About The Book
When a 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 collegues 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
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. The Creak On The Stairs is the first in a new crime series which is set in Iceland. One of the reasons I enjoy Icelandic Noir is that it’s easy to assume you are reading ‘cosy crime’ but it’s not long before you start to see the darker thread. This book was no different and the truth is slowly revealed when you read the accounts from the past. When you see what the victim was like as a child. How she suffered from the neglect, bitterness and the worst betrayal you can imagine. And how she dealt with it.
Elma was a character I liked immediately, she seemed more ‘streetwise’ than her colleagues and was more willing to delve further. Maybe less worried than the others with living away for so long she was less concerned about offending those in power. I felt that Akranes was a close knit society, the type where there were many secrets, plenty of suspicions but nothing ever discussed.
I appreciated the way Elma developed friendships with the rest of the team, with slight promises of the way things could develop. She obviously struggled with her emotions concerning her previous relationship and was unwilling to discuss it. When the full extent of what happened there was revealed at the end I understood her attitude to starting again more. Her relationship with her family was convincing, especially with her older sister, much of their interaction made me smile.
It’s a fascinating novel and I’m very much looking forward to more by this author.
Steph's Book Blog 
Huge thanks for the blog tour support Steph xx
LikeLike