Murder mystery set in AKRANES, Iceland

17th April 2025

Boys Who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, murder mystery set in AKRANES, Iceland

TR: Victoria Cribb

The latest (5th) in the Forbidden Iceland Nordic Noir series, Boys Who Hurt, is a big success; the series just gets better, book by book. Not only does Eva Björg Ægisdóttir conjure a vivid picture of rural Iceland but the suspenseful murder mystery story has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the end.

The protagonist, Detective Elma, is back on duty after giving birth to her daughter, Adda. She leaves her baby in the tender care of her husband, Sævar, and she hopes for a gentle reintroduction to work. Which is not to be. The brutal murder of a local man in a rural summerhouse is her first case. There is no obvious suspect or motive for the crime. The only apparent clue is a religious tract scrawled on the wall behind the victim. This isn’t going to be an easy case and to add to her troubles, Elma has a grumpy boss to deal with.

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Meanwhile, Sævar is finding it hard to give up his detective career for full-time parenting. He busies himself tidying the house they have moved into and finds a long-forgotten box of documents, left by a previous occupant. He becomes engrossed in them and begins to wonder whether there is some connection between what he’s reading and  Elma’s case. Could the answer lie in the past?

Once again, Iceland itself plays a major role in the story. The dark, snowy winter days set the scene and the author describes both the traditional and modern aspects of the small community in which the story is set. In Akranes there are few incomers and many people have known each other their entire lives. The question is, have they known each other as well as they think they have? We encounter quite a large cast of characters, each with their own backstories and many of them with reasons to be suspected of involvement in the case. There are stories of unhappy childhood, of decisions taken in the heat of the moment and tragedies that have been covered up. And there’s one important secret that threatens Elma’s own happiness.

I love the way that Eva creates characters who are realistic and empathetic. She has a light touch that immerses you in Icelandic way of life without labouring the point. It is easy to understand the universal themes of belonging, isolation and power that motivate the characters and in some cases lead to their undoing.

You don’t need to have read previous books in the series to enjoy Boys Who Hurt. Oh and it’s a very clever title, as it turns out. I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.

Sue for the TripFiction Team

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