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Lilja Sigurðardóttir: Snare (2018, Orenda Books) 4 stars

After a messy divorce, attractive young mother Sonia is struggling to provide for herself and …

Fast-paced Icelandic Noir

4 stars

I read this at breakneck speed, just like the novel somehow felt super-fast paced. It has very short chapters that just keep the ball rolling. Our protagonist is Sonja, a divorcee who does not have custody over her beloved son Tomas, and dreams of the day that she has enough money to file for custody. Money is a problem for her because she is in a 'snare'. Her divorce lawyer offered her a way to make money, by smuggling cocaine from Europe back to Iceland.

The novel has three main PoV characters: Sonja herself; her lover Agla, who is involved in a huge financial scandal. She also won't commit to Sonja as she is a closeted lesbian. And then there's Bragi, a customs officer who has spotted Sonja as a mule and is planning to catch her.

Sonja's snare gets tighter throughout the book, stakes are higher, and there are some twists. I didn't give it 5 stars only because the ending is rather abrupt, not even a good cliffhanger.

If you enjoy hardboiled crime, this is really really good.