The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir

Winner of the Blackbird Award for new Icelandic fiction, Aegisdottir’s multi-layered tale of small-town life, with its threatening undertones of abuse and murder, shows all the signs of being the first in an addictive series. Faced with what appears to be a random, motiveless act of violence, a young female detective feels compelled to seek justice for the victim.

When the body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area. Chief  Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her colleagues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day. But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice before it ’s too late.

Being a personable young woman with an appealing personality, Elma makes a refreshing change from the cliché of the flawed detective. She does not abuse drugs or alcohol, survive on junk food or neglect her nearest and dearest. Having just relocated back to a tiny community, where her parents and sister are settled and many people have known her since birth, she faces personal and professional challenges. Nevertheless, Elma courageously attempts to settle back into small-town life and make friends with her new colleagues. On the whole, she succeeds. In particular, Saevar, who becomes a member of her team, looks set to become a big part of her future.

The plot structure of The Creak on the Stairs is similar to that of police procedurals, but Aegisdottir employs brilliant story-telling techniques to develop it into something more unsettling. Because there are two story lines to follow, the reader’s imagination is constantly stimulated. Atmospheric first-person flashbacks introduce a sense of supernatural involvement. The community’s generational memory provides a darkly kaleidoscopic background to Elma’s quest, while she delves into the nightmare past of Elisabet, the murder victim, in search of connections. For Elma and for the reader, the process is like trying to find a foothold on shifting sands.

As the plot unfolds, Elma encounters a number of well-drawn and convincing characters, some of them more likeable than others. At times, there are flashes of humour, often arising from her relationship with her mother. Because the novel is set in a community where people remain in the same homes, and frequently in the same jobs, for decades, she can follow leads that cast light on Elisabet’s earliest years. Often, these experiences take her uncomfortably close to the victim’s emotions, because their childhoods ran parallel; Elma’s happy, Elisabet’s a nightmare.

After Elisabet’s body is discovered on a bleak shore, the Icelandic landscape, and in particular the sea, remains a strong feature of The Creak on the Stairs. The freezing weather also plays its part, as do the seasonal differences between day and night. Throughout the novel, Aegisdottir displays a vivid sense of place that adds to its dramatic effect.

Victoria Cribb’s translation eloquently conveys the drama of the tale and the varying personalities of its characters. As always, @OrendaBooks has provided a simple pronunciation guide, which gives the reader a welcome taste of Iceland’s culture and language.