This novel is the final episode in an Icelandic CriFi saga and, as ever, I am late to the party. Long story short, An Áróra’s sister Ísafold was being abused by her partner Björn, and when Ísafold went missing, with her body found much later, it was assumed that Björn was the killer. When his body is then found at the same site, the investigation is blown wide apart. An Áróra is in a relationship with Daníel, a detective, and when he finally reveals the chilling fact that Ísafold’s body has had the heart ripped from it, this grisly twist sets the stage for a thrilling and addictive narrative.

For series newcomers like me it takes a page or three to discover what An Áróra actually does for a living. She is a freelance forensic accountant, employed by various agencies – some government owned, some private – to mine down into the financial affairs of companies who seem to be doing rather too well.

Flashbacks tell us about Ísafold’s relationship with Björn, and they make painful reading, typifying everything we think we know about women who are dependent on abusive boyfriends or husbands. Björn was a minor cog in a drug empire run by a man called Sturla Larsen. Daníel has asked An Áróra to investigate the affairs of a coffee house chain called Kaffikó. They seem small and insignificant compared to the big international players, so why are they making a huge profit? An Áróra learns that Kaffikó have an influential private investor  who owns half of the company stock.

It is then ‘answers on a postcard’ time as it appears that someone is using Kaffikó as money laundering scheme, and there are no prizes for anyone making the connection between the two apparently unconnected cases. It is easy to see why the five book series has been an outstanding success. The writing has tremendous pace, and verve, with An Áróra a striking and convincing central character. LIke most English readers my knowledge of the original language is absolute zero, but the translation by Lorenza Garcia seems both fluid and fluent.

My only criticism is that the ending was rather downbeat, but then who I am I to expect happy endings from the Icelandic Noir genre! Black as Death is ingeniously plotted, taut, and, occasionally, very bloodthirsty.  It is out today, 23rd October, and published by Orenda Books.