My Soul to Take: A Novel of Iceland [Hardcover]

Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2009

If I die before I wake ...A grisly murder is committed at a health resort situated in a recently renovated farmhouse, which turns out to be notorious for being haunted. Attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir is called upon by the owner of the resort - the prime suspect in the case - to represent him. Her investigations uncover some very disturbing occurrences at the farm decades earlier - things that have never before seen the light of day ...MY SOUL TO TAKE is a chilling, dark and witty crime novel, and a welcome return for Thora, the heroine of the highly-acclaimed LAST RITUALS.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Sigurdardóttir's engaging second crime novel to feature attorney Thóra Gudmundsdóttir (after Last Rituals), Jónas Júlíusson, a client Thóra assisted with a land purchase in West Iceland, calls for more help. The superstitious Júlíusson, who believes one of the farmhouses on the land he bought to develop a spa and hotel is haunted, invites Thóra to stay at his facility and investigate. Her arrival coincides with the discovery under some seaweed on the beach of the sexually abused corpse of architect Birna Halldórsdóttir, who was working on a new building. Júlíusson, who apparently sent a text message arranging a rendezvous with the victim at the time and place where she died, becomes the prime suspect. The lawyer shifts gears from ghost busting to amateur sleuthing. As Thóra pursues an array of suspects and clues, Sigurdardóttir keeps readers guessing whodunit. (May)
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From Booklist

Thora returns in her second case (following Last Rituals, 2007), this time representing a client convinced that a ghost is haunting his newly acquired property, a resort on the west coast of Iceland. Thora heads out to the coast to consult, looking forward to a weekend without her children. Markedly more cozy and less macabre than the previous book, this one is also slower paced, both in the reading and the investigation. Thora does not believe in the ghost, but when bodies start turning up around the resort, she decides to poke around. The historical elements and leisurely investigation are reminiscent of Indridason’s Erlendur series, but it has a much brighter outlook, and unlike Erlendur, Thora is not a depressed, alcoholic loner—just a slightly stressed single mom and small-time lawyer. Suggest to fans of Asa Larsson’s Rebecca Martinsson series, another Scandinavian lawyer and murder investigator, or Helene Tursten’s Inspector Huss novels, starring a happily married mother of two. --Jessica Moyer

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061143383
• ISBN-13: 978-0061143380
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting Icelandic amateur sleuth, May 8, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Soul to Take: A Novel of Iceland (Hardcover)

Jonas Juliusson buys a health spa in Snaefellsnes on Iceland's west coast with the help of his attorney single mother of two Thora Gudmundsdottir. However, he fears the property is haunted so he invites Thora to stay and investigate, which she agrees though feeling he is being silly heeding local myths.

Upon arriving at the spa, Thora is greeted with the mutilated corpse of architect Birna Halldorsdottir who designed the new building. Jonas is the prime suspect since he sent the victim a text message to meet him at the place she was found dead. A second body also battered is soon found. Thora quickly changes her inquiry from ghost hunting to homicide hunting.

MY SOUL TO TAKE is an exciting Icelandic amateur sleuth mystery starring a wonderful attorney who begins to slowly find clues that lead to several suspects with motives. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the single mom finds the first corpse and never slows down as the brave lawyer makes her inquiries while another body surfaces. Sub-genre fans will enjoy this fine mystery while seeking Thora's last case (see LAST RITUALS).

Harriet Klausner

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Past and Present, August 6, 2009

By 

Ted Feit (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: My Soul to Take: A Novel of Iceland (Hardcover)

This second novel in a series featuring Icelandic attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir gives the author an opportunity to not only write a murder mystery, but to incorporate the history and ghost tales of the past into the plot. Thora is a middle-aged single mother of two and apparently becomes involved in matters other than her law practice.

A client, Jonas Juliusson, has purchased a couple of farms in western Iceland with Thora's assistance, and has opened a hotel on the property. He asks her to renegotiate the purchase price on the flimsy basis that something is wrong, such as ghosts wailing. She visits the hotel in an attempt to dissuade him from such a claim, but the architect working on an annex is found murdered and Jonas is arrested and charged when a second victim, an employee, is also killed. It's up to Thora and her lover to save the client.

While the plot moves forward, the reading is slow (I can't tell if it is the author's style or the translation) and there is a certain amount of repetition which slows things down. On the whole, the book is well-plotted, suspenseful and different, but, at least to this reader, somewhat laborious reading.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading!, June 4, 2009

By 

Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" (Pearland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Soul to Take: A Novel of Iceland (Hardcover)

"My Soul To Take" is the first book I have read by the author, but it certainly won't be the last! This was a lovely mystery, with lots of well constructed red herrings! I almost always know "who dunnit," but in this one, I didn't see the resolution!

It starts in the 1940s in rural Iceland. A sweet little girl is killed. We flash forward to today: a hotel has been built near where the girl was killed (although no one knows about her), and there are questions of hauntings. Then, contemporary killing begins! Our heroine, a lawyer, goes on the hunt to figure out what is going on. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone who reads this review, so enough said!

This story is awash in possible motives, history, family gothic, etc. It is well constructed, with perfect pacing. If you love a good mystery, you will love this one.