A stunning standalone thriller from the Queen of Iceland Noir.


***Shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel***

‘Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid

When aid worker Úrsula returns to Iceland for a new job, she’s drawn into the dangerous worlds of politics, corruption and misogyny … a powerful, relevant, fast-paced standalone thriller.


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Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a difference again.

But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some danger? And why has the death of her father in police custody so many years earlier reared its head again?

As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones, and the stakes are raised ever higher…

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Praise for Lilja Sigurdardóttir


‘Tense and pacey’ Guardian

‘Highly unusual’ The Times

‘Smart writing with a strongly beating heart’ Big Issue

‘Deftly plotted’ Financial Times

‘Breathtakingly original’ New York Journal of Books


‘Taut, gritty and thoroughly absorbing’ Booklist

‘A stunning addition to the icy-cold crime genre’ Foreword Reviews