The Forbidden Iceland series (The Creak on the Stairs, Girls Who Lie, Night Shadows, etc.) by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir features one of the most complex and addictive narrative arcs readers are likely to find—not just in Icelandic crime fiction, but in crime fiction in general. Ægisdóttir’s ability to position authentically relatable characters within twisted tales that misdirect readers at almost every turn makes her a must read for her growing legion of fans. Now, with the release of her first standalone domestic suspense novel—Home Before Dark—Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is poised to break into the mainstream by gathering a cadre of new fans…er…fanatics.
Only the bare bones of Home Before Dark’s plot is needed for readers to become hooked on this dark and twisted narrative. Naturally, Home Before Dark is set in Iceland—in this case, in the years 1967 and 1977. In 1967, fourteen-year-old Marsibil Karvelsdóttir (Marsí) is lonely and looking for a penpal. With low self-esteem, Marsí decides to use her older sister Stína’s name, description, and personality for the letters. After months of communication, Marsí plans to secretly meet the boy she has been communicating with, but when she misses the clandestine rendezvous, she never expects to discover that Stína has vanished from that very same location.
The disappearance of Stína Karvelsdóttir remains unsolved for a decade, but when Marsí receives an unexpected letter from her childhood penpal, she decides she must return to her hometown to investigate this cold case. With guilt as a motivating factor, Marsí traces Stína’s actions in the weeks leading up to her disappearance—all while fearing that someone is watching from the darkness. With chronic insomnia plaguing her, Marsí’s confusion makes her investigation all the more dangerous.
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir allows Home Before Dark to unspool in alternating storylines—the 1967 sections from Stína’s point of view and the 1977 investigation from the point of view of Marsí. In true Ægisdóttir style, this allows the author to control what information the reader knows and more importantly, when they discover it. Fans of domestic suspense sign up for this type of subtle manipulation when they open the cover of a book and with Home Before Dark, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir provides a masterclass.
Suffice to say, it will be the rare crime fiction reader who ferrets out all the secrets contained within Home Before Dark before the author wants them known. Once all is revealed, it is impossible not to sit back and marvel at how this author so skillfully obfuscates things that should have been so obvious to seasoned readers.
In truth, while the clever plotting of Home Before Dark certainly succeeds in fooling the reader, it’s once again Ægisdóttir’s well-crafted characters that keep readers glued to the pages. These sisters are people everyone can relate to—that desire to be liked, to be seen, to forge our own path through the challenging relationship dynamics found in both familial and social life. These are characters readers want to root for—even as they continue to make choices that are surely leading them down difficult paths.
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s Home Before Dark oozes with atmospheric menace, virtually forcing the reader to continue turning pages late into the night. Once the truth is known, sleep might just become impossible. Start reading now, because soon everyone will be talking about Home Before Dark.
BUY LINKS: Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
