Yrsa Sigurdardottir Books

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Yrsa Sigurdardottir is an Icelandic author that writes crime fiction and children’s books. Born in 1963, Sigurdardottir wrote children’s books. She did such an impressive job that the publishing arena in Iceland rewarded her with several accolades.

However, it wasn’t until she delved into crime fiction and introduced Thora to readers that Sigurdardottir became a household name. The author writes dark and complex stories, which is surprising because Iceland is extremely safe.

Murders are rare. And even when a crime occurs, it doesn’t take the police long to solve the cases in question because the criminals make so many stupid mistakes. Iceland is so tame that Sigurdardottir thinks it annoys crime writers because they don’t have much in the way of inspiration.
Fortunately for Sigurdardottir, she has a great imagination. She realizes that she doesn’t have to write about events that happened. Instead, her goal is to craft stories that could happen, even in a country as safe as Iceland.

Even though she relies heavily on her imagination, the author is not afraid to use real-life events. However, she wants her readers to realize that she doesn’t write true crime novels. Her books do not chronicle actual events.

Iceland plays a prominent role in Sigurdardottir’s stories. The country is beautiful, boasting a majestic, icy landscape. Many critics have praised the author for injecting Iceland’s traditions and history into her stories. But when she wrote her first Thora novel, Sigurdardottir was not particularly concerned about the culture and traditions that made the country so special.

She was writing for Icelandic readers, and they knew enough about the setting that she saw no need to explore the attributes that made the country unique. But then she learned that the first Thora book had been sold abroad and realized that she had to bring Iceland to life for foreign readers.

The undertaking induced more anxiety in Sigurdardottir than she expected. Nonetheless, she met the demands of the task, finding a way of incorporating Iceland’s distinct characteristics into the story seamlessly.

Today, Iceland is as much a character as Thora. The cast of the Thora series includes a foreigner to Iceland that acts as a surrogate for the readers. He asks all the questions foreign audiences have in mind, which is good because the Thora novels have been translated into dozens of languages.

Therefore, the author has to cater to the needs of readers abroad. Although, she’s also glad that local readers have accepted her. They have given her stories a stamp of approval.

As far as her process is concerned, Sigurdardottir prefers to plot her novels before writing them. She knows the beginning and the end. However, connecting the two tends to challenge her even when she has a basic idea of what should happen.

Sometimes, unexpected developments enter the picture and change everything. But Sigurdardottir doesn’t mind because the surprises enhance the entertainment value of the story.

Yrsa Sigurdardottir Awards

Sigurdardottir’s accolades include the Icelandic Children’s Book Prize, Palle Rosenkranz Prize, Icelandic Crime Fiction Award, and the Petrona Award.

Yrsa Sigurdardottir Books Into Movies

‘I Remember You’ received a movie adaptation.

Best Yrsa Sigurdardottir Books

The author’s talents are not limited to crime fiction and children’s books. She has also written horror. Sigurdardottir’s best novels include:

Last Rituals: A German student is dead. But this is no ordinary murder. The killer removed his eyes before carving symbols into his body. The police think they have the right person behind bars, but the victim’s family disagrees.

They want Thora to investigate. The single mother is joined in her quest by Mathew Reich. Together, they will bring the victim’s bizarre obsessions to light.

I Remember You: This book tells two intertwining stories. On the one hand, you have three friends that just bought a dilapidated house. They want to restore the structure before renting it out. But the house is situated in an abandoned fishing village.

If that wasn’t concerning enough, the village is surrounded by water. The trio was happy to dismiss the dangers the isolation posed until they realized that they were not alone.

The second story follows a doctor whose son went missing a few years ago. In the aftermath of the tragedy, his marriage fell apart. Fehr is doing everything he can to keep his son off his mind. The last thing he expects to encounter is an elderly lady that was obsessed with his son, an elderly lady that committed suicide.

When Does The Next Yrsa Sigurdardottir book come out?

Yrsa Sigurdardottir doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Can't Run, Can't Hide and was released on November, 7th 2024.

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