Praise for The Legacy:
"[A] relentlessly paced series launch...Few readers will be able to put down this powerful tale of revenge."—Publishers Weekly (starred)
"A complex, character-driven procedural, powerfully rooted in buried secrets of childhood trauma. Recommended for fans of Tana French and Camilla Lackberg."—Booklist (starred)
"This thriller will have Nordic noir fans turning the pages."—Library Journal
"This was a page turner...Definitely looking forward to another in this series, especially with Freya."—Book Riot
"Sigurdardottir expertly introduces the players, constructs the world and, most importantly, tells the first tale in her new Children's House series. Readers should sit back and enjoy their armchair visit to Reykjavik, Iceland, and a chillingly satisfying international thriller."—RT Book Reviews
"Yrsa is a magnificent writer who envelops her stories with atmosphere so thick that only care and a bit of luck can see through it. Her characters spring vividly to life as they try their best to do just that, knowing that any mistake could be deadly for another innocent person. Impossible to put down.”–Karin Slaughter
"Brilliant . . . her best novel to date"—The Globe and Mail on The Legacy
"The Legacy is the start of an exciting new direction for Yrsa Sigurdardottir. The horror of a decades-old family separation provides the catalyst for dark crimes and a complex investigation."—Sarah Ward, author of In Bitter Chill
"We have always been able to rely on Yrsa Sigurdardóttir for a good story well told, and DNA is no exception. A strong sense of place, interesting characters and a chilling plot make The Legacy a novel to savor."—Peter Robinson
"If you like your crime fiction dark and engaging, look no further. A cracking start to a new series by Yrsa Sigurdardottir."—Mari Hannah on The Legacy
"Yrsa remains the queen of Icelandic thriller writers."—Guardian on The Legacy
Praise for Yrsa Sigurdardottir:
"Iceland's outstanding crime novelist."—Daily Express
"I can see why so many people are enthusiastic about Yrsa's work. It's very engaging, fresh and exciting."—James Patterson
★ 12/18/2017
This relentlessly paced series launch from Sigurdardottir (The Undesired) is as stark and horrifying as any of the ancient Icelandic sagas. In 1987, three orphaned siblings fall victim to bureaucratic exigency: the sister, because she is more desirable to potential adoptive parents, is separated from her two older brothers. Flash forward to 2015, when an intruder slips into the Reykjavík home of Elisa, a young mother, while her husband is away and brutally murders her. Huldar, a police detective shakily directing his first homicide investigation, joins forces with Freyja, a psychologist specializing in the care of traumatized children. Margrét, Elisa’s unhappy eldest child who was cowering under the bed where her mother was killed, gradually reveals clues to the killer’s identity. Meanwhile, Karl, a reclusive loner, untangles clues he hears on his ham radio. Sigurdardottir’s trademark sly ironies, often directed at official fumbling, can be downright ghoulish. Others are deliciously hilarious: Huldar and Freyja, pulled together for the case, realize they had a “well-oiled” one-night stand a little earlier. Each character is brilliantly conceived. Few readers will be able to put down this powerful tale of revenge. (Feb.)
