Cold as Hell

Áróra returns to Iceland when her estranged sister goes missing, and her search leads to places she could never have imagined. A chilling, tense thriller – FIRST in an addictive, nerve-shattering new series – from one of Iceland’s bestselling authors…

‘Icelandic crime writing at its finest … immersive and unnerving’ Shari Lapena

‘Best-selling Icelandic crime-writer Sigurðardóttir has built a formidable reputation with just four novels, but here she introduces a new protagonist who is set to cement her legacy’ Daily Mail

‘Another bleak, unpredictable classic’ Metro

**Winner: Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year**

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Icelandic sisters Áróra and Ísafold live in different countries and aren‘t on speaking terms, but when their mother loses contact with Ísafold, Áróra reluctantly returns to Iceland to find her sister. But she soon realises that her sister isn’t avoiding her … she has disappeared, without trace. 

As she confronts Ísafold’s abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend Björn, and begins to probe her sister’s reclusive neighbours – who have their own reasons for staying out of sight – Áróra is led into an ever-darker web of intrigue and manipulation. 

Baffled by the conflicting details of her sister’s life, and blinded by the shiveringly bright midnight sun of the Icelandic summer, Áróra enlists the help of police officer Daníel, as she tries to track her sister’s movements, and begins to tail Björn – but she isn’t the only one watching…

Slick, tense, atmospheric and superbly plotted, Cold as Hell marks the start of a riveting, addictive new series from one of Iceland’s bestselling crime writers.

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‘Lilja Sigurðardóttir doesn’t write cookie-cutter crime novels. She is aware that “the fundamentals of existence are totally incomprehensible and chaotic”: anything can and does happen … Isn’t that what all crime writers should aim for?’ The Times

‘The blinding midnight sun in Iceland’s summer is beautifully evoked as Áróra establishes herself as a heroine to move the heart’ Daily Mail

‘Lilja is a standout voice in Icelandic Noir, and this book does not disappoint … Cold as Hell is her best yet’ James Oswald
 
‘Domestic abuse, high-finance hanky-panky, and illegal immigration all figure in this arresting series launch … sure to please Scandi noir fans’ Publishers Weekly
 
‘What sets Lilja’s work apart is her ability to thread dark atmospheric tension throughout her writing and to keep the tale so taut … a slick, refreshing, glacial blast of a thriller’ LoveReading

‘So atmospheric’ Crime Monthly

‘Intricate, enthralling and very moving – a wonderful crime novel’ William Ryan

‘Three things we love about Cold as Hell: Iceland’s unrelenting midnight sun; the gritty Nordic murder mystery; the peculiar and bewitching characters’ Apple Books

‘Lilja Sigurðardóttir just gets better and better … Áróra is a wonderful character: unique, passionate, unpredictable and very real’ Michael Ridpath

Praise for Lilja Sigurðardóttir

'Smart writing with a strongly beating heart' Big Issue

'Tough, uncompromising and unsettling' Val McDermid

'Tense and pacey' Guardian

'Deftly plotted' Financial Times

‘An emotional suspense rollercoaster on a par with The Firm, as desperate, resourceful, profoundly lovable characters scheme against impossible odds’ Alexandra Sokoloff

'Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns' Sunday Times

‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books

'Taut, gritty and thoroughly absorbing' Booklist

'A stunning addition to the icy-cold crime genre' Foreword Reviews
 
For fans of Katrine Engberg, Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir, Arne Dahl and Sarah Vaughan