Tag: Eva Bjorg Aegisdorrir

October Wrap-Up and November TBR

How is it that time again?! The end of another month and another step nearer Christmas (yay!) and the end of 2020 (*huge sigh of relief*).

This month I have read 11 books and hit my GoodReads Challenge target of 100 books for the year!

It’s been a funny month with some real reading slumps as well as some absolutely BRILLIANT books. So, without further ado, here’s what I read this month…

(Links to books already published are affiliate links – thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases).

October Wrap-Up

I started the month with the brilliant ‘More Than a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran – an often funny, fresh and brutally honest take on what it means to be a middle-aged woman. This was my first five-star read of the month – you can see my review here.

After this, I read ‘Jeeves and the Leap of Faith’ by Ben Schott, a new Jeeves and Wooster novel written with the blessing of the PG Wodehouse estate. Nothing quite hits the highs of Wodehouse’s original novels, but Schott has done a great job of the language and comic elements. You can read my review here.

Next up was a blog tour for ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir, a chilling and dark piece of Nordic Noir crime fiction. Set in Iceland, this follows Chief Investigating Officer Elma as she tries to solve a murder that is stirring up the unsavoury past of some people in the small town of Akranes. You can read my blog tour post here.

Then came ‘The Servant’ by Maggie Richell-Davies, a dark historical tale of a girl who has fallen on difficult times in Georgian London. This book won the Historical Writers’ Association award for a (then) unpublished novel and is definitely worth a read – my review is here.

One of my audiobooks (listened to in the car with my kids) this month was Roald Dahl’s ‘Boy’, read by Dan Stevens. We all enjoyed this one – a lively performance of a book that I’ve loved since childhood. It has been a joy to relive the experiences of Dahl at school at Repton, on holiday in Norway, with his eccentric family and upsetting teachers and sweet-shop owners alike.

Next up was ‘The Phoenix Project’ by Michelle Kidd for another blog tour in November. This was a fast-paced thriller with a wide scope – London, Paris, Africa, Russian spies and the British Government – and all very tense! Watch this space for my blog tour review.

Then I enjoyed Walburga Appleseed’s ‘The Princess and the Prick’, a short book with some very concise feminist retellings of fairy tales, myths and nursery rhymes. Beautifully illustrated, this managed to pack plenty of food for thought into a small space.

Another short but powerful book was ‘Essex Girls’ by Sarah Perry, a feminist celebration of the qualities of the Essex Girl stereotype. In Perry’s book, Essex becomes a state of mind rather than a geographical location and we are introduced to a host of fabulous women from history. My review is here.

Another of my five-star books this month was ‘Practically Perfect: Life Lessons from Mary Poppins’ by Katy Brand. Anyone with any love for the 1964 film should read this as it is fascinating but delightfully comforting. My review can be found here.

Then I listened to another audiobook, ‘The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid’, a charming and funny book about Bill Bryson’s experiences of growing up in the 1950s in Des Moines in Iowa. This one is read by Bryson himself and his dry wit really comes through in the recording.

Finally, I finished the month with ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ by Stuart Turton, a historical crime novel that I absolutely loved. You can read my review here.

November TBR

I am absolutely awful at predicting what I will read in the future – I read according to my mood and who knows where that may take me!?

However, I do have a lot of NetGalley ARCs that I should read. Here is just a selection:

  • ‘The Shape of Darkness’ by Laura Purcell – I loved her previous books and this one promises to be equally fabulous.
  • ‘The Whole Truth’ by Cara Hunter – this is the latest in a great series of police procedurals in which we follow DI Fawley as he tries to uncover truth. I’ve loved the other books so have high hopes for this.
  • ‘The Dead of Winter’ by Nicola Upson – another series I’ve followed for a long time, this one puts crime writer Josephine Tey into the role of detective against the backdrop of Europe in the lead-up to World War II.
  • ‘Hyde’ by Craig Russell – Russell’s first book, ‘The Devil Aspect’, was amazing and I hope this one will be every bit as good. Set in Victorian Edinburgh and featuring a series of mysterious ritualistic murders, this looks like it will be a dark and thrilling read.
  • ‘Mr Wilder and Me’ by Jonathan Coe – I’ve loved previous books by Coe and this, set in the heat of the 1977 summer, looks glorious.
  • ‘Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith – this new book about the early life of the fictional narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby’ looks really interesting.
  • ‘Lie Beside Me’ by Gytha Lodge – the latest in another crime series that I’ve enjoyed vey much. This is the latest to feature DCI Jonah Sheens.
  • ‘Let’s Do It: The Authorised Biography of Victoria Wood’ by Jasper Rees – I’ve been granted this one on audiobook and am looking forward to learning more about Wood from her closest friends and colleagues (some of whom narrate the book).

This is ignoring the huge stacks of books in my house and my jam-packed Kindle so we shall wait and see what I actually manage to read!

Header photo with thanks to Alex Geerts for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Blog Tour: ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir

Welcome to my stop on the Random Things Tours blog tour for ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir.

This is the first in a new ‘Forbidden Iceland’ series and was published on 1st October, 2020 by Orenda Books. It is translated into English by Victoria Cribb.

From the Publisher

‘An exciting and harrowing tale from one of Iceland’s rising stars’ Ragnar Jónasson

The first in the electrifying new Forbidden Iceland series, ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ is an exquisitely written, claustrophobic and chillingly atmospheric debut thriller byone of Iceland’s most exciting new talents


When the body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.


Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her colleagues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day…


But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice … before it’s too late.

My Review

I love crime fiction and have made a few forays into Nordic Noir, although this was the first book I’ve read set in Iceland. It certainly won’t be my last trip to the Land of Fire and Ice.

I’ll admit to being intrigued by the premise of this book – a murder at a remote lighthouse that starts to uncover the secrets of the town. I also love a book with a female detective, so this ticked boxes for me too.

The story moves between the investigation into the 2017 murder of a woman in the small Icelandic town of Akranes with a voice from the the late 1980s/early 1990s narrating a tragic family story. At first it isn’t evident how the strands fit together but, as it becomes clear, the reader is pulled into the backstory that has led to the murder at the lighthouse.

One of the real strengths of the story is the main character, Chief Investigating Officer Elma. She has returned to Akranes, where she grew up, following the break-up of a relationship (something I sense will become more of a feature of future books – I know the second book in the series is already being translated by Orenda Books, so we shall see Elma again).

We get to view Elma more clearly than anyone else in the book, including her dysfunctional relationship with her sister, her hangovers and potential love interests. She is a charming and realistic character and her interactions with her work team, family and various people associated with the case seem authentic.

Another real strength is the plotting. The narrative device of alternating between the past and modern-day voices is interesting, but it also means that a lot of information is given that suddenly falls into place later in the novel. The early parts of the novel do seem a little slow, but they work brilliantly to set up a pervasive sense of foreboding that the reader never really escapes until the pace picks up towards the denouement. All very understated, but it really adds to the sense of claustrophobia in the small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

I really loved the setting of the book – Elma has left Reykjavik CID and is back in the town that she grew up in, so we experience the oppression of small-town life just as she does. We hear the gossip of a small community, see the close (but not always easy) relationships of people who have always known each other and experience the uncovering of secrets bubbling just under the surface. Akranes itself seems like a remote setting – a port town with a small population – that is perfect for this kind of story.

I think it is worth saying that the story is very dark – obviously expected in the genre, but it does sometimes make for uncomfortable reading – especially in the 1980s/1990s narrative which is a child’s perspective. Having a child relate some horrific elements makes the story very chilling at times.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime fiction with a dark heart. The sense of tension that builds gradually makes for compulsive reading – before you know it, you will be racing through to see where the story goes! It isn’t an easy read because of the dark themes, but it is cleverly plotted, engagingly told and has a heroine that you will want to see again in book two.

About the Author

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study her MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland.


Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller.

Eva now lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík, staying at home with her youngest until she begins Kindergarten.

WWW Wednesday: 7th October, 2020

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It is open for anyone to join in and share what they have been/are/will be reading!

Affiliate links are provided for books already published – thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases.

What are you currently reading?

I’m finally working my way through my NetGalley shelf!

I’m reading ‘Jeeves and the Leap of Faith’ by Ben Schott – I loved the first of Schott’s new Jeeves books (supported by the Wodehouse Estate) and this is the second. It’s shaping up well so far and will be published later in October, so watch this space for my review.

I’m also finally reading ‘Pandora’s Jar’ by Natalie Haynes from my NetGalley shelf. I watched her talk about the book as part of the Women’s Prize events online and decided it was time to get reading. For fans of the Greek myths, it is a must.

Finally, I’m also reading ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir for a blog tour later in the month with Random Things Tours (who provided me with the book for review purposes. It’s a chilling and tense slice of Nordic Noir and was published in paperback on 1st October.

What have you recently finished reading?

I’ve finished my two pre-orders from 3rd September – I could not wait to read ‘A Tomb with a View’ by Peter Ross and Caitlin Moran’s ‘More than a Woman‘ but life (and blog tours) got in the way so I have only just got to them! Both are absolutely brilliant – you can read my review of ‘A Tomb With a View’ here and ‘More than a Woman’ will be on the blog tomorrow.

I also recently finished Philip Bowne’s ‘Cows Can’t Jump’ which is also fantastic! It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel as it is so assured, funny and poignant – a coming-of-age story featuring suicidal cows, a European road trip, gravedigging and a shameless attempt at rigging a horse race! My blog tour review will follow on 18th October, so watch this space!

What do you think you will read next?

I’ve been saying it for a while, but ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ by Stuart Turton is top of my pile. I pre-ordered a gorgeous sprayed-edge copy from Forbidden Planet and cannot wait to dive in!

I was also gifted this book by Maggie Richell-Davies – ‘The Servant’. It looks perfect for me – historical fiction with a crime element!

Aside from that, I have a whole load of NetGalley books to read, plus I’ve been very lucky with book prizes on Twitter recently – I am not short of books to read!

Header photo with thanks to Element5 Digital for sharing their work on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday: 23rd September, 2020

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for everyone to join in and share what they have been/are/will be reading!

Affiliate links are provided for books already published. Thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases.

What are you currently reading?

I had to put them on hold to meet blog tour obligations, but I’ve returned to ‘A Tomb with a View’ by Peter Ross and ‘More than a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran. Both are proving compelling and I am now racing through them!

What have you recently finished reading?

I finally finished ‘Unto this Last’ by Rebecca Lipkin that I was reading for a blog tour – my review will be up on Saturday so watch this space! This huge and meticulously-researched novel about artist and critic John Ruskin is a treat for anyone who loves all things Victorian.

I have just finished reading Dawn O’Porter’s new non-fiction book about her experiences of lockdown during the early part of 2020. This is due to be released on 1st October and my review can be found here.

I also read (as a buddy read with the lovely Jodie @relish_books) ‘Good Samaritans’ by Will Carver, a dark and twisty murder mystery. It is the first of (so far) three books featuring Detective Sergeant Pace and I’ve seen lots of praise for this series on Twitter. I found it engaging and fast paced, but I also thought it was perhaps a bit too dark and depressing for me – no-one comes out of it well!

What do you think you will read next?

I really want to read some more fiction as a lot of my recent choices have been non-fiction (or fiction based on real life events).

I’m planning on reading ‘Cows Can’t Jump’ by Philip Bowne for a blog tour on October – this debut book looks absolutely brilliant and I’m looking forward to the promised humour after the bleakness of ‘Good Samaritans’!

I also have a blog tour for ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdorrir. This one looks like an intriguing slice of Nordic Noir and I love the premise – a body found in a lighthouse and an investigation that uncovers a community’s well-hidden secrets.

My NetGalley shelf is (as usual) overflowing so I still have some lovely options there too – the 2021 Laura Purcell release (‘The Shape of Darkness’), the next Stuart Turton book (‘The Devil and the Dark Water’) and the latest in Cara Hunter’s excellent DI Fawley series (‘The Whole Truth’) are also vying for my attention!

As usual, thanks to NetGalley and blog tour hosts for keeping me in excellent books! All opinions are entirely my own.

Header photo with thanks to Sincerely Media for sharing their work on Unsplash.