angelnetreviews.com

Book two in the Children’s House series sees Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurardottir at her chilling best. Not for the faint hearted, this is Scandi Noir at its finest.

When a time capsule is dug up at a local school after ten years it contains a very creepy note written by a 13 year old predicting the deaths of six people. Detective Huldar is called in by the school to ascertain whether it is a real threat. Using the school link as a reason to involve child psychologist Freyja they start to investigate the child who could have written such a disturbing message.

When a string of gruesome murders and dismembered limbs seem to match the initials on the note it becomes critical to find both the writer and the murdered before any more deaths occur.

Sigurdardottir doesn’t pull any punches with this story, gruesome tales of child abuse, abduction, dismemberment and murder are just par for the course in this whirlwind of a tale. She creates such a great sense of place and it really feels like you are right there in Reykjavik with the well meaning but poor decision maker Huldar and the resentful and put upon Freyja.

UK Publication Date: May 3rd 2018. 416 pages.