Avant que tombe la nuit

by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Ombeline Marchon (Translator)

Dans les fjords isolés de l'ouest islandais, la vérité ressurgit quand on ne s'y attendait plus.

1977, au cœur des quatre saisons de l'Islande volcanique. La jeune Marsí est hantée par la disparition de sa sœur, dix ans plus tôt. Elle sait qu'elle est coupable. Alors âgée de quatorze ans, elle entretenait une correspondance secrète avec un garçon, empruntant le prénom et la personnalité de sa sœur. Le soir où ils devaient se rencontrer, Marsí a renoncé au dernier moment. L'anorak de sa sœur a été retrouvé taché de sang sur le lieu du rendez-vous... Dix ans ont passé et Marsí reçoit une lettre, dont elle reconnaît immédiatement l'écriture...

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Nordic Noir, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook

400 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2023

About the author

Eva Björg was born and raised in Akranes, the small town featured in her books. The Creak on the Stairs was her debut novel. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller. In 2021 The Creak on the Stairs won the British Crime Writers Association (CWA) New Blood Dagger.

Reviews

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I’ve really enjoyed this author’s Nordic noir series set in Iceland and her latest stand-alone novel is just as engaging as the others. The story follows our main character as she investigates the mystery behind her sister’s disappearance ten years ago, spurred by a new letter from an old pen pal. Our narrator has been suffering from guilt these past 10 years, which has resulted in her battling insomnia and hallucinations. Her childhood memories are fragmented and she’s not sure which ones she can trust.

The book weaves in multiple POVs and timelines, which adds depth and layers to the mystery. There were plenty of twists, some I saw coming, others I didn’t. While I was satisfied with the ending, I found the culprit and motive a bit dumb. I also expected the pen pal element to play a larger role than it did. Overall, despite a few issues, I found this to be an entertaining Icelandic noir novel.

[Atlas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ókei, vá. Ég bjóst alveg við að skemmta mér við þennan lestur en ég bjóst ekki við því að sökkva svona djúpt ofan í söguþráðinn. Allt er svo vel útpælt og svo, svo vel skrifað. Ég elskaði að sjá alla þræðina koma saman og atburðarrásina skýrast, auk þess er Marsí rosalega athyglisverð persóna og bæði foreldrar hennar og heimili líka.
Sjónarhorn Stínu kom mér líka á óvart, en ég elska að lesa tvö sjónarhorn þar sem eitt er fyrir einhvern atburð og annað eftir atburðinn, en ég vissi ekki að það kæmi fram í þessari bók. Elska líka gott smábæjardrama og fannst skemmtilegt hvernig Ástandinu var blandað inn í söguna. Einnig var gaman að lesa svona sögulegan íslenskan krimma.

[Bo Verhoef · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik vond hem heel voorspelbaar, het tempo was vrij laag en het verhaal was gewoon niet zo spannend. Ook was het aantal namen en plaatsen misschien iets too much. Heel jammer, want het klonk wel goed, maar de twists zag ik aankomen 🫡.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10. A bit too twisty,drags in parts,and a couple of unanswered questions,but a great ride.

[Benni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tons of red herrings, boring writing, and a very unsatisfying ending.

[the.belgian.bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit was mijn allereerste Scandinavische thriller, en gezien de hype rond het genre was ik zó benieuwd om erin te duiken!

Het verhaal opent in 1967. De 14‑jarige Marsí heeft een penvriend, maar in haar brieven doet ze zich voor als haar oudere zus Stína. Op de avond dat Marsí haar penvriend eindelijk zou ontmoeten, verdwijnt Stína spoorloos — precies op die plek, precies op dat moment. Tien jaar later is ze nog steeds niet teruggevonden. Marsí keert terug naar huis om antwoorden te zoeken, maar haar slapeloosheid maakt het steeds moeilijker om herinneringen en realiteit uit elkaar te houden… terwijl de moordenaar nog altijd vrij rondloopt.

💭 Het duurde even voor ik écht in het verhaal zat. De afwisseling tussen Marsí’s en Stína’s perspectief — én tussen twee tijdlijnen — zorgde soms voor verwarring. Maar zodra ik de tijd had om meerdere hoofdstukken na elkaar te lezen, viel alles mooi op zijn plaats.

Wat ik geweldig vond, is dat elk personage wel een geheim met zich meedroeg: de mysterieuze moeder, het slaapwandelen, de journalist die op de vreemdste momenten opduikt, Stína’s vriendinnen, de ogenschijnlijk onschuldige Gustí… Het voelde alsof ik laagje per laagje een web van mysteries aan het losmaken was.

Ik had een mini‑vermoeden (dat juist bleek!) over wie de moordenaar was, maar de uiteindelijke plot zag ik totaal niet aankomen — en dat maakte het zo’n fijne, spannende leeservaring. Weer een thriller die ik met plezier van mijn TBR kan schrappen!

Dankjewel De Fontein en VBK Uitgevers voor dit prachtige recensie-exemplaar!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOED!!!!

[Lee-Anne Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following timelines in 1967 and 1977 this is a tale of two sisters, one fair and beautiful, one dark and difficult. The younger, Marsibil or Marsí for short, starts a pen pal relationship using her older sister Stína's name, and after a year of correspondence with this Bergur they arrange to meet. But Marsí misses the meeting, falling asleep before the due time, but her sister is walking home that night from an evening out and disappears. Her blood stained anorak is found where Marsibil was meant to meet Bergur, but Marsí tells no one as she feels so guilty and responsible.

In 1977 Marsí gets a new letter from Bergur at her home in Reykjavik and then when she is home with her parents for the 10yr anniversary of Stína's disappearance there is another death and another letter for Marsí found with the body - is it time for the truth to come out? Was Bergur - who now calls her by her real name, not her sister's - actually a local? Neighbour and long term pal Gústi offers to help Marsí try to look into things.

Marsi is a somewhat unreliable narrator, with blurring of reality and dreams, drinking too much, and her parents - especially her mum - are also drinkers and troubled keepers of secrets.

Journalist Einar, who Marsí meets in a café/bar in her hometown, wants to get to know her for research to write an article on the disappearance, and says the investigation wasn't thorough, local police refused help from Reykjavík.

About three quarters of the way in the reader is beginning to have the unsettling suspicion that they know what happened to Stína and the reason Marsí's parents keep pressing her not to investigate further.

Slowly, layers start unfolding and more and more detail teases out, shining light on the past and explaining some current behaviours. Characters revolve past the crosshairs of suspicion like an old moving image lantern, first one, then another, another, another, and back to the first.
Then - a startling revelation, which, looking back, had been cunningly seeded in the earlier pages, hiding in plain sight - all is not what you first thought, and with it, coupled with other snippets of information, your suspicions reach a damning conclusion.

The shocking answer...
But then...
There's more...
And more...
AND MORE!

Another belter from Eva Björg, who is such an immense talent in her field, and brings us something strikingly new and different, but always brilliant, every time. She started out as 'One to Watch' a few years back but in no time was catapulted to 'Auto Read' status with the thrilling calibre of her writing. Highly recommended and a well deserved 5 stars.

[Mario · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this author who always seems to generate plenty of tension in her storytelling along with clever twists and interesting characters.

Having said that this one uses the well worn path of an amateur sleuth solving a cold case the police couldn’t figure out, which gets a bit too familiar.

I was comfortably considering a 4 star rating were it not for the totally underwhelming ending which came from nowhere without evidence, didn’t hold water and left so many unanswered questions it was unrealistic. In the end it just about scraped 3 stars.

5 out of 10

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

9781399195805 Large print
Not one of her better ones especially because the ending seemed to come out of nowhere.
Gudrun killed her sister and the other girl, to stop them getting off with the boy she wanted to be with. Then, at the end when this was all revealed, she tried to kill Marsi, who actually managed to kill her instead. Her father then buried the body.
Surely the police will be onto Marsi as Gudrun’s mother knew they’d gone for a walk together. And wouldn’t there be forensic evidence where the murder occurred?

[Vala Fanney · Rating 4 out of 5]

!! góð - þannig að ég gleymdi því að ég hafði hellt upp á kaffi og nú er bókin búin og kaffið ískalt.

[Hrafnhildur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hörkuspennandi

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home Before Dark is a standalone thriller that drew me in immediately. The story unfolds over two timelines set ten years apart. In 1967 Stina disappears while on her way home, leaving behind only a bloodstained anorak. In 1977 her sister Marsi returns home; she’s struggling with insomnia and flashbacks and wants to discover what happened to Stina. But why is Marsi feeling guilty, and why is she so off-balanced?

The people of the town, the parents, the friends, and the boyfriends are so well developed. There’s a haunting, creepy darkness hanging over the town, and within each resident’s backstory the tension builds, and for a time it seems anyone could be guilty. The plotting is multilayered and tightly knit with complex intricacies that always leave you guessing. This truly is a can’t-put-it-down thriller with an absolutely startling ending.

[Halldor Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illa framkvæmdur endir annars alve góð.

3/5

[Viktoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 🌟

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Breathe!!!
What a book. I didn't read it, I inhaled it. And now I want to read all of this author's books. Yes,I want to read every single book Eva Björg has ever written or will write!
'Home Before Dark ' was a twisted, atmospheric, and absolutely addictive read.
All the characters were super weird, the setting super dark,cold and messed up. And there was a big twist at the end !!! So yeah, I had a great time reading it.
Highly recommend it.

[FriðrikaOdduMattaskó · Rating 5 out of 5]

Svaka góð! Vildi ð ég gæti dregið dýnuna mína til Evu Bjargar og fengið hana til að segja mér sögur.😄

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several titles by this author and have come to expect quality writing and engrossing stories from her. In this standalone, she doesn’t disappoint.

Told via dual timelines, we meet two sisters. The elder sister, beautiful Stina, went missing in 1967 while walking home from a friend’s house. Though her body was never found, her bloody anorak was discovered at the side of the road. The younger sister, Marsi, blames herself for what happened to her sister. She had been writing to Bergur, a ‘penpal’, pretending to be older than her fourteen years, and using her older sister’s name. On the night of Stina’s disappearance, Marsi was due to meet up with her penpal for the first time…

Now, 1977, ten years after Stina’s disappearance, Marsi travels from her flat in Reykjavik and returns to her small home town to spend the anniversary of the event with her parents. She does not reveal to them about her penpal back then, nor does she tell them that recently he has made contact again.

Marsi’s parents house was unkempt and foreboding, which added greatly to the atmosphere of the story. Marsi’s parents have never really recovered from losing their eldest daughter and have let the place go. Also, the house has the gruesome reputation of being the site of Marsi’s paternal grandfather’s suicide.how I imagined Marsi's parent's house might look from the author's description. (image created by Lynne LeGrow using Free AI Image Generator and Photoshop Elements)

“There’s something rotten in this house, I thought. Something rotten, thriving and spreading through the walls and under the floorboards. A rot that was contagious, that had infected all of us who lived here.”

The small Icelandic town, like small towns everywhere, was insular and rife with superstition. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, and everyone’s business was fair game for gossip. Winter in Iceland added its own bleakness to the narrative.

At first I found Marsi difficult to care for. As a teenager she lived in her sister’s shadow. She felt she was unlovable, and had little in the way of self esteem. Now an adult aged twenty-four, she drinks too much and is riddled with self-contempt. It is clear that her mental health has suffered over the past decade. She seems to have periods where she cannot account for time lapses. Also, she finds it sometimes difficult to distinguish real life from what she has imagined. She does not know if she can trust her own memories. Her unreliable demeanour gives her an aura of vulnerability.

What happened to the beautiful, artistic Stina in 1967? You’ll just have to read this twisty thriller to find out.

If you like to read cleverly plotted novels that haunt you, then “Home Before Dark” might just be for you. A darkly menacing psychological thriller that I can eagerly recommend.

4.5 stars

[Monika Armet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iceland, 1977. Marsí Karvelsdótti receives a letter from her childhood penpal, Bergur, with whom she hasn’t corresponded for ten years.

When Marsí was thirteen/fourteen years old, she secretly corresponded with Bergur, a boy few years older than her who lived on the other side of the country. However, Marsí has been signing the letters as Stína, her older sister, who was fifteen at the time.

Then, one cold night of November 1967, Marsí agreed to meet Bergur for the very first time. But the very same night, Stína went missing, her bloodied anorak found at the place where Marsí was due to meet Bergur.

Stína hasn’t been seen for the past ten years, and Marsí never mentioned her penpal to anyone, not to her parents and certainly not to the police.

Now, it appears that her penpal is back. This pushes Marsí to find the truth behind her sister’s disappearance.

I loved this standalone book from Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. I am such a huge fan of her books, and this one didn’t disappoint.

I loved the time period of the book: there were limited channels available on the TV and no mobile phones. When people wanted to speak to each other, they had to do it face to face, and they would communicate via letters. It was certainly a simpler time in the sense of no pressures from the digital world, but the young people still faced the same issues as we do today, such as navigating friendships or studying for the exams.

There was a certain animosity between the sisters, something you’d expect as part of growing up and trying to find one’s place in the world. However, in the book, I felt that Marsí thought of herself as inferior to her sister. Stína was the ‘light’: she was bright, funny, popular, and an amazingly talented artist, whereas Marsi was the ‘dark’: moody, unpredictable, and someone her parents were always complaining about.

I was also saddened by the theme of the ‘situation girls’ of Iceland, which the author brings to life in this book. It was a period of Icelandic history that I knew nothing about, and it made me do a bit of my own research. In Home Before Dark, the author portrays the fallout of this scenario and how it affected the lives of the families involved.

Overall, it is such a brilliantly written book that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. I definitely recommend it.

[Audur Eythors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Var mitt á milli þess að gefa 3 & 4 stjörnur. Bókin langdregin til að byrja með en söguþráðurinn vindur uppá sig og kemur með óvæntan endi, fær því 4 stjörnur þar sem ekki var hægt að sjá endinn fyrir

[Justin Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A twisty turny Icelandic mystery perfect for the nights drawing in.
Written from the perspective of two sisters, and told ten years apart, this cleverly imagined tale unfolds and continues to unfold causing you to go down many paths suspecting everyone.
I'm pleased to say this was clever plotting and wasn't predictable so it kept me entertained until the last page.
I'm sure I came up with my own pronunciations of all the Icelandic names, as although the author had put a helpful guide at the front of the book, to keep referring to them would have taken me out of the story.
Give this chilly tale a go, you won't be disappointed.

[Edda Björk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eva does not disappoint!

[Margrét Inga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mjög góð!! 4,5⭐️

[Elsa Ísberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frábær, eins og allt sem ég hef lesið eftir sama höfund

[Bríet Reine Geirsdóttir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lesið þessa bók!

[Eva Ýr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Þessi titill hljómar mjög týpískur og hefði ekki lesið hana nema því ég heyrði meðmæli - spennandi fram á síðustu blaðsíðu 👌🏼

[Laura Andersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good at what it sets out to do—what it sets out to do is fairly dark.

[Bryndís Gunnarsdóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stjörnur. Flott flétta og spennan stigmagnaðist.

[Geert Snijders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Redelijke thriller met veel getroubleerde IJslanders.

[Margarita Mitreva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slapeloos van Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is een psychologische thriller waarin familiegeheimen en schuldgevoel centraal staan. Het verhaal draait om Marti, de jongste zus, die jaren na het verdwijnen van haar zus Stína op zoek gaat naar de waarheid. Tijdens haar zoektocht komt zij steeds meer te weten over een duistere familiegeschiedenis, waarin slaapwandelen, verzwegen gebeurtenissen en een tragisch ongeluk een grote rol spelen.

Volgens het verhaal van haar ouders is Marti als kind slaapwandelend in de auto gestapt samen met haar zus Stína. De auto reed tegen een boom, waarbij Stína om het leven kwam. Marti zou hier schuldig aan zijn geweest. Gaandeweg wordt duidelijk dat niet alleen Marti, maar ook haar moeder en andere familieleden last hebben van slaapwandelen, en dat er meer geheimen uit het verleden zijn, waaronder een baby die haar moeder vroeger heeft gekregen.

Hoewel het verhaal inhoudelijk interessante thema’s aansnijdt, zoals schuld, trauma en familiebanden, wist het boek mij persoonlijk niet erg te raken. De spanning bouwde voor mijn gevoel langzaam op en bleef vrij ingetogen, waardoor het verhaal mij niet genoeg wist mee te slepen. Ik vond de plot en de uitwerking niet pakkend genoeg om echt enthousiast te worden.

Dat neemt niet weg dat Slapeloos goed geschreven is en waarschijnlijk beter zal aanslaan bij lezers die houden van rustige, psychologische thrillers met een focus op sfeer en innerlijke beleving. Voor mij sloot het verhaal echter minder aan bij mijn smaak, waardoor het boek mij niet lang is bijgebleven.