by Ægisdottir, Eva Bjorg | Crime & mystery Published 17/07/2025 by Orenda Books in the United Kingdom Hardback | 300 pages162 x 241 x 31mm | 518gStruggling 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…‘Truly addictive, I inhaled it in a single day’ Louise Candlish‘Dark, chilling and so atmospheric’ Claire Douglas‘Eva Björg Ægisdóttir just gets better and better’ Sarah Pearse‘This is psychological thriller writing of a rare order and evidence that any comments about the demise of Scandicrime are greatly exaggerated' Financial Times‘A complex, increasingly creepy tale of young love, dysfunctional families, long-buried secrets and pen pals who are not what they seem … Its psychological depth and physical shocks recall the work of the great Ruth Rendell’ The Times‘A masterclass of psychological suspense from the superstar of Icelandic noir … addictively creepy’ Daily Express**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 Marsí 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, Marsí is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes missing – her bloodstained anorak later found at the place where Marsí and her penpal had agreed to meet. November, 1977. Stína’s disappearance remains unsolved. Then an unexpected letter arrives for Marsí 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, Marsí returns to her hometown and embarks on an investigation of her own. But Marsí 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… ––––––––––––––– ‘Home Before Dark will have you checking your doors and windows before you go to bed’ Mirror ‘Winter’s darkness creates an eerie background for Marsibil’s growing instability and her dangerous war on secrets. A page-turning, twisty blend of coming of age themes, family trauma, and well-crafted menace’ Booklist‘That rare crime novel – pacy and well-plotted but also driven by well-drawn, believable characters. This original, clever novel kept me gripped and furiously turning the pages. Put this at the top of your TBR!’ Sarah Pearse ‘A chilling, atmospheric mystery with a devilishly unguessable solution. Truly addictive, I inhaled it in a single day’ Louise Candlish ‘Like an Icelandic winter, Home before Dark chilled me to the very core. An utterly gripping read, it kept me guessing till the last shocking twist’ Heidi Amsinck ‘Dark, chilling and so atmospheric, I was utterly gripped by this clever, twisty thriller … a must read’ Claire Douglas‘Addictive’ Crime Monthly‘With sharp twists and explorations of the damaging loyalties that warp those they’re meant to protect, the chilling, unrelenting noir novel Home Before Dark follows a missing persons case that masks enduring traumas’ Foreword Reviews 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‘This is virtuoso suspense writing’ A.J. Finn‘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‘Beautifully written … one of the rising stars of Nordic Noir’ Victoria Selman‘Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!’ Lesley Kara‘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**
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