The Woman Who Vanished (2016)

Edda Series #1

The Edda series centers around Edda, a spirited and curious woman in her late sixties. Forced into retirement, she remains active and involved. Edda loves bright colors, Art Deco, and red wine, sharing humorous banter with her son-in-law, Viktor, and spending time with Finnur, the handsome neighbour. She frequents local cafes, chats with tourists, and helps strangers, much to her family's concern. Edda is on a neighborhood watch and never shies away from a mystery, embodying the strong, independent spirit typical of Icelandic women. The Edda series blends gripping suspense with rich character development and intricate storytelling. Fans of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope will be drawn to Edda’s sharp wit, unyielding resolve, and the atmospheric mysteries she solves.

The small of my back hurts, a constant, stabbing pain. That’s what draws me up from the gloom of unconsciousness, gradually, like a pail of water lifted from a well. That bloody slipped disc, I decide, dangling somewhere in thin air. But hardly in a real well. Is there still such a thing in Reykjavik, except maybe at the Arbaer museum? Wasn’t I in… where on earth am I, and why am I in so much pain?

Steinunn wakes up in a cold place. She can’t remember what has happened to her. Trying to reconstruct the previous hours, slowly it dawns on her that she is being held hostage. But why? Once in a while she is visited by The Whisperer. Who is this person, and what is the connection between the young woman’s past and her present, horrific situation? Edda receives a mysterious letter from the German son of her childhood pen-friend, Vera. Thomas claims his mother has disappeared and that she might be in Iceland. Could Edda do him a favour and look for her? But a lot of things don’t add up. Is the German woman that Edda finds really her old pen-friend? And if Thomas is really Vera’s son, why doesn’t he have any photographs of his mother?

Edda decides to get to the bottom of this mystery. It’s just bad luck that on the way she gets tangled up in Steinunn’s predicament. A gripping whodunnit with a cast of quirky characters.