels he must provide for her.
This is a brilliant piece of Scandic-noir from an author that is new to me. The book is actually quite simply written in very short chapters from each of the three main protagonists point of view. We learn from Sonja the various methods she employs to smuggle the drugs into the country, which are really quite inventive and through Agla's story we also learn about what went on during the banking crisis in Iceland. There are quite a few twists along the way, most unexpected, although there was one that I did spot earlier on in the story. There is also a change in perception in one of the characters where their motives are not in the least what I had previously expected !
This is the first in a trilogy of novels featuring all three characters and I'm definitely hooked and can't wait to see where the story eventually takes me.
on a related point I also see that the translator of the novel, Quentin Bates, is also an author and has also written a series of crime novels set in Iceland which may also be worth exploring. ...more

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About Lilja Sigurðardóttir

Lilja Sigurðardóttir

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Lilja´s newest book, Netið ((Tangle) was published by Forlagid publishing in October 2016 and is the second book in the Reykjavík Noir Trilogy.
Lilja started her writing career in 2008 when she sent a manuscript of a novel to a competition run by the publishing house Bjartur whose aim was to find the Icelandic Dan Brown. Lilja got a publishing deal out of the competition and in 2009 her first book, ...more

Other books in the series

Reykjavík Noir Trilogy (3 books)

Books by Lilja Sigurðardóttir

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Quotes from Snare

“Iceland would never be much more than a remote outpost.” — 0 likes

“While she enjoyed her solitude, she thought, as she turned off the taps and stepped into the water, loneliness was something quite different. That was more like a kind of melancholy longing – a desire for something she was on the point of discovering, but never actually managed to find.” — 0 likes

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