Buying Options

Kindle Price:	$1.78
	includes tax, if applicable

promotions apply when you purchase

Add Audible Narration to your purchase for just $2.99

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Redeem a promotion code or gift card

Share <Embed>

Cold as Hell: The breakout bestseller, first in the addictive An Áróra Investigation series by [Lilja Sigurdardóttir, Quentin Bates]

Follow the Author

Lilja Sigurdardóttir

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

by Lilja Sigurdardóttir (Author), Quentin Bates (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

645 ratings

See all formats and editions

Amazon Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$1.78

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Paperback

"Please retry"

$23.68

$22.51

—

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**

––––––––––––––

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.

–––––––––––––––––

‘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

Print length

292 pages
Language

English
Publisher

ORENDA BOOKS
Publication date

28 August 2021
File size

3087 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Product description

Review

"Best-selling Icelandic crime-writer Sigurdardottir has built a formidable reputation with just four novels, but here she introduces a new protagonist who is set to cement her legacy." -- The Daily Mail

"Reading Cold as Hell sometimes gives you "the bizarre feeling of having been struck by a hand that had previously been so gentle". Isn't that what all crime writers should aim for? The good news, my "cuddle dumplings", is that Arora will be back." --Times

"Thriller of the year." --New York Journal of Books on Snare

"Sigurdardóttir's secret sauce is constructing satisfying narratives from diaphanous stands of plot and fleeting glimpses of her characters' contrary natures. The result? Another bleak, unpredictable classic." --Metro

"fans of Nordic noir will find plenty to like." --Publishers Weekly on Trap

"[A] lively conclusion...Fans already invested in this Nordic crime series will race through the pages."-- Publishers Weekly on Cage

"A taut, gritty, thoroughly absorbing journey into Reykjavik's underworld." --Booklist on Snare

"Prime binge-reading." --Booklist on Trap

"Sigurðardóttir knows how to ratchet up the tension...[Trap] is a worthy addition to the icy-cold crime genre popularized by Scandinavian noir novels." --Foreword Reviews on Trap

"Tough, uncompromising and unsettling." --Val McDermid on Betrayal

"With its clever plot and brisk, tight pace, this hard-to-put-down Nordic thriller will be a treat for crime fiction fans." --Library Journal on Snare

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranesin 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja's English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja's standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. In 2021, Cold as Hell, the first in the An Áróra Investigation series was published, with Red as Blood to follow in 2022. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08WRJXYGY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ ORENDA BOOKS (28 August 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3087 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 292 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 14,098 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 110 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- 124 in Hard-Boiled Mysteries
- 126 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Books)

Customer Reviews:
645 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Lilja Sigurdardóttir

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs, and more

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
1,139
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.69
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
2,029
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.47
Lilja Sigurdardóttir
423
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $1.99
Sólveig Pálsdóttir
675
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $6.71
Lilja Sigurdardóttir
342
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.59
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.59

Customer reviews

5 star		34%
4 star		39%
3 star		20%
2 star		6%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Review this product

Write a customer review

Top reviews from Australia

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Barbara Meyer

Long-windedly

Reviewed in Australia on 31 January 2022

Verified Purchase

Giving everyone’s point of view made for too much repetitiveness. Also there was a similarity to some of the characters which was confusing.

Helpful

H.R. Kemp

A thoroughly engrossing read

Reviewed in Australia on 30 September 2021

Lilja Sigurdardottir has an easy-to-read writing style that swept me along. I read the book within a few sittings and I'm usually a slow reader.

This book is set in Iceland, with its lava fields, cold summers, and the midnight sun. There Arora encounters a sinister cast of characters as she searches for her missing sister, Isafold. It soon becomes clear that Isafold is not hiding from her sister and mother, but that something terrible may have happened.

The characters of this story are unusual and some of them are creepy and sinister. There is intrigue, we are given insights and speculate about the characters and how they are connected to Isafold's disappearance, but nothing is clear until the end. There are a couple of surprises.

This book was compelling. It's my introduction to the writing of Lilja Sigurdardottir, courtesy of a free advanced reader copy, and I'll be seeking out more of her books.

A thoroughly engrossing read.

Helpful

Bagged it

Reviewed in Australia on 6 December 2021

Verified Purchase

A top story that involves some very interesting plot ideas. A lot of plots swirl round as Arora tries to find her sister, chase down financial crime, and falls in love sort of. All in the close Icelandic society where there are bo secrets, except there are.

I noticed the following. The translation was good with only one sentence i had to read twice. Why have extended bits in italics when it is harder to read, and the content was confusing and misleading. The book tailed away a bit at the end as the multiple plots had to be concluded after the major twist.

If you like Nordic noir and a strong female lead this book will tick all the boxes

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Spicewalker

Atmospheric, emotion driven and suspense filled read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 August 2021

Verified Purchase

If you have come to this book expecting a fast paced, action driven story with all of the quirks that were to be found in Lilja Sigurðardóttir's Reykjavik Noir series, you may be disappointed. This is a slower paced, more contemplative novel, one in which a sense of melancholy is infused from the very beginning, but one that is no less compelling or addictive as a result. There is a kind of coldness to the opening chapter, a sense of foreboding and an understanding of what will come to pass in the ensuing pages, even if we do not know the full who are why yet. The who will be clear very quickly, discovering the how and why are really the sole purpose of Áróra's return to Iceland, even if she is not as aware as we, the readers, are of this fact.

This is, in essence, the story of a missing person. Receiving a call from her mother, Áróra returns to the country of her birth, a country she can no longer identify with as home, in a bid to find her sister, Ísafold, who has seemingly vanished without a trace. At the very least she has failed to keep in contact with their mother, something which is very out of character for her. We follow Áróra as she tries to track her sister's movements, navigating her world, tracking her extended family and speaking to her neighbours in a bid to find out what has happened since their mother lost contact. Her investigations reveal some worrying truths about Ísafold's relationship, but do they bring her any closer to discovering the truth. Meanwhile, someone is working hard to keep a dark secret, one which drew me deeper into the story. And there are more reasons why Ísafold's neighbours are being so evasive, reasons which draw directly upon a very relatable and all too common issue of the modern world.

What I love about Lilja Sigurðardóttir's writing is that she creates characters that I may not always like, I may not always approve of the actions, but in whom I become so invested that I am pulled deeper into the story. That is certainly the case in Cold As Hell and in Áróra we have a protagonist who is quite spiky, almost selfish in outlook at times, her reluctance in tracing her sister almost halting her investigations before they begin. But there is another side to Áróra as just as you think you have her figured out, that deeper emotional core, the one she tries to hide, is brought to the fore. Beyond it all, she is quite astute, and the kind of character that gets under your skin, leaving me admiring her strength and intelligence. She is an intriguing character, one who I could identify with in many ways, but one who felt real, three dimensional, and authentic. The people around her, the people on the periphery of her investigations all add to the story in their own ways, all unique personalities who range from the obsessional to the emotional and everything in between. There is a clear chemistry between Áróra and her 'not-quite' Uncle, Daníel, one that never quite peaks for a variety of reasons. It's something I'll be interested to see if the author explores further in future books.

Exploring the refugee situation, coercive control, fraud and the themes of family, love and, ultimately, revenge, this book brought forth a range of emotions and kept me immersed in its pages from start to finish. For fans of the author's other books you may recognise the odd character or two, and whilst only one the edges of this particular story I have a feeling they could well make a return. It brings a nice sense of familiarity to the book, a sense of the interconnected nature of both the characters in this story and the country as a whole. Iceland may be a small island, and the communities that Ísafold engaged with may well have been limited in size and number, but the author has an ability to bring them to life, to make you feel every twist and turn of the volcanic and city landscapes, all of which adds to the sense of desolation that flows throughout the story. It is very effective and for every moment of light within the story, you have an equal moment of darkness and brooding where the stark truth of this sad tale come to mind. A nod to translator Quentin Bates who has enabled that image of the landscape to flow perfectly in English, giving even the least geographically aware reader a real sense of setting.

Whilst there is a kind of sad inevitability about this story, there was, for me at least, a kind of excitement about what is yet to come. In just one book Áróra has proven her ability to upset the status quo, to challenge corruption, at least if there is something in it for her, and to make a real impression on those around her. This has been another beautifully crafted mystery, powered by authentic characters, well balanced emotional drive and intrigue, atmospheric setting and top notch storytelling. Roll on book two.

7 people found this helpful

karlou

This is everything Nordic Noir should be

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2021

Verified Purchase

After her superb Reykjavik Noir trilogy and the brilliant standalone political thriller, Betrayal, Lilja Sigurdardóttir returns with the first story in a new series I'm already desperate to read more of. I think Cold as Hell might just be her best book yet and I loved the nod to her previous series (although there is no need to have read that first.)
The chilling prologue sets the scene perfectly for what follows; this isn't high-octane thriller but the slower pace allows for a masterful character study and an atmospheric, tense exploration of what really happens behind closed doors. Áróra and Ísafold might have shared the same upbringing but they have ended up divided by their dual nationalities and while Áróra - lovingly nicknamed the troll by her father - has remained in England, Ísafold - the elf - has always been more drawn to Iceland. The sisters are no longer close so it's a begrudging Áróra who agrees to their mother's plea to discover why Ísafold has seemingly disappeared.
Áróra is in the intriguing position of belonging and yet still being an outsider in Iceland and it's her observations of the country's customs and quirks which help give the novel its excellent sense of place - praise must be given here to Quentin Bates who as always has provided a seamless translation of the book. She joins forces with Daniel, who her mother describes as her cousin - although the truth isn't quite as straightforward - and the fascinating relationship that develops between the pair sparks with sexual tension. However, she makes life difficult for herself here too but as she learns more about her sister, she perhaps begins to understand more about herself as well and I'm looking forward to seeing how her character evolves as the series progresses.
Lilja Sigurdardóttir's nuanced understanding of people shines throughout the book; Áróra appears to be a rather ruthless character at times, particularly when she senses the opportunity to expose a financial crime and to make money herself, and yet there's a vulnerability to her too. She isn't the only person keeping things from others however, and the apartment block where Ísafold was last known to be living is teeming with secrets. Readers are always one step ahead of the investigation and there are several scenes which follow a character who clearly knows what happened to Ísafold and who is still watching her former boyfriend, Björn. Meanwhile, in another flat, Olga has her own reasons for fearing the police investigating the block too closely but what is she risking by keeping somebody else's secrets alongside her own? Iceland might be a remote island but it becomes evident that it still has to figure out how to manage issues which affect the global community and as with other countries, the political and the humanitarian don't always align here as they should.
Lilja Sigurdardóttir weaves a beautifully descriptive, melancholic story of fear, guilt and a need to belong. This is everything Nordic Noir should be; a tense, uncompromising look at hidden lives and dark secrets. I can't give anything away about the ending but it's the perfect way to finish this book while leaving me salivating for more. Bleakly evocative and heartbreakingly insightful; I loved every word.

One person found this helpful

Jacob Collins

I highly recommend Cold as Hell!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 November 2021

Verified Purchase

I’m a huge fan of Lilja Sigurðardóttir. When I started Cold as Hell, I devoured more than half of the book within a couple of hours. It is that good and it only took me a couple more sittings to finish it. This is such a gripping read!

Áróra has never seen quite eye to eye with her sister, Ísafold, but when Ísafold drops all contact, her mother pleads with her to travel to Iceland to try and find out what has happened. Áróra isn’t as keen to track down her missing sister as her mother is. When Áróra travels to Iceland she has no idea what she will find. It is clear as she starts looking into what has happened to her sister, that there is something sinister behind Ísafold’s disappearance.

The characterization in Cold as Hell is brilliant. I was interested in Áróra and Ísafold’s relationship and why they had both taken very different paths in life. Áróra is living in the UK with her British mother, but Ísafold is living in Iceland with her boyfriend. There are many strange individuals in Ísafold’s close neighbourhood, and it seems that she was hanging out with some very unsavoury characters. There are some sinister scenes told from the point of view of a mysterious individual who seems to know more about what has happened to Ísafold. I wanted to know what their connection was to Ísafold’s disappearance, what role if any had they played? I also wanted to know more about Ísafold’s boyfriend and if he had any connection to what had happened.

There is a lot of emotional depth in this book which is what I really liked; it made the characters really come to life. As Áróra begins to understand that something terrible might have happened to her sister, this causes her to feel a lot of guilt. She is desperate to know what has happened to her and where she is now.

The story moves along at a fast pace and the mystery comes together really well. This is the perfect read to lose a cold, wintry afternoon to. The Icelandic landscape and the characters will pull you into the story. Once again Lilja Sigurðardóttir has created a cast of unforgettable characters and I can’t wait to see where she takes them next in this series. I highly recommend Cold as Hell.

Kate

Review

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 October 2021

Verified Purchase

I love the start of a new series and getting to know all the new characters in it and what makes them tick. Cold As Hell is a brilliant book which ticked all my boxes. I loved the short, snappy chapters which allowed the scenes to change quickly and built up the tension as several different elements of the story slowly came together. I was invested in Ìsafold's disappearance immediately and I wanted to know what had happened to her. It was clear that she had a complex back story and I was intrigued by it. As she was also estranged from her family, the reader learnt new information at the same time as they did and this made the novel particularly tense.

Árora is an intelligent and feisty central character, which is just how I like them. The situation in which she finds herself also makes her vulnerable which allowed us to see another side to her character and I am looking forward to seeing how this develops as the series continues.

Cold As Hell is a complex story that explores some interesting and important issues. It's brilliantly written in such an engaging way and I did not want to put the book down or leave it behind after I finished.

Leila Benhamida

Brilliant!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2022

Verified Purchase

The media could not be loaded.

What a read! A lot of characters, each unique in their own ways. My heart kept pounding every time I turned a page. I love the small chapters in this book . Looking forward to read more of the Árora investigation series.

Buying Options

Follow the Author

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

Product description

Review

About the Author

Product details

About the author

Lilja Sigurdardóttir

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Customer reviews

Review this product

Top reviews from Australia

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries