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Elma ne pensait pas revenir un jour habiter sa ville natale. Akranes, ce petit bourg islandais à l'atmosphère oppressante, où les amitiés d'enfance portent les stigmates de terribles secrets...
Affectée au poste de police local, cette ancienne inspectrice de la brigade criminelle de Reykjavík n'a pourtant pas le choix. Elle fuit une histoire d'amour qui l'a laissée en miettes. L'épaule de son nouveau collègue Sævar semble bien réconfortante.
Quand le cadavre d'une femme est retrouvé gisant au pied d'un phare...
Une femme qui avait quitté Akranes – comme Elma.
Une femme dont le passé murmure aux oreilles de toute la ville, ronge le cœur des habitants les moins soupçonnables...
Affectée au poste de police local, cette ancienne inspectrice de la brigade criminelle de Reykjavík n'a pourtant pas le choix. Elle fuit une histoire d'amour qui l'a laissée en miettes. L'épaule de son nouveau collègue Sævar semble bien réconfortante.
Quand le cadavre d'une femme est retrouvé gisant au pied d'un phare...
Une femme qui avait quitté Akranes – comme Elma.
Une femme dont le passé murmure aux oreilles de toute la ville, ronge le cœur des habitants les moins soupçonnables...
408 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 24, 2018
1687 people are currently reading
4968 people want to read
About the author
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
12 books703 followersEva Björg was born and raised in Akranes, the small town featured in her books. The Creak on the Stairs was her debut novel. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller. In 2021 The Creak on the Stairs won the British Crime Writers Association (CWA) New Blood Dagger.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 908 reviews
December 10, 2022
One sentence review: Honda Civic Reliable Nordic Noir
SYNOPSIS
Chief Investigating Officer Elma has returned to Arkanes after her long-term relationship ended, and her first case is a doozy! A woman who fled Arkanes after a harrowing childhood turns up dead as a doorknob at one of the city's lighthouses. Why did she come back? And who wanted her gone for good?
MY OPINION
I saw fellow Goodreader Mai raving about this series and since books 1 & 2 were $0.99 on Kindle I was like YOLO. I love my Nordic Noir, and I've accepted that it is not for everyone. The translation can be a bit clunky (also it's often British translators, so there's lots of British slang lol). One of my fave "lost in translation" quotes was: "I see it's silly season for the police" LOL. Adding "silly season" to my arsenal asap.
Anyways, I call this Honda Civic Reliable in the context of the genre. Nordic Noir is one of my faves because they have a way of incorporating mental illness into the baddie's motivations that is quite startling. And they have a way of writing subtle relationship dynamics that are quite thought-provoking. But unfortunately these elements were missing from this book. Also, the police work also seemed a little questionable at times, but I guess that's small towns for you?
The flashbacks were the strongest part of this book. You really had to feel for lil Elisabet. The author did a great job with showing not telling how a child's trauma can manifest into "scary" behaviour. While the psychological insights were quite good in this regard, it didn't touch on how the other victim (a prevalent character) felt. And also I didn't really understand the baddie's motivations... they were obviously angry AF, but they didn't seem very motivated to get revenge until the object of their hatred just happened to waltz back into town.
All in all, this book was not BAD, it just didn't meet the banger alert requirements for this genre. However, the reveal at the end about Elam's personal life was heart-wrenching. Really nicely done.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: juicy case, pretty fast paced for a Nordic Noir
Cons: missing that je ne sais quoi that makes Nordic Noirs so bangerlicious, some questionable police work
SYNOPSIS
Chief Investigating Officer Elma has returned to Arkanes after her long-term relationship ended, and her first case is a doozy! A woman who fled Arkanes after a harrowing childhood turns up dead as a doorknob at one of the city's lighthouses. Why did she come back? And who wanted her gone for good?
MY OPINION
I saw fellow Goodreader Mai raving about this series and since books 1 & 2 were $0.99 on Kindle I was like YOLO. I love my Nordic Noir, and I've accepted that it is not for everyone. The translation can be a bit clunky (also it's often British translators, so there's lots of British slang lol). One of my fave "lost in translation" quotes was: "I see it's silly season for the police" LOL. Adding "silly season" to my arsenal asap.
Anyways, I call this Honda Civic Reliable in the context of the genre. Nordic Noir is one of my faves because they have a way of incorporating mental illness into the baddie's motivations that is quite startling. And they have a way of writing subtle relationship dynamics that are quite thought-provoking. But unfortunately these elements were missing from this book. Also, the police work also seemed a little questionable at times, but I guess that's small towns for you?
The flashbacks were the strongest part of this book. You really had to feel for lil Elisabet. The author did a great job with showing not telling how a child's trauma can manifest into "scary" behaviour. While the psychological insights were quite good in this regard, it didn't touch on how the other victim (a prevalent character) felt. And also I didn't really understand the baddie's motivations... they were obviously angry AF, but they didn't seem very motivated to get revenge until the object of their hatred just happened to waltz back into town.
All in all, this book was not BAD, it just didn't meet the banger alert requirements for this genre. However, the reveal at the end about Elam's personal life was heart-wrenching. Really nicely done.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: juicy case, pretty fast paced for a Nordic Noir
Cons: missing that je ne sais quoi that makes Nordic Noirs so bangerlicious, some questionable police work
November 4, 2020
2.5 stars. With all the fear and increasing anxiety in the media, I decided to unplug the TV on Nov 3. The 24-hour Canadian news channels were focusing mostly on statistics and warnings about the rapid increase of COVID-19 here and the possibility of further lockdowns, and the American news channels were even more worrisome. I aimed to escape by transporting myself in my imagination to the dark, bleak, frosty Icelandic landscape with a murder mystery.
I am a fan of most Nordic-Noir and have read and enjoyed all of Ragnar Jonasson's Icelandic mysteries and have two more on pre-order. I regret I am in the minority here. Many readers have praised this book as a thrilling debut. I did find the vivid atmospheric descriptions of the darkness, the turbulent sea, the sinister lighthouse overlooking the harbour, the small town of Akranes, the feeling of menace, claustrophobia and its long-buried secrets well-written.
This is a demanding, complex police procedural featuring detective Elma. She is dauntless in her investigation, willing to ask uncomfortable questions. She is determined to learn about the past life and secrets of the murder victim and gather information from those who knew her thirty years previously. The story is told in two timelines, the early 1990s and the present.
The atmospheric writing describing the cold and persistent dampness was a plus, and the mystery was cleverly plotted with some surprising twists, but its pace and structure, I regret, we're not for me. I was unable to feel much suspense, felt little connection with the characters and had little investment in the solution of the mystery. I believe many fans of Nordic-noir will like this, and should not be deterred by my misgivings.
I am a fan of most Nordic-Noir and have read and enjoyed all of Ragnar Jonasson's Icelandic mysteries and have two more on pre-order. I regret I am in the minority here. Many readers have praised this book as a thrilling debut. I did find the vivid atmospheric descriptions of the darkness, the turbulent sea, the sinister lighthouse overlooking the harbour, the small town of Akranes, the feeling of menace, claustrophobia and its long-buried secrets well-written.
This is a demanding, complex police procedural featuring detective Elma. She is dauntless in her investigation, willing to ask uncomfortable questions. She is determined to learn about the past life and secrets of the murder victim and gather information from those who knew her thirty years previously. The story is told in two timelines, the early 1990s and the present.
The atmospheric writing describing the cold and persistent dampness was a plus, and the mystery was cleverly plotted with some surprising twists, but its pace and structure, I regret, we're not for me. I was unable to feel much suspense, felt little connection with the characters and had little investment in the solution of the mystery. I believe many fans of Nordic-noir will like this, and should not be deterred by my misgivings.
May 25, 2020
This book blew me away. What I thought would be a slow-moving difficult to understand murder mystery was not so AT ALL. Author Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's writing was completely different. There was a depth in her words. Her scenes had pause like they were allowing me to absorb the story and the lives of the life in Akranes, Iceland.
It was a murder mystery, a police procedural with Elma at the helm along with the others in the team, where they investigated the murder of a young woman near the lighthouse. The dynamism of the team was well expressed in the entire story.
But that was not all. It was a panorama of scenes put together to capture the stark vividness of Iceland. The descriptions of the locales, the people unfurled like a movie, inviting me to immerse myself in their culture.
The story gave me the victim's past along with the secret and events she had undergone. It showed me the lines of investigation, the leads followed. But it also gave me the backstory of the characters allowing me to understand their lives.
The story was intriguing, with past and present interweaved, giving me glimpses as well as hiding so many things from me. Each step, each chapter was well plotted, a master strategist was this author. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were scattered carefully. After a point, I didn't want to solve the murder but just luxuriate in the nuances of the story.
Suspense was calmly threaded into the plot which added one dollop of excitement with each chapter. The rush of it came right at the end. There was silence in the book but a silence which screamed its story out loud. Something so different, something so brilliant, the beginning of a wonderful series.
It was a murder mystery, a police procedural with Elma at the helm along with the others in the team, where they investigated the murder of a young woman near the lighthouse. The dynamism of the team was well expressed in the entire story.
But that was not all. It was a panorama of scenes put together to capture the stark vividness of Iceland. The descriptions of the locales, the people unfurled like a movie, inviting me to immerse myself in their culture.
The story gave me the victim's past along with the secret and events she had undergone. It showed me the lines of investigation, the leads followed. But it also gave me the backstory of the characters allowing me to understand their lives.
The story was intriguing, with past and present interweaved, giving me glimpses as well as hiding so many things from me. Each step, each chapter was well plotted, a master strategist was this author. The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were scattered carefully. After a point, I didn't want to solve the murder but just luxuriate in the nuances of the story.
Suspense was calmly threaded into the plot which added one dollop of excitement with each chapter. The rush of it came right at the end. There was silence in the book but a silence which screamed its story out loud. Something so different, something so brilliant, the beginning of a wonderful series.
January 22, 2021
This book was just ok - I don't really have a strong enough opinion to either recommend or not recommend. The main character and her partner were interesting and I would probably read a sequel; however, it seems like every Nordic mystery deals with sexual abuse as the motive. I enjoy the settings, the different investigative procedures, customs, etc. but I wish for more originality. My biggest complaint about this novel is that it just ended - it could have used another chapter or two to actually wrap up the story a bit more in all aspects.
August 23, 2024
Elma returned to Akranes - her old home town - after many years in Reykjavík, Iceland's capital, as a police detective. The ending of her relationship of 9 years shattered her, so she returned to where her parents were, which made her feel safe and secure. But when the body of a woman was discovered on the rocks at the edge of the ocean, under the lighthouse, Elma and her team members - Sævar and Hörður - began an investigation which was at best, uncomfortable, and at worst, uncovering secrets which had been hidden for decades.
As Elma followed her intuition and asked the hard questions, only Hörður's thoughts weren't aligned with hers. Sævar was coming round to the way Elma was thinking, but none of them could possibly imagine what was ahead for them all...
The Creak on the Stairs is the 1st in the Forbidden Iceland series by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir and translated by Victoria Cribb. I picked it up because I needed a translated fiction book for a challenge, and found the plot immensely intriguing. But the ending was abrupt plus the conclusion didn't feel complete. There were definitely more answers needed which left me a little baffled - I doubt I'll continue the series.
As Elma followed her intuition and asked the hard questions, only Hörður's thoughts weren't aligned with hers. Sævar was coming round to the way Elma was thinking, but none of them could possibly imagine what was ahead for them all...
The Creak on the Stairs is the 1st in the Forbidden Iceland series by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir and translated by Victoria Cribb. I picked it up because I needed a translated fiction book for a challenge, and found the plot immensely intriguing. But the ending was abrupt plus the conclusion didn't feel complete. There were definitely more answers needed which left me a little baffled - I doubt I'll continue the series.
March 14, 2020
Oh dear. Every time I try to cement my resolve of not getting hooked on a new series, up pops something I can’t possibly resist and the resolve goes right out the window. And of course it’s going to happen with a book published by Orenda because let me tell you, people, in case you haven’t been paying attention here, the Orenda Books authors are on FIRE!
Let me just say, in case you didn’t know this, I absolutely hate the cold and everything that goes with it, from snow to ice and everything in between. Yet, I seem to be spending an awful lot of time in Scandinavia lately. Bookish-wise, that is. And I absolutely love it! There’s a certain je-ne-sais-quoi in the Scandinavian crime fiction genre that always manages to win me over.
The Creak on the Stairs introduces us to Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who after years away living in the bright lights of the big city, returns to the town of Akranes. But if at any time she thought she’d get an opportunity to settle in and put her life back together, she’s quite quickly proven wrong when the body of a woman is found at a lighthouse. Together with her colleagues Sævar and Hörður, Elma starts investigating this mysterious death. Who is this woman and where did she come from? And is her death a suicide, an accident or murder?
Now, I’ve been in a bit of a mood lately where books are concerned, in that way where I need something that pulls me in from the get-go and that allows me to race through the story as if I’m watching some kind of action film. My brain is all over the place! Yet, The Creak on the Stairs isn’t like that and it managed to grab my attention from the first page just fine, thank you very much. I wouldn’t call it fast-paced at all, more slow and steady and boy, does it do the trick. As the reader, you end up getting a real sense of place, a chance to get to know some of these characters and the time to soak up the atmosphere that oozes from the pages.
Throughout the story, we are offered a glimpse into the past when someone’s childhood is laid bare. This young girl’s life is a tough one and these chapters are dark and harrowing. It’s done remarkably different to what I’m used to seeing in the crime fiction genre, though. No disturbing details, no graphic explanations, nothing about it is gratuitous. But you know what happened, you feel what happened somewhere deep down and then you wait and wonder what effect these events will have down the line. Because you know it’s coming, you just don’t know when or how.
The Creak on the Stairs is full of suspense and intrigue. Not only did the mystery surrounding the body of the woman at the lighthouse have me gripped, I also really enjoyed getting to know Elma and her new colleagues. Each and every one of them is hugely engaging and the kind of character you can get behind, you want to root for and you really, really want to see more of. There is bags of potential there. I do so hope there is more to come and that this is the superb beginnings of a series I will gladly and without a second’s hesitation make room for on my shelves. Chilling, absorbing and I absolutely loved it!
Let me just say, in case you didn’t know this, I absolutely hate the cold and everything that goes with it, from snow to ice and everything in between. Yet, I seem to be spending an awful lot of time in Scandinavia lately. Bookish-wise, that is. And I absolutely love it! There’s a certain je-ne-sais-quoi in the Scandinavian crime fiction genre that always manages to win me over.
The Creak on the Stairs introduces us to Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who after years away living in the bright lights of the big city, returns to the town of Akranes. But if at any time she thought she’d get an opportunity to settle in and put her life back together, she’s quite quickly proven wrong when the body of a woman is found at a lighthouse. Together with her colleagues Sævar and Hörður, Elma starts investigating this mysterious death. Who is this woman and where did she come from? And is her death a suicide, an accident or murder?
Now, I’ve been in a bit of a mood lately where books are concerned, in that way where I need something that pulls me in from the get-go and that allows me to race through the story as if I’m watching some kind of action film. My brain is all over the place! Yet, The Creak on the Stairs isn’t like that and it managed to grab my attention from the first page just fine, thank you very much. I wouldn’t call it fast-paced at all, more slow and steady and boy, does it do the trick. As the reader, you end up getting a real sense of place, a chance to get to know some of these characters and the time to soak up the atmosphere that oozes from the pages.
Throughout the story, we are offered a glimpse into the past when someone’s childhood is laid bare. This young girl’s life is a tough one and these chapters are dark and harrowing. It’s done remarkably different to what I’m used to seeing in the crime fiction genre, though. No disturbing details, no graphic explanations, nothing about it is gratuitous. But you know what happened, you feel what happened somewhere deep down and then you wait and wonder what effect these events will have down the line. Because you know it’s coming, you just don’t know when or how.
The Creak on the Stairs is full of suspense and intrigue. Not only did the mystery surrounding the body of the woman at the lighthouse have me gripped, I also really enjoyed getting to know Elma and her new colleagues. Each and every one of them is hugely engaging and the kind of character you can get behind, you want to root for and you really, really want to see more of. There is bags of potential there. I do so hope there is more to come and that this is the superb beginnings of a series I will gladly and without a second’s hesitation make room for on my shelves. Chilling, absorbing and I absolutely loved it!
September 7, 2023
Vanuit het duister is het eerste deel van de Forbidden Iceland serie van Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir. Gezien ik in een echte thrillerperiode zit en dit boek perfecte paste in dit thema, besloot ik het uit te testen. Ik las eerder nog niets van deze schrijfster, maar man wat een geweldig boek was dit! Het verhaal leest supervlot en heb je zo in een mum uitgelezen. Nadat een lichaam wordt aangetroffen nabij de vuurtoren, wordt Elma op de zaak gezet. Ze zal al snel tegen een hoop geheimen stuiten, die ook met het verleden te maken hebben van de vermoorde vrouw. We gaan terug naar de jaren ’80 en ’90 en ontdekken daar enkele schrijnende taferelen die te maken hebben met haar. We krijgen tussendoor ook een mooi overzicht van de streek waarin het verhaal zich afspeelt en mede door het zeer spannende verhaal, is dit echt een boek dat ik kan aanraden aan thrillerliefhebbers. De ontknoping was uitermate bevredigend en het deed me meteen besluiten om het tweede deel ook al te gaan lezen. Het zal je dan ook niet verwonderen na mijn review dat ik vanuit het duister 5 dikke sterren geef!
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November 7, 2023
Entretenido thriller que se centra en los abusos infantiles.
Una mujer aparece asesinada y la investigación nos lleva hasta la infancia de la víctima y su terrible pasado.
Engancha y te mantiene en vilo hasta el final, aunque creo que quedaron por explicar algunas cosas... esto le da a la historia un aspecto de realidad. Por muy insatisfactorio que me resulte como lectora.
Una mujer aparece asesinada y la investigación nos lleva hasta la infancia de la víctima y su terrible pasado.
Engancha y te mantiene en vilo hasta el final, aunque creo que quedaron por explicar algunas cosas... esto le da a la historia un aspecto de realidad. Por muy insatisfactorio que me resulte como lectora.
May 5, 2020
Another favourite series in the making!
Full review to follow later today.
Full review to follow later today.
May 24, 2020
It’s always good to discover another member of the Icelandic crime writing stable, and if you have previously enjoyed Ragnar Jonasson or Yrsa Siggurdottir, there is much to enthral you here. The Creak On The Stairs from Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is the first of a series introducing a new female detective, and displays all of the recognisable hallmarks of Icelandic crime fiction…
Usually when I review I tend to focus on one aspect of the book which totally hooked me, and in this case the overriding impression I was left with was that of location and atmosphere. After a short sojourn in Rekjavik, Elma returns to her hometown of Akranes, and we are instantly immersed in this dark, elemental setting, separated by a stretch of water from the capital city, and Ægisdóttir builds the character of the town and its surrounds with as much care and precision as the plot and characterisation too. The whole book is enveloped by an intense feeling of claustrophobia and foreboding, which is mirrored by the wild and tempestuous weather, and the changing moods of the sea. The descriptive elements of the book are extremely powerful, and really allow the reader to picture each individual setting, and to feel the mercurial changes wrought upon it. From the sinister old lighthouse to the roiling shoreline it rests upon, our feeling of darkness and foreboding is constantly manipulated and shaped by this aspect of the book.
Chief Investigating Officer Elma is at the heart of the book, and the gradual reveal of her reasons for returning to Akranes, reconnecting with her family and her developing relationship with her police colleagues are perhaps the most interesting aspects of her character. As the investigation she is bound up with is fairly linear, Ægisdóttir has more opportunity to establish this character, and her cohorts as a base to build further investigations on. Although I question the speedy intensity of one of her new relationships, which was a little cliched, there was a solid building of camaraderie and cooperation established with the team Elma is now part of. Aside from Elma, I felt that the author used her female characters effectively to address some powerful themes of control, subjugation and abuse, and one older character in particular seemed to embody the meek acceptance that builds into a simmering and then violent resentment was very well realised indeed.
Using a split timeline to recall the experiences of a young abused child Elisabet, with her experiences as an adult is an effective trope of the book. As we see how her character develops, and her increasingly physical outbursts, little wonder that these events as a child so fully shape her as a woman. The passages that recount her childhood are an emotive mix of malevolence and pathos, and in the closing chapters as the murderer is eventually unmasked, it becomes increasingly clear that a whole web of lies and deceit have also blighted her entire life. Although the plot had a sedate pace, Ægisdóttir does strive to hold the reader’s interest, and there were a couple of satisfying plot twists to change our perspective on some of the characters we encounter.
With its claustrophobic intensity and a measured but powerful depiction of female oppression, I think The Creak On The Stairs was a solid start to a series, with plenty of opportunity to grow and develop the central female police character. Another assured translation by Victoria Cribb, and a real sense of affiliation with, and appreciation of the location used, by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir herself, there is much to enjoy here. Recommended.
Usually when I review I tend to focus on one aspect of the book which totally hooked me, and in this case the overriding impression I was left with was that of location and atmosphere. After a short sojourn in Rekjavik, Elma returns to her hometown of Akranes, and we are instantly immersed in this dark, elemental setting, separated by a stretch of water from the capital city, and Ægisdóttir builds the character of the town and its surrounds with as much care and precision as the plot and characterisation too. The whole book is enveloped by an intense feeling of claustrophobia and foreboding, which is mirrored by the wild and tempestuous weather, and the changing moods of the sea. The descriptive elements of the book are extremely powerful, and really allow the reader to picture each individual setting, and to feel the mercurial changes wrought upon it. From the sinister old lighthouse to the roiling shoreline it rests upon, our feeling of darkness and foreboding is constantly manipulated and shaped by this aspect of the book.
Chief Investigating Officer Elma is at the heart of the book, and the gradual reveal of her reasons for returning to Akranes, reconnecting with her family and her developing relationship with her police colleagues are perhaps the most interesting aspects of her character. As the investigation she is bound up with is fairly linear, Ægisdóttir has more opportunity to establish this character, and her cohorts as a base to build further investigations on. Although I question the speedy intensity of one of her new relationships, which was a little cliched, there was a solid building of camaraderie and cooperation established with the team Elma is now part of. Aside from Elma, I felt that the author used her female characters effectively to address some powerful themes of control, subjugation and abuse, and one older character in particular seemed to embody the meek acceptance that builds into a simmering and then violent resentment was very well realised indeed.
Using a split timeline to recall the experiences of a young abused child Elisabet, with her experiences as an adult is an effective trope of the book. As we see how her character develops, and her increasingly physical outbursts, little wonder that these events as a child so fully shape her as a woman. The passages that recount her childhood are an emotive mix of malevolence and pathos, and in the closing chapters as the murderer is eventually unmasked, it becomes increasingly clear that a whole web of lies and deceit have also blighted her entire life. Although the plot had a sedate pace, Ægisdóttir does strive to hold the reader’s interest, and there were a couple of satisfying plot twists to change our perspective on some of the characters we encounter.
With its claustrophobic intensity and a measured but powerful depiction of female oppression, I think The Creak On The Stairs was a solid start to a series, with plenty of opportunity to grow and develop the central female police character. Another assured translation by Victoria Cribb, and a real sense of affiliation with, and appreciation of the location used, by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir herself, there is much to enjoy here. Recommended.
May 9, 2020
Finished reading: April 25th 2020
"She had to remind herself that she wasn't a little girl anymore.
That the real evil wasn't to be found lurking in dark corners but in the human soul."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
January 4, 2024
“El crujido en la escalera” es la primera novela de Eva Bjórg Ægisdóttir y, además, es la primera entrega de la serie Islandia Prohibida (serie de nordic noir de la que, hasta la fecha, hay cinco novelas publicadas en islandés). Su debut viene avalado por numerosos premios, entre ellos el de Mejor Novela Negra Islandesa y, tras leerlo, puedo confirmar que es un fantástico arranque de serie.
El hallazgo del cadáver de una mujer en el faro de la localidad islandesa de Akranes coincide con la vuelta a la ciudad de Elma, una policía que, tras el fin de una relación sentimental, vuelve a su localidad natal. Junto a sus nuevos compañeros iniciará una investigación que se adentrará en el pasado de la víctima, enfrentándose a los secretos y silencios de una comunidad que ha mantenido unos crímenes del pasado ocultos durante décadas.
“El crujido en la escalera” hace uso de varios de los recursos y técnicas narrativas habituales dentro del nordic noir, como pueden ser la narración a dos tiempos, el uso del paisaje para contribuir a crear una atmósfera gris y sombría, o la utilización de temas de fondo espinosos que suponen un contraste entre la imagen aparentemente tranquila de la sociedad nórdica y la cara más oscura que esconde en sus cimientos. Aunque la trama principal puede no ser la más novedosa del mundo, el estilo de la autora y esa atmósfera claustrofóbica que genera, hacen que la narración enganche al lector y le mantenga pegado a sus páginas.
La historia se desarrolla en dos líneas temporales, un presente en el que seguiremos la investigación policial y en el que el empleo de diversos punto de vista sirve para enriquecer la trama, y un pasado que nos llevará a conocer la difícil infancia de Elisabet, la víctima. Son estos flashes al pasado los que permitirán al lector descubrir lo que le ocurrió cuando era niña y que le hizo forjar su personalidad, permitiendo a este poner en relación todo aquello que ocultaba y que pudo conducir a su muerte. Los saltos temporales están bien manejados, logrando mantener el interés en ambas líneas a lo largo de toda la novela, siendo la parte del pasado en la que encontraremos los momentos más crudos, donde el dolor y la tristeza son plenamente palpables.
La novela presenta una muy buena caracterización de personajes, siendo todos ellos personajes complejos, haciéndolos mucho más atrayentes para el lector. Elma es un personaje muy intrigante. Hace gala de una voluntad férrea y un profunda determinación para descubrir la verdad, lo que despierta las simpatías del lector desde el minuto uno. Su vuelta a Akranes le despierta sentimientos encontrados, llegando a sentirse en ocasiones como una forastera en su propia ciudad. Hay un halo de misterio a su alrededor que contribuye a crear un personaje con numerosas aristas. La información acerca de su pasado es revelada con cuentagotas, lo que ayuda a que al lector quiera seguir avanzando en la historia para descubrir qué fue lo que le ocurrió.
La historia resulta mucho más compleja que un simple whodunnit, tornándose mucho más inquietante a medida que avanza. Aunque el misterio se va cociendo a fuego lento, la fantástica ambientación hace que te mantengas dentro de la historia en todo momento. Aunque al principio puede costar un poco acostumbrarse a los nombres de personas y lugares, al comienzo del libro, y como ayuda para el lector, hay una guía de pronunciación de los diferentes nombres (aunque yo he de confesar que hice free style).
Leído en lectura conjunta con @nomada.entre.libros, hubo un pequeño detalle que nos volvió completamente locos hasta el punto de tener que comprobar la versión en inglés, llegando a la conclusión de que era un error de traducción. Eso sí, la confusión nos dio pie a hacer tropecientas teorías.
“El crujido en la escalera” es un muy buen debut, con un misterio envolvente, impregnado de la atmósfera del lugar y una protagonista que te deja con las ganas de seguir descubriéndola, perfecto para fans de Ragnar Jónasson e Yrsa Sigurdardottir.
El hallazgo del cadáver de una mujer en el faro de la localidad islandesa de Akranes coincide con la vuelta a la ciudad de Elma, una policía que, tras el fin de una relación sentimental, vuelve a su localidad natal. Junto a sus nuevos compañeros iniciará una investigación que se adentrará en el pasado de la víctima, enfrentándose a los secretos y silencios de una comunidad que ha mantenido unos crímenes del pasado ocultos durante décadas.
“El crujido en la escalera” hace uso de varios de los recursos y técnicas narrativas habituales dentro del nordic noir, como pueden ser la narración a dos tiempos, el uso del paisaje para contribuir a crear una atmósfera gris y sombría, o la utilización de temas de fondo espinosos que suponen un contraste entre la imagen aparentemente tranquila de la sociedad nórdica y la cara más oscura que esconde en sus cimientos. Aunque la trama principal puede no ser la más novedosa del mundo, el estilo de la autora y esa atmósfera claustrofóbica que genera, hacen que la narración enganche al lector y le mantenga pegado a sus páginas.
La historia se desarrolla en dos líneas temporales, un presente en el que seguiremos la investigación policial y en el que el empleo de diversos punto de vista sirve para enriquecer la trama, y un pasado que nos llevará a conocer la difícil infancia de Elisabet, la víctima. Son estos flashes al pasado los que permitirán al lector descubrir lo que le ocurrió cuando era niña y que le hizo forjar su personalidad, permitiendo a este poner en relación todo aquello que ocultaba y que pudo conducir a su muerte. Los saltos temporales están bien manejados, logrando mantener el interés en ambas líneas a lo largo de toda la novela, siendo la parte del pasado en la que encontraremos los momentos más crudos, donde el dolor y la tristeza son plenamente palpables.
La novela presenta una muy buena caracterización de personajes, siendo todos ellos personajes complejos, haciéndolos mucho más atrayentes para el lector. Elma es un personaje muy intrigante. Hace gala de una voluntad férrea y un profunda determinación para descubrir la verdad, lo que despierta las simpatías del lector desde el minuto uno. Su vuelta a Akranes le despierta sentimientos encontrados, llegando a sentirse en ocasiones como una forastera en su propia ciudad. Hay un halo de misterio a su alrededor que contribuye a crear un personaje con numerosas aristas. La información acerca de su pasado es revelada con cuentagotas, lo que ayuda a que al lector quiera seguir avanzando en la historia para descubrir qué fue lo que le ocurrió.
La historia resulta mucho más compleja que un simple whodunnit, tornándose mucho más inquietante a medida que avanza. Aunque el misterio se va cociendo a fuego lento, la fantástica ambientación hace que te mantengas dentro de la historia en todo momento. Aunque al principio puede costar un poco acostumbrarse a los nombres de personas y lugares, al comienzo del libro, y como ayuda para el lector, hay una guía de pronunciación de los diferentes nombres (aunque yo he de confesar que hice free style).
Leído en lectura conjunta con @nomada.entre.libros, hubo un pequeño detalle que nos volvió completamente locos hasta el punto de tener que comprobar la versión en inglés, llegando a la conclusión de que era un error de traducción. Eso sí, la confusión nos dio pie a hacer tropecientas teorías.
“El crujido en la escalera” es un muy buen debut, con un misterio envolvente, impregnado de la atmósfera del lugar y una protagonista que te deja con las ganas de seguir descubriéndola, perfecto para fans de Ragnar Jónasson e Yrsa Sigurdardottir.
February 14, 2026
Un escandinoir del montón aunque cumple por lo menos si se busca algo para desconectar y que no requiera mucha concentración, como yo en esta ocasión, por eso lo terminé.
Es medianamente entretenido, de hecho logró interesarme de verdad por momentos, lo malo es que adolece de cierta lentitud. Además, buena parte del misterio en cuestión es predecible y lo que no tampoco sorprende demasiado.
Elma es una protagonista que no sé muy bien porqué lo es puesto que es un personaje anodino, sin gracia. Ni porque la autora ha intentado darle un aura de misterio a su vida manteniendo detalles escondidos ha conseguido darle brillo. El resto de investigadores, lo mismo, panes sin sal.
Para más inri, el final deja varios cabos sueltos y una absoluta sensación de insatisfacción, si la tirada era generar interés de cara al siguiente libro de la serie, conmigo no le ha resultado. Qué pereza, paso de continuar.
Es medianamente entretenido, de hecho logró interesarme de verdad por momentos, lo malo es que adolece de cierta lentitud. Además, buena parte del misterio en cuestión es predecible y lo que no tampoco sorprende demasiado.
Elma es una protagonista que no sé muy bien porqué lo es puesto que es un personaje anodino, sin gracia. Ni porque la autora ha intentado darle un aura de misterio a su vida manteniendo detalles escondidos ha conseguido darle brillo. El resto de investigadores, lo mismo, panes sin sal.
Para más inri, el final deja varios cabos sueltos y una absoluta sensación de insatisfacción, si la tirada era generar interés de cara al siguiente libro de la serie, conmigo no le ha resultado. Qué pereza, paso de continuar.
November 8, 2024
Solid start to a series, which I shall definitely be continuing. You get a good sense of the place through descriptions of the environment, the cold and dark yet also the wild beauty. I liked the main character too, so a win for me :)
October 1, 2020
What a fantastic start to a new Icelandic crime fiction series. Full of grit, complex characters and fraught with tension. I had the chills more than once while reading it.
Elma has moved back home to her small town in Northern Iceland nursing a broken heart. As a police detective, she gets a job at the local station and quickly becomes drawn into a dark and puzzling murder.
I love that Elma isn’t an outsider moving into the town, although she has mixed feelings about being back. Her history drew me in and I loved seeing her fit in more as the book unfolded. Elma is an intriguing character and I’ll look forward to reading more books centred around her.
The descriptions of Iceland were fab. Wild, remote and gorgeous.
Highly recommended. I think fans of Ragnar Jonasson will gobble this one down.
Thanks to Orenda Books for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion
Elma has moved back home to her small town in Northern Iceland nursing a broken heart. As a police detective, she gets a job at the local station and quickly becomes drawn into a dark and puzzling murder.
I love that Elma isn’t an outsider moving into the town, although she has mixed feelings about being back. Her history drew me in and I loved seeing her fit in more as the book unfolded. Elma is an intriguing character and I’ll look forward to reading more books centred around her.
The descriptions of Iceland were fab. Wild, remote and gorgeous.
Highly recommended. I think fans of Ragnar Jonasson will gobble this one down.
Thanks to Orenda Books for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion
January 9, 2022
Rechercheur Elma komt na jaren weer terug in haar geboortedorp. Al snel stuit ze op een ingewikkelde zaak. Er wordt namelijk een dode vrouw in het water gevonden, vlakbij de vuurtoren in Akranes, een plaatsje op IJsland. Duistere geheimen worden blootgelegd, net zoals zaken uit het verleden. Niet alleen van deze vrouw, maar ook van de hele gemeenschap.
Het verhaal begint met een spannende proloog. Je gaat terug naar 1989. Vervolgens spring je weer terug naar het heden en lees je onder andere vanuit het personage Elma. De spanning wordt heel langzaam opgebouwd. Het duurt dan ook even voordat het onderwerp van dit verhaal ter sprake komt. Toch zit je al redelijk snel in het verhaal. Eva heeft namelijk een hele fijne en vlotte schrijfstijl. De afwisseling tussen verschillende personages is ook een prettig aspect en langzaamaan wordt steeds duidelijker wat er in 1989 is gebeurd.
Ondanks dat het misschien niet een heel erg verrassend plot heeft, is het toch zeker de moeite waard om dit boek een kans te geven! Ikzelf heb enorm van dit verhaal genoten en kijk uit naar het volgende deel.
Het verhaal begint met een spannende proloog. Je gaat terug naar 1989. Vervolgens spring je weer terug naar het heden en lees je onder andere vanuit het personage Elma. De spanning wordt heel langzaam opgebouwd. Het duurt dan ook even voordat het onderwerp van dit verhaal ter sprake komt. Toch zit je al redelijk snel in het verhaal. Eva heeft namelijk een hele fijne en vlotte schrijfstijl. De afwisseling tussen verschillende personages is ook een prettig aspect en langzaamaan wordt steeds duidelijker wat er in 1989 is gebeurd.
Ondanks dat het misschien niet een heel erg verrassend plot heeft, is het toch zeker de moeite waard om dit boek een kans te geven! Ikzelf heb enorm van dit verhaal genoten en kijk uit naar het volgende deel.
February 6, 2024
Una novela negra de las que, al ser el primero de la serie, vas conociendo, aunque no mucho, a la protagonista, en este caso a la policía Elma, de Akranes, su pueblo natal, al que ha vuelto desde Reikiavik . Un asesinato sin resolver en un lugar donde, casi todos sus habitantes se conocen. Una muerte que hará volver al pasado tanto a la fallecida como a la gente de alrededor. Me ha gustado mucho, es de las novelas que te atrapa, la pena es que quedan muchos flecos sueltos que, imagino, que se irán resolviendo en los siguientes libros que, por desgracia, aún están sin traducir y yo islandés no se, jejeje, así que toca esperar. Lo recomiendo.
February 10, 2022
Αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία,παρόλο που άργησε να βρει ρυθμό.Από τη μέση και μετά τα πήγε πολύ καλύτερα, αλλά και πάλι δεν κατάφερε να δημιουργήσει ένταση ανάλογη με τις προσδοκίες που είχα. 2/5 μέχρι εκεί. Το τρίτο αστεράκι το κέρδισε αποκλειστικά για το τέλος,το οποίο ήταν,αν όχι το πιο δυνατό,μαζί με τις σκηνές στη σοφίτα,ένα από τα καλύτερα στοιχεία του βιβλίου.
3/5
3/5
March 25, 2020
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is a young, talented and beautiful Icelandic crime fiction author and The Creak on the Stairs is her, truly promising, debut novel. She was born and raised in the small port town of Akranes in the west of Iceland, around 25 miles from the capital city of Reykjavik and this is also the town which features as a setting for her first book. Her sense and use of landscape are great, adding to the novel's overall gloomy mood, tone, and atmosphere. It. This is a rather generic Nordic noir crime/thriller that adopts many of the genre's trademark narrative techniques and tropes, though it does it in a way that engages the reader and keeps him turning the pages to find out what happens next. I greatly enjoyed the story and the plot, while I found that the characterization was truly terrific and reminiscent of that of some prominent Icelandic crime writers like Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Arnaldur Indridason, and Ragnar Jonasson.
The book's main protagonist is Chief Investigating Officer Elma who returns to her hometown of Akranes after the end of a long-lived romantic relationship with a man in Reykjavik. Elma is a woman of mystery and aspects of her past remain hidden from the reader and are revealed gradually as the story unravels. What is certain, is that Elma isn't particularly excited to return to Akranes and meet again her parents and there are many hints that her childhood has not been exactly happy. Soon after she moves into Akranes, a macabre discovery of the body of a dead woman near the lighthouse puzzles the small police department of the town and challenges Elma to find the culprit. In the course of the investigation, Elma will have to face people and memories that make her feel rather uncomfortable.
The Creak on the Stairs adopts the traditional dual narrative technique that is so often used by many of the Nordic noir authors. We watch the story unfolding in two different timelines, the present and the past (20-25 years before). In the former we witness the police investigating procedure that includes interrogations, footwork and evidence collection by the police officers while in the past we read about the childhood of the victim, Elisabet, and the events that shaped her personality. Elisabet has a sad and depressing history as she lost her father in a sea accident when she was little and afterward her mother began drinking and neglecting her only daughter, especially after the death of Elisabet's baby brother. Eva Björg Ægisdóttir handles very well the narration and the jumping back and forth in time which often confuses the reader is managed exceptionally. Another common Scandinavian narrative trope adopted is the multiple perspective narration that means that we witness the plot unfolding through the eyes of many characters, not just the protagonists. This fact results in a faster pace and if used correctly, as it is the case with this book, makes the story more vivid and easy-to-read. It should be mentioned that the main themes of the novel are truly disturbing as they include sexual abuse, bullying, and child molesting. So, be ready for some upsetting, or even painful, descriptions.
The plot of the book is not over-elaborate, nevertheless, it keeps the reader glued to his seat due to the author's exhilarating writing style that creates a terrific, claustrophobic atmosphere in the limited space of a small, secluded Icelandic town. The Creak on the Stairs is one of the best debut crime/thrillers originating from the Nordic countries in the last few years and it leaves the reader hungry for more. It seems that Iceland is an inexhaustible reservoir of adept, gifted crime authors and we should expect many more crime novels of a quality analogous to that of The Creak on the Stairs. It is a perfect choice for the dark days of the quarantine that we live in and it will make you forget anything that happens outside the book's universe for a few hours.
The book's main protagonist is Chief Investigating Officer Elma who returns to her hometown of Akranes after the end of a long-lived romantic relationship with a man in Reykjavik. Elma is a woman of mystery and aspects of her past remain hidden from the reader and are revealed gradually as the story unravels. What is certain, is that Elma isn't particularly excited to return to Akranes and meet again her parents and there are many hints that her childhood has not been exactly happy. Soon after she moves into Akranes, a macabre discovery of the body of a dead woman near the lighthouse puzzles the small police department of the town and challenges Elma to find the culprit. In the course of the investigation, Elma will have to face people and memories that make her feel rather uncomfortable.
The Creak on the Stairs adopts the traditional dual narrative technique that is so often used by many of the Nordic noir authors. We watch the story unfolding in two different timelines, the present and the past (20-25 years before). In the former we witness the police investigating procedure that includes interrogations, footwork and evidence collection by the police officers while in the past we read about the childhood of the victim, Elisabet, and the events that shaped her personality. Elisabet has a sad and depressing history as she lost her father in a sea accident when she was little and afterward her mother began drinking and neglecting her only daughter, especially after the death of Elisabet's baby brother. Eva Björg Ægisdóttir handles very well the narration and the jumping back and forth in time which often confuses the reader is managed exceptionally. Another common Scandinavian narrative trope adopted is the multiple perspective narration that means that we witness the plot unfolding through the eyes of many characters, not just the protagonists. This fact results in a faster pace and if used correctly, as it is the case with this book, makes the story more vivid and easy-to-read. It should be mentioned that the main themes of the novel are truly disturbing as they include sexual abuse, bullying, and child molesting. So, be ready for some upsetting, or even painful, descriptions.
The plot of the book is not over-elaborate, nevertheless, it keeps the reader glued to his seat due to the author's exhilarating writing style that creates a terrific, claustrophobic atmosphere in the limited space of a small, secluded Icelandic town. The Creak on the Stairs is one of the best debut crime/thrillers originating from the Nordic countries in the last few years and it leaves the reader hungry for more. It seems that Iceland is an inexhaustible reservoir of adept, gifted crime authors and we should expect many more crime novels of a quality analogous to that of The Creak on the Stairs. It is a perfect choice for the dark days of the quarantine that we live in and it will make you forget anything that happens outside the book's universe for a few hours.
October 20, 2021
This police procedural appealed to me as a fan of Nordic Noir mysteries and of stories set in Iceland in particular (especially since visiting the country in 2018). I found it to be moderately entertaining, but it didn’t grab me quite as much as I’d hoped it would.
It’s a multilayered story told from the points of view of several different characters, with two alternating timelines. The primary action is set in the small town of Akranes in late 2017, with numerous flashbacks to events in the same town in 1989 through 1992.
The main protagonist is police investigator Elma (no patronymic or other surname mentioned, as far as I can recall). She grew up in Akranes, but has lived most of her adult life in Reykjavik, until returning to her hometown after the end of a long-term relationship. Shortly after her return, the body of an unidentified woman turns up in the water among the rocks near the lighthouse. The woman is soon identified as Elísabet Höllundóttir, a professional pilot who, like Elma, had been born in Akranes in the 1980s but had moved away.
The police investigation establishes that Elísabet was murdered, but the first question confronting the police is why her body was found in Akranes. According to Elísabet’s husband, she had always avoided the town. As Elma says to her colleague Sævar, “‘Don’t you find it a bit suspicious that she’d always avoided the town, and then, when she does finally come back, someone kills her? Was it the town she was avoiding or somebody who lives here?’” Elma thinks that Elísabet probably “‘suffered some kind of trauma in her youth. Whether that had any bearing on her death, however, was another matter.’”
It’s a good setup for a mystery story, and Ægisdóttir uses the dual timeline technique fairly effectively to simultaneously develop the investigation into Elísabet’s murder and explore the trauma she may have suffered in her childhood. It’s really not a surprise that the two are connected, but the exact way in which they’re connected is not revealed until close to the end of the book.
I think there are a few flaws in the book, although they’re certainly not fatal ones. At times, the switching between the two timelines became annoying. I found the 2017 timeline segments to be the more interesting, and I think fewer flashbacks would have sufficed. Moreover, it’s not always clear that the girl in the flashbacks is Elísabet. (In fact, in the short prologue, the reader is led to believe that the girl in question is Elma.) I guess this is intentional, as a device to heighten the mystery, but I found it unnecessarily confusing.
I also thought that too many questions were raised that weren’t really answered in the end. Wrapping up a few more loose ends would have been more satisfying, at least to me. But overall, I enjoyed the book enough to read the sequel.
It’s a multilayered story told from the points of view of several different characters, with two alternating timelines. The primary action is set in the small town of Akranes in late 2017, with numerous flashbacks to events in the same town in 1989 through 1992.
The main protagonist is police investigator Elma (no patronymic or other surname mentioned, as far as I can recall). She grew up in Akranes, but has lived most of her adult life in Reykjavik, until returning to her hometown after the end of a long-term relationship. Shortly after her return, the body of an unidentified woman turns up in the water among the rocks near the lighthouse. The woman is soon identified as Elísabet Höllundóttir, a professional pilot who, like Elma, had been born in Akranes in the 1980s but had moved away.
The police investigation establishes that Elísabet was murdered, but the first question confronting the police is why her body was found in Akranes. According to Elísabet’s husband, she had always avoided the town. As Elma says to her colleague Sævar, “‘Don’t you find it a bit suspicious that she’d always avoided the town, and then, when she does finally come back, someone kills her? Was it the town she was avoiding or somebody who lives here?’” Elma thinks that Elísabet probably “‘suffered some kind of trauma in her youth. Whether that had any bearing on her death, however, was another matter.’”
It’s a good setup for a mystery story, and Ægisdóttir uses the dual timeline technique fairly effectively to simultaneously develop the investigation into Elísabet’s murder and explore the trauma she may have suffered in her childhood. It’s really not a surprise that the two are connected, but the exact way in which they’re connected is not revealed until close to the end of the book.
I think there are a few flaws in the book, although they’re certainly not fatal ones. At times, the switching between the two timelines became annoying. I found the 2017 timeline segments to be the more interesting, and I think fewer flashbacks would have sufficed. Moreover, it’s not always clear that the girl in the flashbacks is Elísabet. (In fact, in the short prologue, the reader is led to believe that the girl in question is Elma.) I guess this is intentional, as a device to heighten the mystery, but I found it unnecessarily confusing.
I also thought that too many questions were raised that weren’t really answered in the end. Wrapping up a few more loose ends would have been more satisfying, at least to me. But overall, I enjoyed the book enough to read the sequel.
December 10, 2020
Crime mystery set in AKRANES, Iceland
Our You Tube review: https://youtu.be/qEPdF-Df4K0
4.5*
This is a debut and a hugely competently put together story – a great addition to the Icelandic Noir stable.
I was delighted to listen to the book as an Audiobook because the narration by Di Croft is solid and engaging. She also has got her tongue around the Icelandic names – and there are quite a few – which saved me that awful experience of reading, finger pointing to each syllable and gurning, in an attempt to make a passable sound that resembled Old Norse and Chaucerian English and not modern day Icelandic.
Fortunately the main characters have names that work with an english-speaking listener/reader! Elma, a detective, has moved from Reykjavik after the break-up of her long term relationship back to the small port town of Akranes, where she grew up. Given that statistically there is an average of one homicide per year in the whole of Iceland, she is pretty certain that she will not be unduly stretched. Akranes, however, proves to be the exception to the otherwise low murder numbers across the country. Elma, together with her investigating colleagues Sævar and Hörður, is soon having to deal with the body of airline pilot, Elisabet, washed up at the local lighthouse. Is there foul play? Who would have wanted to harm her?
For me the pace of the book was pitch perfect. The author takes her time to set out the story and weave in history from the 1990s – past and present dovetail very well. It is as much a story about murder as it is about small town dynamics and what goes on behind closed doors. Childhood relationships fan out into the wider community and we learn a lot about the neglect that Elisabet suffered as a child, after her father died at sea, and her younger brother lived but a short time. Her mother struggled to cope and Elisabet was largely left to her own devices.
The setting is excellently evoked, the rolling seas, the cold weather – it is Winter in the present day when the investigations are under way.
This is a gripping story and easy to follow and the plotting is incredibly well laid out. It is the first in the Forbidden Iceland series, so am already looking forward to the next book!
Our You Tube review: https://youtu.be/qEPdF-Df4K0
4.5*
This is a debut and a hugely competently put together story – a great addition to the Icelandic Noir stable.
I was delighted to listen to the book as an Audiobook because the narration by Di Croft is solid and engaging. She also has got her tongue around the Icelandic names – and there are quite a few – which saved me that awful experience of reading, finger pointing to each syllable and gurning, in an attempt to make a passable sound that resembled Old Norse and Chaucerian English and not modern day Icelandic.
Fortunately the main characters have names that work with an english-speaking listener/reader! Elma, a detective, has moved from Reykjavik after the break-up of her long term relationship back to the small port town of Akranes, where she grew up. Given that statistically there is an average of one homicide per year in the whole of Iceland, she is pretty certain that she will not be unduly stretched. Akranes, however, proves to be the exception to the otherwise low murder numbers across the country. Elma, together with her investigating colleagues Sævar and Hörður, is soon having to deal with the body of airline pilot, Elisabet, washed up at the local lighthouse. Is there foul play? Who would have wanted to harm her?
For me the pace of the book was pitch perfect. The author takes her time to set out the story and weave in history from the 1990s – past and present dovetail very well. It is as much a story about murder as it is about small town dynamics and what goes on behind closed doors. Childhood relationships fan out into the wider community and we learn a lot about the neglect that Elisabet suffered as a child, after her father died at sea, and her younger brother lived but a short time. Her mother struggled to cope and Elisabet was largely left to her own devices.
The setting is excellently evoked, the rolling seas, the cold weather – it is Winter in the present day when the investigations are under way.
This is a gripping story and easy to follow and the plotting is incredibly well laid out. It is the first in the Forbidden Iceland series, so am already looking forward to the next book!
July 28, 2020
Yrsa Sigurdardottir would be proud of this story and the way a new writer managed to take hold on two separate narrative lines, one in the past, one in the present.
So, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's debut novel features a policewoman named Elma, who returns, after an unnamed tragedy with her lover in Reykjavik, in her childhood town, Akranes. There, shortly after her arrival, near a famous lighthouse, is discovered the body of a woman. Who killed her and why?
Secrets from the past, of course, start to come alive when the policemen commence digging in the woman's life. Traumas from her childhood, people with secrets worth hiding, who would kill to keep them uncovered. A new nordic voice who deserves being followed: Eva Björg Ægisdóttir.
So, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's debut novel features a policewoman named Elma, who returns, after an unnamed tragedy with her lover in Reykjavik, in her childhood town, Akranes. There, shortly after her arrival, near a famous lighthouse, is discovered the body of a woman. Who killed her and why?
Secrets from the past, of course, start to come alive when the policemen commence digging in the woman's life. Traumas from her childhood, people with secrets worth hiding, who would kill to keep them uncovered. A new nordic voice who deserves being followed: Eva Björg Ægisdóttir.
August 20, 2020
The creak on the stairs has a double meaning which if you read the story makes a lot of sense after you have almost completed the book and have reread the first few pages. Pictures are misleading. Relationships are precarious. Eva Björg Ægisdóttir ended her story in a very noir way. Yet we have Elma returning to Akranes as a police officer after a huge 7 year relationship failed. The story is about a small girl (Elísabet), who was living with her mother (Halla), who used her body to pay for the rent and also used Elísabet's. When she was a grown woman with two sons of her own Elísabet decided to divorce her husband and tell what she had done as a child. This ended with her death and is what this book is about. Elma had a good head on her shoulders and figures what had happened. But the story goes into several caveats which give you more information on other characters making up the story. I liked all the details which Eva gives you to make you own mind up to who the guilty parties are. Eva makes a very intelligent and demanding story that makes you think. I gave it 4 stars out of 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2021
I love Nordic Noir as a sub-genre but this book was not for me. Let me explain, what I look in a series is a character or characters that are not one-dimensional, If I am going to continue reading book two I need a character with an interesting life story, investigative skills, angst etc…something to look forward. Elma was flat as well as her colleagues and boss.
The plot was interesting but only at the very end it had twist and turns, was not suspenseful or thrilling but a good atmospheric mystery. The ending felt rushed, only because 90 percent of it was very slow and repetitive. With that in mind, I am giving the book three stars because although the plot dealt with a very sad story, the way Elisabet’s story was narrated contributed to the success of the plot.
The plot was interesting but only at the very end it had twist and turns, was not suspenseful or thrilling but a good atmospheric mystery. The ending felt rushed, only because 90 percent of it was very slow and repetitive. With that in mind, I am giving the book three stars because although the plot dealt with a very sad story, the way Elisabet’s story was narrated contributed to the success of the plot.
July 24, 2024
Um romance policial (e não um thriller como eu inicialmente julguei) lê-se muito rapidamente porque tem o ritmo da investigação decorrente de indícios e lógica para um mistério desvendar. Os nórdicos são bons nisso, com livros mais ou menos sangrentos ou sórdidos. Aquele frio meio ambiente trespassa o leitor. Muito realista.
Um início de saga costuma ser um sucesso e pimba, voei para Akranes, Islândia com a detetive Elma e Elísabet que, recuam ao passado para desvendar este crime. Desta vez não há personagens “avariadas” mas eu fiquei rendida a esta série.
Um início de saga costuma ser um sucesso e pimba, voei para Akranes, Islândia com a detetive Elma e Elísabet que, recuam ao passado para desvendar este crime. Desta vez não há personagens “avariadas” mas eu fiquei rendida a esta série.
August 8, 2023
Wahnsinnig spannend mit unvorhergesehenen Wendungen. Top-Krimi!
December 18, 2024
4.5
Un diez en ambientación y buen desarrollo de personajes. Varias tramas que confluyen en un buen final.
Un diez en ambientación y buen desarrollo de personajes. Varias tramas que confluyen en un buen final.
January 11, 2023
Een aangename kennismaking mzt deel 1 van deze reeks. Een erg origineel verhaal dat me bleef boeien tot het einde. Heden en verleden wisselen elkaar af in korte hoofdstukjes die vlot lezen. Dit smaakt naar meer.
July 11, 2021
She hears him long before she sees him.
Wow! Just, wow! I have read a bit of the Nordic Noir genre that simply makes me sad. The main character is often someone I don't like and that makes the book difficult to read. Not so with this book. I started reading it and didn't want to stop until I finished.
Elma has returned to her hometown of Akranes, Iceland after a failed relationship. Her first case as a Chief Investigating Officer is the discovery of a woman's body near the lighthouse. We are quickly thrown into a set of crimes twenty plus years apart that rip at the core of the community.
At first, I had to go back to remember who characters were and how they fit in the story. I quickly adapted and was able to keep everyone in mind as the plot unfolded. The characters are well presented and believable. The plot twists its way through the story and reveals bits and pieces that help you solve the mystery along with Elma.
The story told from Elisabet's point of view was often difficult to read and quite sad. So many times I wanted to just hug the little girl she was and bring her some degree of comfort.
The description of Akranes was wonderful. My dear friend, Disa, lives there (and shared this book with me). She sent me pictures of places that the author mentioned so that I could get a real visual on the town.
Just when I thought I knew who the culprit was another clue would be revealed. This made for a fascinating read that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately downloaded the second book. I will try it as an audible to see how badly I mispronounced words.
I highly recommend this book.
Wow! Just, wow! I have read a bit of the Nordic Noir genre that simply makes me sad. The main character is often someone I don't like and that makes the book difficult to read. Not so with this book. I started reading it and didn't want to stop until I finished.
Elma has returned to her hometown of Akranes, Iceland after a failed relationship. Her first case as a Chief Investigating Officer is the discovery of a woman's body near the lighthouse. We are quickly thrown into a set of crimes twenty plus years apart that rip at the core of the community.
At first, I had to go back to remember who characters were and how they fit in the story. I quickly adapted and was able to keep everyone in mind as the plot unfolded. The characters are well presented and believable. The plot twists its way through the story and reveals bits and pieces that help you solve the mystery along with Elma.
The story told from Elisabet's point of view was often difficult to read and quite sad. So many times I wanted to just hug the little girl she was and bring her some degree of comfort.
The description of Akranes was wonderful. My dear friend, Disa, lives there (and shared this book with me). She sent me pictures of places that the author mentioned so that I could get a real visual on the town.
Just when I thought I knew who the culprit was another clue would be revealed. This made for a fascinating read that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately downloaded the second book. I will try it as an audible to see how badly I mispronounced words.
I highly recommend this book.
June 30, 2020
The Creak On The Stairs is beautifully crafted, steeped in atmosphere, a chilly and involving read, everything you could possibly want from your Nordic noir.
A return to her hometown is weighing heavy on Elma, especially as she is immediately thrust into the middle of a complicated investigation, where the present is haunted by the past, with horrible consequences.
The descriptive sense of this is wonderful, the characters drawn with engaging depth. The mystery element is both intriguing and disturbing, the final resolution emotional and memorable.
Overall a really excellent read. One I’d highly recommend.
A return to her hometown is weighing heavy on Elma, especially as she is immediately thrust into the middle of a complicated investigation, where the present is haunted by the past, with horrible consequences.
The descriptive sense of this is wonderful, the characters drawn with engaging depth. The mystery element is both intriguing and disturbing, the final resolution emotional and memorable.
Overall a really excellent read. One I’d highly recommend.
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