Cold as Hell: The breakout bestseller, first in the addictive An Áróra Investigation series

By Lilja Sigurdardottir

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

‘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

‘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’ 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

• Language: English
• Publisher: ORENDA BOOKS
• Release date: Aug 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781913193898

Lilja Sigurdardottir

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written ten crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavík Noir trilogy, and her standalone thriller Betrayal, all of which have hit bestseller lists worldwide. Snare was longlisted for the CWA International Dagger, Cage won Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year and was a Guardian Book of the Year, and Betrayal was shortlisted for the prestigious Glass Key Award and won Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year. The film rights for the Reykjavík Noir trilogy have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Cold as Hell, the first book in the An Áróra Investigation series, was published in the UK in 2021. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

Reviews for Cold as Hell

[edgoldberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lackluster at best; totally uninteresting at worst.

[atticusfinch1048 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cold as Hell – GrippingCold as Hell is the start of a new series by the award-winning writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir the fabulous who always writes top notch crime. He crime writing tends to bring the cold Icelandic island to life and reminds you of its rugged nature.Áróra and Ísafold, sisters, live in different countries, correspond by Facebook usually, but currently not on speaking terms. When their mother cannot contact Ísafold, she begs Áróra to travel to Iceland and look for her. When she gets to Iceland, and begins searching for her sister, it becomes clear Ísafold is not avoiding them but really has gone missing.Áróra confronts Ísafold’s drug dealing boyfriend and her neighbours, who all state that they have not seen her. As she tries to contact all those on Ísafold’s block, none seem to be very helpful, as if they all have their own secrets to hide.Staying in her hotel, she notes the owner and his various residents, who seem to come and go very regularly. Knowing that the owner is also one of Iceland’s financial criminals, also sets out to find where he has hidden the money owed to the banks and the tax office. She takes on the case as well, so that she receives some money while she is away.To help her in finding Ísafold, she enlists a distant relative, Daniel who happens to be an Icelandic police officer. Daniel is able to use his office to ask questions that Áróra cannot ask. Even with the help of Daniel she seems no closer to the truth about what has happened to her sister.What Áróra does not know is that she is being watched along with Ísafold’s boyfriend Björn, someone close than they will know. That person seems to know a lot of secrets but does not wish to help the police. He clearly knows where and what is everyone doing, why does he not just help?Such a gripping story, which will have you hooked from the beginning, soaking up the land of the midnight sun. There are plenty of twists and turns, and in true Icelandic noir style, expect the unexpected.