Red as Blood (2020)

The best crime books of 2022 ... cleverly poised between domestic drama and international conspiracy. ... A plethora of motives confuses the investigation in this claustrophobic novel.

The writing is sharp, intelligent and witty, and the characters authentic. Sigurdardottir surprises at every step with her exciting style, faultlessly brought into English by Quentin Bates.

Arora establishes herself as a heroine to move the heart.

Chilly and chilling … Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s terrific investigator Áróra is back for another tense and thrilling read. Highly recommended!

One of my new favourite series … Áróra’s brains and brawn, combined with the super-cool Icelandic setting, is a winning combination.

An entertaining and exciting crime novel … a thrilling course of criminal events and betrayals, which seem to reach in the most unlikely directions, but like the spider masterfully weaves its web, Lilja pulls all the threads artfully together in end.

An incredibly spunky crime novel, a fantastically fun read full of entertaining characters … took me by surprise.

Red as Blood must be considered an unusual crime novel due to the fact that it is lacking one important premise that is usually found in Icelandic crime fiction: there is no dead body. Once again, Lilja brings a fresh approach to the Icelandic crime novel that has, up until now, never before dealt with an organized abduction. She has willingly admitted that her inspiration for writing this book comes from the mysterious Hagen-case, which still goes unsolved. The Hagen-case concerns the abduction of the wife of Norwegian millionaire, Tom Hagen, who faced ransom demands of a few million paid in cryptocurrency. The case is extreme, to say the least, and almost farcical since abductions and ransoms are a rare occurrence in Scandinavia. … One of Lilja’s great strengths lies in how she weaves her stories and creates a clear view of the world which readers can visit afresh in each new novel. … From the very beginning she has clearly attempted to expand the horizon of Icelandic crime novels and set her sights on people with different backgrounds, classes and social groups. Her books reflect the diversity of modern Icelandic society and for that she deserves praise.

...another great read from Lilja Sigurdardottir. ...If you like your scandanvian crime, and sassy interesting characters then this is definitely a read for you.

This novel would make a great movie. With themes of abduction, money laundering, infidelity, tax evasion, and missing persons, this book has a lot going on. All that, and the potential Áróra/Daníel backstory, make this both a thrilling and compelling read. Highly recommended to all readers who enjoy a well executed crime thriller. I’m loving this series and look forward to the third installment.

I’m interested in Arora as a character. She’s driven, both at work and in her quest to find her sister. I love her inner world, particularly the pull she has between the UK and Iceland. ... The case is fascinating, with hints of dodgy money dealings and possible involvement with the Russian mafia. ...This really is an intelligent thriller that will not only keep your attention but will keep you guessing all the way to the end.