Dead Sweet

When a celebrated government official is found dead after his surprise birthday party, a young police officer uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives. Icelandic politician Katrín Júlíusdóttir's award-winning debut – first in a breathtaking series… Winner of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Debut ‘A breathtaking thriller from one of Iceland’s most exciting new voices’ Eva Björg Ægisdóttir ‘So chilling’ Heat magazine ‘Katrín Júlíusdóttir skilfully weaves together intense family dynamics, dark pasts and criminal endeavours in this masterful narrative’ Lilja Sigurðardóttir ‘A sophisticated, multi-layered thriller … a series with great potential’ Financial Times ________ A murder is just the beginning… When Óttar Karlsson, a wealthy and respected government official and businessman, is found murdered, after failing to turn up at his own surprise birthday party, the police are at a loss. It isn’t until young police officer Sigurdís finds a well-hidden safe in his impersonal luxury apartment that clues start emerging.

As Óttar’s shady business dealings become clear, a second, unexpected line of enquiry emerges, when Sigurdís finds a US phone number in the safe, along with papers showing regular money transfers to an American account. Following the trail to Minnesota, trauma rooted in Sigurdís’s own childhood threatens to resurface and the investigation strikes chillingly close to home… Atmospheric, deeply unsettling and full of unexpected twists and turns, Dead Sweet is a startling debut thriller that uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives, kicking off an addictive, chilling new series. ____ ‘Exceptional and realistic characters … Dead Sweet hooks you in from the very first page and keeps you there until the unexpected ending’ Blackbird Award judges: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Ragnar Jónasson and Bjarni Þorsteinsson ‘Delve into a world of corruption, power and a rising body count in one of your new favourite noir series’ B.S.

Casey ‘A very welcome addition to the growing number of writers of Icelandic Noir … many twists and turns until all is revealed’ TripFiction ‘An excellent debut thriller with a highly original storyline’ Sæunn Gísladóttir, The Reading Room What readers are saying… ‘I devoured it in two sittings. I honestly cannot believe that it’s a debut’ ‘Intelligent, suspenseful and totally gripping’ ‘Expertly reveals secrets in a way that kept my eyes glued to the page' ‘Júlíusdóttir spins a cracking tale and keeps the revelations and teasers unwinding’ ‘Another fabulous piece of Icelandic noir, with a fabulous cast of characters and a truly absorbing story’ ‘Dark, chilling and twisty … I couldn’t put it down’ ‘Breathtakingly unnerving’ ‘What an ending!’