Psychological thriller set in BASINGSTOKE (Hampshire)
Noir crime novel set in REYKJAVIK
31st July 2025
Murder Tide by Stella Blomkvist, noir crime novel set in Reykjavik. Translated by Quentin Bates
Stella Blomkvist is both the author’s pen name and the name of the protagonist in a series of Noir crime thrillers set in Iceland. The latest title is Murder Tide. Stella is a lawyer, accustomed to carrying out investigations on behalf of her clients, who are often colourful and sometimes quite dangerous to know. In Murder Tide, she is approached by a medium, who has a premonition that a man is tied to a structure near water and that he will soon drown, unless he is rescued. Stella writes off the woman as an eccentric and the police do the same – but then Grímúlfur Halldórsson, a well-known former politician and businessman, is found bound to a pier and drowned by the incoming tide. Stella is stunned – and then she is asked to represent Hávarður Hergilsson, who is accused of murdering him.
There are several sub-plots running through the novel, some of which begin to link together as the story goes on. One is Stella’s reluctant quest to discover the identity of her daughter’s father (!). This is something she remembers that she should be doing when she takes on a young client, Úlfhildur, who suspects that her father is Konráð Kristjónsson. Konráð is the leader of a Christian mission to rehabilitate addicts, but he is less than keen to acknowledge his possible new daughter. Úlfhildur wants Stella’s help to make him take a DNA test, something that is her right under Icelandic law.
Stella is further surprised when ‘Psycho’ Sævar, a man that she helped to convict some years previously, also asks her to represent him. She asks herself why he would choose her, of all people, but endeavours to do her best job, regardless. She doesn’t yet know that she is risking everything by re-engaging with such a dangerous set of clients.
There are many strands to Stella’s books, and the cast of characters is so vast, that I had to keep notes in order to keep track of them for reviewing purposes. That wouldn’t be necessary if you’re just reading the book, but I wouldn’t put it down for too long between sessions unless you have a good memory!
Although Murder Tide is part of a series, there would be no problem reading it as a stand-alone book. In fact, Stella goes out of her way to remind/inform readers of the back story, which is very convenient.
As with all her books, the setting in Iceland in ‘the noughties’ is very much a part of the story. And by ‘Icelandic setting’, I don’t just mean the odd snowfall or hints about the sagas. From fishing quotas to the Icelandic banking collapse, there are so many individual factors that are particular to Iceland that the series really couldn’t be set anywhere else. As such, this is a terrific book with a gripping plot that both entertains and informs about Iceland. I’d go so far as to suggest that even readers who are relatively familiar with the setting are likely to learn something new about Icelanders and their communities.
The book’s ending creates something of a dilemma: will there be more books by Stella Blomkvist or does this mean she is done? I, for one, am hoping that she can weave yet more Icelandic magic for her readers to enjoy.
Sue for the TripFiction Team
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