Review of DEAD SWEET by Katrín Júlíusdóttir

 4 Stars

This is the first installment of a new Icelandic crime series.

Óttar Karlsson, a charismatic and well-respected government official, is found murdered on a beach after not turning up for his 50^th birthday party organized by his girlfriend Erla.  Sigurdís Hölludóttir, a young police officer, finds a well-hidden home safe in Óttar’s apartment.  The documents inside suggest that Óttar was involved in dubious business dealings.  It seems that the murder victim’s public persona was a sham because he led a double life.  Garðar, in charge of the investigation, thinks that Óttar’s killer will be linked to these financial crimes, but Sigurdís believes strongly that the perpetrator will be found connected to Óttar’s personal life.  She follows her intuition and investigates on her own, even taking an unapproved trip. 

Sigurdís is a likeable protagonist, both intelligent and intuitive.  She had a traumatic childhood because of an abusive father; as a result, she and her younger brother Einar lived with their aunt Halla.  It is these relationships that show her soft side; for instance, she’s very loving and protective of Einar.  With others she has trust issues; certainly, her relationship with her mother is very complex, full of both anger and guilt.  Her experiences are an advantage in that they make her particularly perceptive to abuse victims.   Professionally, she is ambitious; she wants to prove herself a capable detective.  She starts at a disadvantage because a physical altercation with a young man resulted in her being confined to desk duty and having to see a psychologist.  Garðar, concerned about Sigurdís’ mental health, tries to restrict her to administrative tasks, but she perseveres and makes crucial contributions to the case.  When convinced that she is correct, it’s obvious that she will not always comply with the rules. 

Sigurdís’ relationships with colleagues show that others like her as well.  Garðar, for reasons that gradually become clear, is definitely protective of her, but he also has affection for the young woman.  Elín, a member of the financial-crime unit, makes a point of thanking Sigurdís for her contributions.  Unnar, another detective, works with her closely and comes to have a high regard for her abilities.  Of course, it doesn’t take much intuition to imagine that a romance will develop between Sigurdís and Unnar!

As expected, there are some twists, but I appreciated that there are clues throughout to Óttar’s personality.  The prologue, an interior monologue from his perspective, is revealing.  Then there’s the repeated description of him as someone who always managed to get his way.  The diary entries periodically interspersed between chapters also work well in suggesting his true nature, as well as creating suspense.

Regular readers of my reviews expect that I will find flaws, and, yes, there are some irritations.  What’s with everyone sliding to the floor?  Thrúður, Erla, and Sigurdís all react in this way!?  Does Sigurdís actually wear her police uniform when visiting someone outside her jurisdiction?  Sigurdís has a fear of flying but after just a few flights, “she’d mastered the art of travelling”?  Would police really install security systems in someone’s home? 

Despite these very minor annoyances, I certainly enjoyed this book.  I really like Sigurdís, and my interest was maintained throughout.  The case is solved at the end, but the book ends with a cliffhanger as well.  I am already anxious to read the next book in this very promising series.