Girls Who Lie

De: Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Victoria Cribb - translator

Narrado por: Diana Croft

When single mother Maríanna disappears from her home, leaving an apologetic note on the kitchen table, everyone assumes that she's taken her own life...until her body is found in the Grábrók lava fields seven months later, clearly the victim of murder. Her neglected 15-year-old daughter, Hekla, has been placed in foster care, but is her perfect new life hiding something sinister?

Fifteen years earlier, a desperate new mother lies in a maternity ward, unable to look at her own child, the start of an odd and broken relationship that leads to a shocking tragedy. Police officer Elma and her colleagues take on the case, which becomes increasingly complex, as the number of suspects grows and new light is shed on Maríanna's past - and the childhood of a girl who never was like the others....

©2019, 2021 Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Translation Victoria Cribb (P)2021 Isis Publishing Ltd

Terrific

I like this author’s insight into the everyday worries and questions we all grapple with. Her characters are believable and their stories are compelling. She deftly jumps around in time and smoothly switches voice without too much interruption to the forward movement of the narrative. The reader is fabulous - differentiating characters and time without being over the top. Extremely well performed.

Really great series

I truly enjoyed this book. Once I got the names straight I could follow along easily. I’m listening to the next book now.

Talk about twists!

Great fun and, just when you’d figured it out…well, no, you hadn’t. Couldn’t put it down.

4+

A fine mystery- a lot of layers our intrepid detectives have to sort
through. It is a good ride for the
listener - lots of small town gossip
sprinkled with hard police work.
I liked it. I've been listening
to lots of Audible mysteries set in Iceland. This one ranks right with the best. Now I wait for the author's next
book...

Perfection!

This is the best kind of audiobook: a page-turner, well developed characters, and a stellar narrator. We accidentally found ourselves in Akranes and Bogarnes 2 months ago, so it was fun to hear her describe the places we had been (the tunnel, the lighthouse, etc.) and remember how good the cinnamon rolls and hot dogs are. Memories aside, the story is just the right amount of “noir” and keeps you guessing until the end. One of my favorite audiobooks ever and I listen to about 10 a month.

Unique storyline, excellent narration.

Great story that has some twists to keep you guessing. This is a great series and I hope it continues.

Fantastic!

Loved the story, wonderful character development and bonus....was narrated by my favorite: Diana Croft. I highly recommend.

Tedious

This is not an author I will follow. Too boring, boring, boring. Reader is fine, though.

Story line

Clever but difficult to follow. This author ends her stories with the criminals not getting caught, unless that is commonly what happens in Iceland. I basically don’t like any of the characters. They have no redeeming characteristics. Maybe the last book in the series will be better.

a muddled listen

Perhaps the printed page, or a different translation, or a different audio production could have helped here, but this was the most confusing of listens I've ever experienced - and I listen to dozens and dozens of books.
Whether intentionally or not (impossible to know in this format), I was never sure which mother and child's flashback story was being referenced at any point. Realizing belatedly that all the back story for character A is in fact that of character B inevitably leaves one cold and uninvolved with the whole thing.
Clearly the author wanted these characters intertwined but the classic crime 'withholding information' technique was a terrible and lazy choice.
Plus there are so many important themes regarding the sexuality of young women and the development of children that the author attempts but only scratches the surface of.
Given the over-all story arc this could have been a fascinating read but it was very much NOT!
I really do not recommend.