Historical novel set around ENGLAND (Birmingham)
Murder mystery set in REYKJAVIK and rural ICELAND
18th March 2026
The Murder Pool 
by Stella Blömkvist. Murder mystery set in Reykjavik and rural Iceland. Translated by Quentin Bates.
The Murder Pool is a sequel to the Stella Blömvist series of novels. Stella Blömkvist, for those readers who are new to her, is both the pseudonymous author and the protagonist of this series of crime novels set in Iceland. The character called Stella is a lawyer – a one-off character with her own sense of fair play, a dark humour and a fearlessness that makes her more than the equal of the bad guys she encounters.
In The Murder Pool, we see her relationships develop alongside her sleuthing. The Stella we meet is a more rounded character: still determined and spiky but with a softer side. The novel proceeds at a pace and is well up to the standards that fans will have come to expect. There’s drama, high emotion and crimes to solve. All I can say is, don’t even attempt to multi-task while reading this book! It requires your complete attention and it will reward your faithfulness in spades.
Stella is called to investigate the stalled case of a woman, Sólveig Stefánsdóttir, who accuses a well-known figure of rape. The man she accuses, Ólafur Bjarni Hreggviðsson, is an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and also the son of a powerful woman called Elín Ólafsdóttir. Plenty of characters have comments to make about Ólafur and his misogyny, but none will go on the record.
Meanwhile Stella’s partner, Rannveig, is making a film about women who have been wrongly imprisoned. One of those is Hjördis, who was convicted of killing her lover. While investigating on Hjördis’s behalf, Stella finds the body of an Icelandic artist, Kristinn Ófeigsson, in a geothermal pool in the village of Reykholt. The artist’s son is arrested for his murder and Stella is asked to defend him. As if that weren’t enough, Vigbergur Antonsson – a police chief superintendent – asks Stella to take on his case. He is accused of bribery.
This complex set of plotlines is deftly handled by the author, who gives updates and summaries as the book progresses. Very handy, because before long it becomes apparent that some of the crime strands are linked. While Stella is busy with her legal investigations, she has to balance her priorities with the needs of her daughter and increasingly those of her partner. The intensity of the book is wonderfully leavened by a passion and humour that I have come to associate with the author and main character.
As far as locations go, Stella offers wonderful descriptions contrasting the rural landscape and Reykjavik cityscape, including fascinating historical and geological details. Stella creates a sense of place that anchors her characters to the locations they inhabit and this greatly adds to the enjoyment of the novel. Definitely five stars!
Sue for the TripFiction Team
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