She may be the author with the impossible name, but Iceland's hottest new mystery writer has
already attracted a lot of attention with her debut novel,
Last
Rituals.
In her second offering, Sigurdardottir has her central character, attorney Thora
Gudmundsdottir, representing the prime suspect in a bizarre murder which occurs at a New Age health
resort. The body of a young woman has been found beaten to death with pins inserted in the soles of
her feet and the police think Thora's former client did it. Since she represented the resort's owner
when she purchased the property on the west coast of Iceland, Thora agrees to handle the accused
woman's defense.
Muddying the waters in an already puzzling case is the belief that the reconditioned farmhouse
is haunted. Although she doesn't buy into the superstitious beliefs and myths associated with the
area, Thora is shaken when she encounters some inexplicable occurrences as she digs for clues that
will help in the defense of her client.
After a second body is discovered, the tenacious attorney realizes she's not dealing with the
spirits but a very ruthless murderer. Now the trick is to unmask the individual before the body
count goes higher.
Richly atmospheric, My Soul to Take weaves together Iceland's history, culture and natural
wonders with a riveting, gut-wrenching plot that is seasoned with just a touch of folklore.
I tend to enjoy mysteries with exotic settings and unusual protagonists. This novel fits the bill
on both scores. It is an entertaining read that features not only a solid plot and characters I
want to know more about but I can also engage in a little armchair traveling. This is probably
about as close as I'll ever get to Iceland!