Home Before Dark
(2025)(The sixth book in the Forbidden Iceland series)
A novel by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
Struggling to separate her dreams from reality, a young woman investigates the disappearance of her sister ten years earlier … worried that she might be next. A breathtaking, twisty standalone thriller from the international bestselling author of the Forbidden Iceland series…
`She uses complex plots to explore how monsters are made and demonstrate that "evil can lurk behind the most attractive of smiles" … If you have never read Ægisdóttir, now is the time to start´ Mark Sanderson, The Times
**WINNER of the Blood Drop Award for Iceland's Best Crime Novel of the Year**
**SHORTLISTED for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel**
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November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsibil has a secret penpal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister's name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time.
But when the date arrives, Marsibil is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes missing – her bloodstained anorak later found at the place where Marsibil and her penpal had agreed to meet.
November, 1977. Stína's disappearance remains unsolved. Then an unexpected letter arrives for Marsibil. It's from her penpal, and he's still out there…
Desperate for news of her missing sister, but terrified that he might coming after her next, Marsibil returns to her hometown and embarks on an investigation of her own.
But Marsibil has always had trouble distinguishing her vivid dreams from reality, and as insomnia threatens her sanity, it seems she can't even trust her own memories … and her sister's killer is still on the loose…
Twisty, dark and utterly chilling, Home Before Dark is a breathtakingly accomplished psychological thriller where nothing and no one are what they seem, and smouldering secrets from the past reach into a present where everything is at risk, including Marsibil's life……
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Praise for Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
`Chilling and addictive, with a completely unexpected twist … I loved it´ Shari Lapena
`Fans of Nordic Noir will love this´ Ann Cleeves
`Emotive, atmospheric and chillingly suspenseful´ AA Chaudhuri
`This is virtuoso suspense writing´ AJ Finn
`A canny synthesis of modern Nordic Noir and Golden Age mystery´ Financial Times
`Riveting, exciting, entertaining and packed with intrigue´ Liz Nugent
`A tense, twisty page-turner that you'll have serious trouble putting down´ Catherine Ryan Howard
`Your new Nordic Noir obsession´ Vogue
`Confirms Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir as a leading light of Icelandic noir … a master of misdirection´ The Times
`Beautifully written … one of the rising stars of Nordic Noir´ Victoria Selman
`Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!´ Lesley Kara
`Creepily compelling´ Heidi Amsinck
`Exciting and harrowing´ Ragnar Jónasson
`Fantastic´ Sunday Times
`So atmospheric´ Heat
**Winner of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger**
**Shortlisted for the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime**
**Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger**
**Shortlisted for the Capital Crime Award for Best Thriller**
Genre: Mystery
`She uses complex plots to explore how monsters are made and demonstrate that "evil can lurk behind the most attractive of smiles" … If you have never read Ægisdóttir, now is the time to start´ Mark Sanderson, The Times
**WINNER of the Blood Drop Award for Iceland's Best Crime Novel of the Year**
**SHORTLISTED for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel**
––––––––––
November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsibil has a secret penpal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister's name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time.
But when the date arrives, Marsibil is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes missing – her bloodstained anorak later found at the place where Marsibil and her penpal had agreed to meet.
November, 1977. Stína's disappearance remains unsolved. Then an unexpected letter arrives for Marsibil. It's from her penpal, and he's still out there…
Desperate for news of her missing sister, but terrified that he might coming after her next, Marsibil returns to her hometown and embarks on an investigation of her own.
But Marsibil has always had trouble distinguishing her vivid dreams from reality, and as insomnia threatens her sanity, it seems she can't even trust her own memories … and her sister's killer is still on the loose…
Twisty, dark and utterly chilling, Home Before Dark is a breathtakingly accomplished psychological thriller where nothing and no one are what they seem, and smouldering secrets from the past reach into a present where everything is at risk, including Marsibil's life……
–––––––––––––––
Praise for Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
`Chilling and addictive, with a completely unexpected twist … I loved it´ Shari Lapena
`Fans of Nordic Noir will love this´ Ann Cleeves
`Emotive, atmospheric and chillingly suspenseful´ AA Chaudhuri
`This is virtuoso suspense writing´ AJ Finn
`A canny synthesis of modern Nordic Noir and Golden Age mystery´ Financial Times
`Riveting, exciting, entertaining and packed with intrigue´ Liz Nugent
`A tense, twisty page-turner that you'll have serious trouble putting down´ Catherine Ryan Howard
`Your new Nordic Noir obsession´ Vogue
`Confirms Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir as a leading light of Icelandic noir … a master of misdirection´ The Times
`Beautifully written … one of the rising stars of Nordic Noir´ Victoria Selman
`Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!´ Lesley Kara
`Creepily compelling´ Heidi Amsinck
`Exciting and harrowing´ Ragnar Jónasson
`Fantastic´ Sunday Times
`So atmospheric´ Heat
**Winner of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger**
**Shortlisted for the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime**
**Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger**
**Shortlisted for the Capital Crime Award for Best Thriller**
Genre: Mystery