Random Things Tours: Boys who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb

 

Icelandic literature, particularly from the crime/thriller category, never ceases to surprise me, and I am more than grateful for being able to follow up in the last year the works of some brand name of the genre. Thus, I had the possibility to figure out not only about literary trends and topics, but also about style and writing skills. One of those authors is Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. I had the chance to previously read two from her series Forbidden Iceland - translated by Victoria Cribb. Boys who Hurt publish by the one and only Orenda Books is the fifth installment and it only gets better.

What I also previously liked about Ægisdóttir books is that they are set in a normal everyday environment and the characters - good and bad - do have a normal life, as everyone does; they are not superheroes. Detective Elma, for instance, is back from her maternity leave and her partner Sævar, that will play a role in the story as well, is staying at home with their daughter. As simple as that. 

Elma is leaving her family quietness to investigate the murder of her neighbour´s son, in a brutal attack that seems to have a repetitive pattern. At least when it comes to the cottage where it took place. Accidentally, Sævar is filling his paternity leave time going through a box with old documents, and one diary may have the key to the crime.

More than in the other two books, in Boys Who Hurt the narrative construction is seamless, and it only gets darker and darker, with small details that do amplify the mystery and do make the solution almost impossive to predict. Like in a game of perspectives, we are offered a kaleidoscope-like of views, which may shed some light on different parts of the story, while still keeping in shadow some of the most important details to be revealed at the very end, if ever.

I wish there will be more books in the series, because I just want the best for me: and I am more than sure that the best of the best is yet to come. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own