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Forbidden Iceland #5

by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

Maður finnst myrtur í sumarbústað í Skorradal. Á veggnum fyrir ofan hann hafa verið skilin eftir blóðug skilaboð.

Elma glímir hér við sérlega erfitt mál sem teygir anga sína víða um samfélagið og tugi ára aftur í tímann – ekki síst eftir að gömul dagbók ungs drengs finnst. Og á Akranesi er fólk sem vill alls ekki að sannleikurinn komi í ljós.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Nordic Noir, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Roman

351 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2022

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

[Silvie Klokgieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elma is na haar zwangerschapsverlof weer aan het werk terwijl Saevar met hun baby thuis is, in hun nieuwe huis in Akranes. Saevar vindt een doos in de garage, achtergelaten door de vorige bewoners, met daarin een dagboek van een jongeman dat details onthult van een gebeurtenis van tijden geleden.

Verklaart de inhoud van het dagboek waarom de zoon van hun excentrieke buurman in een afgelegen zomerhuisje vermoord is aangetroffen? Gaat dit dagboek Elma helpen bij haar onderzoek naar deze zaak? Meer dan ooit blijkt dat achter de mooiste facades, monsters schuil kunnen gaan...

Scandinavische thrillers blijven mij altijd enorm trekken, ondanks dat het vaak 'slow burners' zijn, maar ook deze keer stelde deze auteur mij zeker niet teleur met dit derde deel.

Vrijwel meteen lees je over de vondst van een dood lichaam. Het blijkt om de buurman van Elma en haar man Saevar te zijn. Hij is bruut om het leven gekomen en op de muur staat iets geschreven... Dit vond ik meteen al super mysterieus!

Vervolgens maak je regelmatig een sprongetje terug in de tijd lees je ook hoofdstukken vanuit het slachtoffer. Hierdoor wordt duidelijk wat er zich de voorgaande periode allemaal heeft afgespeeld. En ondertussen ontdekt Saevar ook nog eens een dagboek en ga je door middel van fragmenten hieruit nog verder naar vroeger...

Er gebeuren dus meerdere dingen tegelijk en de sprongen in de tijd zorgen ervoor dat het verhaal enorm interessant blijft. Je weet echt niet hoe het nu precies in elkaar steekt en eigenlijk zijn er een heleboel verdachten.

Naarmate het verhaal vordert begin je wat verbanden te zien, maar nog is dan onduidelijk wie er precies achter de moord zit (en blijft het überhaupt bij één moord?). Je hebt wel een vermoeden, maar toch word je als lezer op het verkeerde been gezet.

Ik vond dit een heel erg goed deel en ik hoop dat er snel een vervolg komt!

Beoordeling: 4,0 ⭐️

[Eline Van Der Meulen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sneeuwblind is intussen al het vijfde deel in de IJslandse moorden serie van Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir. Ik las eerder alle voorgaande delen al en heb daar telkens enorm van genoten! Ook dit vijfde deel was weer genieten. Er komen wel wat personages aan bod en met de IJslandse namen kan dat soms toch nog wel even verwarrend zijn. Toch lukte het me goed om iedereen uit elkaar te houden en het verhaal zo goed te kunnen volgen. We maken opnieuw kennis met Elma en Saevar die intussen ouders geworden zijn. Als Saevar een oud dagboek tegenkomt in hun huis dat toebehoorde aan vorige eigenaars, is zijn nieuwsgierigheid geprikkeld. Het gaat over een jeugdkamp in 1995 waar één en ander voorgevallen is. Ook Elma is intussen ook bezig met een onderzoek en een link met het dagboek lijkt niet veraf te zijn. Het boek is net zoals de vorige delen spannend en je blijft als lezer steeds geboeid door het hele verhaal. De connectie tussen de huidige zaak en het dagboek vind ik altijd leuk aan een verhaal en dat was hier niet anders. De IJslandse moorden serie is echt een aanrader voor mensen die houden van goede Scandinavische thrillers. Ik kijk alvast uit naar een zesde deel in deze boeiende reeks. Ik geef sneeuwblind graag 4.5⭐️
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2025...

[Willemijn jufwillemijnopallstars · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ster. Op zich een interessante zaak, maar heel verrassend was het niet. Maar nu wil ik heel graag het volgende boek, want we moeten weten wat Saevar achter houdt 🙃

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boys Who Hurt is the fifth book in Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s crime series Forbidden Iceland. It is darkly gripping and works well as a standalone.

The author weaves together a cast of well developed complex characters in the small community of Akranes. Secrets abound, both past and present, which are interwoven in a complexity that adds to the dark and foreboding tension as the plot develops.

I have to say, in reading this, I was totally absorbed. There is a certain mesmerising atmospheric darkness to good Nordic noir that feels like a neverending winter, one which holds onto you until the very last page. Boys Who Hurt does just that. It feels like walking across a lake frozen in winter and suddenly hearing the ice under your feet begin to crack.

If you enjoy Nordic noir type books, high tension, with complex characters and strong plots, you will enjoy this book. It kept me awake until I finished reading. Will there be a sixth book in the Forbidden Iceland series? I certainly hope so.

Thank you to Orenda Books for the ARC.

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 námundað niður. Þetta er hingað til athyglisverðasta málið sem Elma hefur þurft að kljást við og mér fannst loksins eins og það væri að koma almennileg tenging á milli bókanna, enda endar hún á cliffhanger. Mér fannst líka æðislegt hvernig fortíðin og framtíðin fléttuðust saman hér og hin sjónarhornin sem við fengum að sjá. Þetta minnti mig líka smá á Murder on the Orient Express á besta mögulega hátt.

[Virginie Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed this latest book in the forbidden Iceland series I didn’t feel it came up to the high standards of some of the earlier ones, particularly Girls Who Lie and You Can’t See Me, which were excellent.

As with her previous books the author’s strength is in building very believable characters and motivations, unfortunately though on this occasion I felt the plot was a little muddled. It wasn’t helped by a large number of characters flitting in and out of the story. Ordinarily I don’t find this difficult but there seemed such a large number, which coupled with a storyline that jumped around, meant that it wasn’t an easy read.

Finally the ending was a bit subdued so all in all no more than 6 out of 10

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

"I count seven stab wounds" her boss Hordur said from behind her.
"that's pretty brutal"

the writing on the wall...
Take away my crimes and sins with blood , O Jesus.

a man is found dead...with a religious comment marked on a wall.
the investigation doesn't turn out to be spectacular..but the real attraction here are the various characters hovering around the crime..all with their own secrets and reasons to lie.

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a favorite of mine and the fifth book delivered another gripping read. Told through multiple POVs and spanning various families and timelines, the story explores the vicious cycle of violence and its impact on the victims. Secrets that were thought to be long buried resurface, adding layers of suspense and intrigue. The echoes of the past have an impact on the present. In terms of the murders, the culprit wasn’t apparent until the end, which I liked. Overall, this was a complex mystery and I was definitely intrigued by the ending and what’s being set up for the next book in the series.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Eva Björg Ægisdottir- Sneeuwblind”
⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️

Deel 5! 🙂
Voor mij persoonlijk het beste deel! 😍
Leest megavlot, de IJslandse namen ben ik intussen gewoon en in dit boek valt het aantal karakters heel goed mee! 🥲
Goed gevonden verhaal, over meerdere belangrijke, aangrijpende onderwerpen… 🥺
Ik kijk zo hard uit naar een volgend deel! 😮🫣

[Claire-Louise Armstrong-Brealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tales from Akranes just get better and better.

Neighbours with secrets, corrupt police, revenge and a new baby are all happening here.

I truly enjoy these stories by Eva B Æ and am really looking forward to many more.

[Monika Armet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the Forbidden Iceland series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, although I do recommend that you read the whole series.

Detective Elma has just got back to work after her maternity leave, and she is investigating a new case.

A 41-year-old Thorgeir is reported missing by his mother. His body, brutally stabbed, is found in the family cabin. Above his body, a writing on the wall, asking to forgive his sins. What does it all mean?

Meanwhile, Sævar, Elma’s partner is currently on paternity leave, looking after their daughter, Adda.

When the couple moved into their new home, they found an old box with a diary inside. One day, Sævar begins to look through its pages. The diary is written by a teenage boy, Maní who attended a Christian camp more than two decades ago.

How is Maní’s diary and Thorgeir’s brutal murder connected?

How I loved this book! I read mesmerised with the plot, literally on the edge of my seat.

I am a fan of crime fiction, especially when it’s set abroad. I like the dark and the gloom of the Icelandic archipelago, and reading about different customs and culture.

Thorgeir’s case sent the chills running down my spine. A man with a horrid secret who’s been walking free all of this time.

What made it more memorable is the fact that I haven’t guessed who-dunnit, which is always a bonus. It came as a nice surprise.

This series just keeps on getting better and better. I cannot wait for book six!

[Georgina Reads_Eats_Explores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boys Who Hurt is my first read in the award-winning Forbidden Iceland series, and it certainly won’t be my last.

Newly returned from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case when a man is found murdered in a holiday cottage in the depths of the Icelandic countryside – the victim of a frenzied knife attack, with a shocking message scrawled on the wall above him.

With no blindingly apparent suspects for the brutal killing of middle-aged Thorgeir and a message written on his wall that seems to relate to a Christian youth camp, he attended as a teenager in 1995, Elma and her team must dig deep and sift through all kinds of leads for information. What makes it even more complex a web is that the town is only small, and all our characters are tightly linked with many hiding all manner of unpleasant behaviour and dodgy dealings behind wholesome facades.

Boys Who Hurt deals with some dark subjects, but it’s skillfully done and an engrossing multi-layered read.

Thank you to Anne @randomthingstours for involving me on the blog tour.

[Hrafnhildur Ingolfsdottir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fín spennusaga smá langdregin en mjög skemmtilega skrifuð

[Dóra Marín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tók þessa með Björgvini - tók nokkrar vikur. Góð bók og næs að hlusta

[Jacob Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is back with her latest book Boys Who Hurt and it is another fantastic addition in the brilliant Forbidden Iceland series which has definitely become one of my favourites in crime fiction. Detective Elma is returning to work after her maternity leave and as she is welcomed back by her team, the body of a man named Thorgeir is discovered, and this proves to be quite a complex case, especially as Thorgeir has been killed in such a brutal and shocking way. As Elma and her team investigate, it becomes clear that what has happened has links to events that happened in the Thorgeir’s past, but who would want him dead?

I really liked how Eva told part of the novel from the days leading up to the Thorgeir’s death. It adds a real sense of tension, as we know how his story is going to end, but I wanted to find out what was going on in his life beforehand, and Eva does an excellent job of delving into what his state of mind was like in the days leading up to his death. It was really fascinating and intriguing seeing the build-up, and Eva begins to paint a picture of what he was like as a person and there are certainly a few people who have strong opinions of him. As the police investigation also continues, we begin to find out just what sort of a man Thorgeir was, and there are some chilling revelations along the way, particularly in relation to events that took place at a Christian camp in the 1990s.

The book is really pacy and it grips you from the first page. I loved the short chapters as this, for me, really helped to add to the tension and it kept me turning the pages. I loved the scenes featuring Elma and her team as they try to advance the investigation, and seeing the scenes showing Elma as a new parent with her partner Sævar, but I also liked the scenes when Eva takes us back in time. I wanted to understand more about what had happened in the past at the camp and this creates a chilling atmosphere.

The characters in this book are so compelling and I read this book really fast. Eva does a brilliant job of making us want to find out more about her characters. Boys Who Hurt is a dark, and an utterly gripping read. I love this series and I can’t wait to see what Eva has in store for us next.

[Anne Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed returning to Inspector Elma in this new investigation into the death of her neighbor's son, who was murdered in his vacation home.

As always, the author interweaves characters, and the past and present intertwine. It's not always easy to navigate at the beginning of the novel, but by the end, the pieces of the puzzle always fit together for a successful outcome. Old secrets are unearthed little by little to shed light on the present and how childhood traumas haunt you in your adult life. I guessed the murderer's identity fairly quickly, but that didn't spoil my reading, as Elma's investigation is punctuated by quite a few twists and turns. I especially liked the final chapter, which hints at a future volume focused more on Sævar ?

I love discovering Iceland through Eva Björg Aegisdóttir's novels, the small town of Akranes, the cold, the wind, where everyone knows each other. And then, as the novels progress, we inevitably become attached to characters like Elma, who in this volume is a young mother and whom we follow in her personal and professional life. Can't wait for the next one...

[Fin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely 4.5 stars!

'Boys Who Hurt' by Eva Björg Ægisdottir is a 315-page Scandi crime novel full of twists and turns, concealments and cover-ups, everyone has something to hide. The changes in time perspective always add another layer of depth and the varying lengths of the chapters make it a fast-paced, gripping read. For me, the ending lacked a little oomph for me that other books in the series held - but it was all tied up in fairness. You find out what happens.

I always thought that the pronunciation guide at the start is a really nice touch.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 9781399169332
I certainly enjoyed this a lot more than the last one in this series and look forward to the next
when young, some boys and a girl had killed a boy. His sister, Ivy, had seen them do it and wants to revenge it years later. She gets the sister of one of the killers to get involved with another one then kills him, and then later the others. Ivy also drugged the sister but she is rescued. One of the killers was the son of the ex police chief who had covered up the murder. Another one’s mother was a money launderer for the chief’s sister too.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fifth book in the series gets back to the timeline after the fourth book. It is better than that as well, being a straight forward mystery instead of the soap opera that the fourth one was. These books are not particularly challenging mysteries but are satisfying for a quick rea.

[Hrafnhildur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hörkuspennandi

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s The Forbidden Iceland series never disappoints, and Boys Who Hurt is no exception. Eva is really good at forming characters. And the story was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. When all the clues come together, you finally see the picture.

If you haven't read the series yet, start. You will not be disappointed.

Victoria Cribb translation is excellent as always.

[Erika Beumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weer met veel plezier gelezen.

[Lucienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

De boeken in deze IJslandse serie lezen heerlijk weg. Zo ook het 5e deel, sympathieke hoofdpersonen en gedegen verhaal.
Niet bijster origineel, genoeg spanning en fundamenten voor een 6e deel.

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vlot leesbare thriller. Na het vinden van het lichaam van een man in een afgelegen zomerhuisje, gaat rechercheur Elma met haar team op zoek naar de dader.
De ontknoping was niet onverwacht, al heb ik tijdens het lezen ook andere personages verdacht.

[Marieke Sercu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helemaal mijn ding, maar niet zo spannend.

[Árdís Indriðadóttir Stefáns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frábær glæpasaga.

[Már Másson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allt í lagi. Fléttan þunn í lokinn

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich war begeistert von der Spannung der Ermittlungen, ihren Wendungen, ihren Überraschungen und ihrem Ausgang! Wie in den vorherigen Büchern der Reihe gefielen mir die Ermittlungen des Teams. Besonders gefiel mir, dass der Leser Einblicke in ihr Privatleben erhielt, ohne dass die Spannung des Romans darunter litt. Der Schluss ist zwar das Ende der Ermittlungen, wirft aber weitere spannende Fragen auf! Ich kann es kaum erwarten, das nächste Buch zu lesen! Ich habe ein digitales Exemplar dieses Romans von NetGalley im Austausch gegen eine ehrliche Rezension erhalten.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, Eva treats us with a new Detective story with Elma and Sævar being newly parents for the first time and also involved with the murder of a man in his cabin. We are taken to the lives of several young people who are known to the previous head of the police called Otto. In previous years something which is bad has happened. You find that terrible things, even the ones not described in detail happened. You find that love triangles were made without thinking that they could exist in real life. When they were young and at camp a boy was found drowned in the lake and his younger sister watched it happened. We'll let you figure out how it all went down because it's interesting as a who-done-it.