Gildran Snare

Reykjavík Noir #1

After a messy divorce, young mother Sonia is struggling to provide for herself and keep custody of her son. With her back to the wall, she resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world.

As she desperately looks for a way out of trouble, she must pit her wits against her nemesis, Bragi, a customs officer, whose years of experience frustrate her new and evermore daring strategies. Things become even more complicated when Sonia embarks on a relationship with a woman, Agla. Once a high-level bank executive, Agla is currently being prosecuted in the aftermath of the Icelandic financial crash.

Snare is the first installment in the Reykjavík Noir trilogy.

“Crisp, assured and nail-bitingly tense, Snare is an exceptional read, cementing Lilja’s place as one of Iceland’s most outstanding crime writers.”
–Yrsa Sigurdardottir

“Clear your diary. As soon as you begin reading Snare, you won’t be able to stop until the final page.”
–Michael Wood

“Thoroughly recommended.”
–James Oswald

“A smart, ambitious, and hugely satisfying thriller. Striking in its originality and written with all the style and poise of an old hand. Lilja is destined for Scandi super stardom.”
–Eva Dolan

“For a small island, Iceland produces some extraordinary writers, and Lilja is one of the best. Snare is an enthralling tale of love and crime that stays with you long after you have turned the last page.”
–Michael Ridpath

Awards

Longlisted for the Prix du Meilleur Polar at Points France	2018
Longlisted for the CWA International Dagger UK	2018

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Reviews

“Lilja Sigurdardottir crafts a diabolically efficient thriller with a strikingly realistic plot (…) We can’t wait to join Sonja on her next adventure.”

L’Express, France
“A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters.”

The Times, UK
“Snare is a great read and the finale is both shocking and unexpected (…) a Wizard-of-Oz ending, without the laughs. Terrific and original stuff.”

European Literature Network, UK
“Sharp shocks of chapters hit with increasing energy (…) a towering powerhouse of a read and I gobbled it up in one intense sitting.”

LoveReading, UK
“This first novel of a planned trilogy is stylish, taut and compelling and a film adaptation is in the pipeline. With characters you can’t help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride.”

Daily Express, UK
“Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns.”

Sunday Times, UK
“The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year.”

New York Journal of Books, US