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The Legacy

A Dark and Engaging Thriller Which is Impossible to Put Down
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( 13,008 ratings, 1,452 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir is a gripping crime thriller that follows the investigation of a brutal murder, witnessed by a young child. As Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja delve into the mysterious details of the case, they uncover dark secrets that link the past to present dangers. The intricate web of suspense keeps readers on edge as layers of family history unfold against a backdrop of chilling twists.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This gripping crime and thriller novel might appeal to you if you enjoy intricate plots woven with Icelandic atmosphere, suspenseful twists, and a touch of psychological depth. Fans of detective stories with a strong sense of place and character-driven narratives are likely to be captivated by its compelling mystery and complex characters.

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The first in a thrilling new crime series from international bestseller and prizewinning author Yrsa Sigurdardottir.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
The first in an exciting new series from 'Iceland's outstanding crime novelist' (Daily Express) Yrsa Sigurdardottir, winner of the 2015 Petrona Award for best Scandinavian Crime Novel.

The murder was meant as a punishment – but what sin could justify the method?

The only person who might have answers is the victim's seven-year-old daughter, found hiding in the room where her mother died. And she's not talking.

Newly promoted, out of his depth, detective Huldar turns to Freyja and the Children's House for their expertise with traumatised young people. Freyja, who distrusts the police in general and Huldar in particular, isn't best pleased. But she's determined to keep little Margret safe.

It may prove tricky. The killer is leaving them strange clues: warnings in text messages, sums scribbled on bits of paper, numbers broadcast on the radio. He's telling a dark and secret story – but how can they crack the code? And if they do, will they be next?

Series: Freyja and Huldar

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  • Gallows Rock
    Iceland's outstanding crime novelist' Daily Express On a jagged, bleak lava field just outside Reykjavik stands the Gallows Rock. Once a place of execution, it is now a tourist attraction. Until this morning, when a man was found hanging from it... The nail embedded in his chest proves it wasn't suicide. But when the police go to his flat, a...
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  • The Absolution
    The new novel from the internationally bestselling, prizewinning, queen of Icelandic crime. All he wants is for them to say sorry. The police find out about the crime the way everyone does: on Snapchat. The video shows the terrified victim begging for forgiveness. When her body is found, it is marked with a number 2... Detective Huldar joins the investigation,...
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  • The Reckoning
    Yrsa is a magnificent writer - Karin Slaughter The queen of Icelandic thriller writers - Guardian A chilling note written by a thirteen-year-old predicting the deaths of six people is found in a time capsule, ten years after it was buried. Can it be a real threat? Detective Huldar turns to psychologist Freyja to help understand the child who hid...
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  • The Fallout
    'A magnificent writer' KARIN SLAUGHTER A murdered woman. A missing child. And a father intent on revenge. On a cold day in Reykjavik, a baby goes missing from her pram. When the child's blanket washes up on the beach, and the mother is found dead, everyone's worst fears seem to have been realised. Eleven years later, detective Huldar and child...
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  • The Legacy
    The first in an exciting new series from 'Iceland's outstanding crime novelist' (Daily Express) Yrsa Sigurdardottir, winner of the 2015 Petrona Award for best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The murder was meant as a punishment – but what sin could justify the method? The only person who might have answers is the victim's seven-year-old daughter, found hiding in the room where...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Legacy marks a captivating new direction for Yrsa Sigurdardottir, blending decades-old family secrets with dark crimes and a complex investigation. Her writing is praised for being both minimalist and hauntingly sinister, invoking chills as it weaves murder and mystery. This book sets the stage for what promises to be an outstanding series.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781473621558

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 January 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Hodder Paperback

Contributors:

  • Translated by Victoria Cribb

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 320g

Pages: 464

About the Author

Author of the bestselling Thora Gudmundsdottir crime series and several stand-alone thrillers, Yrsa Sigurdardottir was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1963 and works as a civil engineer. She made her crime fiction debut in 2005 with LAST RITUALS, the first instalment in the Thora Gudmundsdottir series, and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Her work stands 'comparison with the finest contemporary crime writing anywhere in the world' according to the Times Literary Supplement. The second instalment in the Thora Gudmundsdottir series, MY SOUL TO TAKE, was shortlisted for the 2010 Shamus Award. In 2011 her stand-alone horror novel I REMEMBER YOU was awarded the Icelandic Crime Fiction Award and was nominated for The Glass Key. Her novel THE SILENCE OF THE SEA won the Petrona Award in 2015.

Also by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

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  • The Absolution
    The new novel from the internationally bestselling, prizewinning, queen of Icelandic crime. All he wants is for them to say sorry. The police find out about the crime the way everyone does: on Snapchat. The video shows the terrified victim begging for forgiveness. When her body is found, it is marked with a number 2... Detective Huldar joins the investigation,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Silence of the Sea
    WINNER OF THE 2015 PETRONA AWARD A Sunday Times '100 best crime novels and thrillers since 1945' pick! The most chilling novel yet from the Queen of Nordic Noir, not to be missed for fans of Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson. 'Mummy dead.' The child's pure treble was uncomfortably clear. It was the last thing Brynjar - and doubtless the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Reckoning
    Yrsa is a magnificent writer - Karin Slaughter The queen of Icelandic thriller writers - Guardian A chilling note written by a thirteen-year-old predicting the deaths of six people is found in a time capsule, ten years after it was buried. Can it be a real threat? Detective Huldar turns to psychologist Freyja to help understand the child who hid...
    Paperback
    $2799
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    Ships in 4-6 weeks
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    The undisputed Queen of Icelandic Noir - Simon Kernick AMONG THE MOURNERS AT A FUNERAL, ONE OF THEM IS A KILLER... A group of young professionals travel to the Westmann Islands off the coast of Iceland to attend an old friend's wake. Their reunion soon turns into a living nightmare, as the memories of a party they attended at university,...
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  • Gallows Rock
    Iceland's outstanding crime novelist' Daily Express On a jagged, bleak lava field just outside Reykjavik stands the Gallows Rock. Once a place of execution, it is now a tourist attraction. Until this morning, when a man was found hanging from it... The nail embedded in his chest proves it wasn't suicide. But when the police go to his flat, a...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Fallout
    'A magnificent writer' KARIN SLAUGHTER A murdered woman. A missing child. And a father intent on revenge. On a cold day in Reykjavik, a baby goes missing from her pram. When the child's blanket washes up on the beach, and the mother is found dead, everyone's worst fears seem to have been realised. Eleven years later, detective Huldar and child...
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  • The Prey
    SHORTLISTED FOR THE PETRONA AWARD 2024 'Mesmerising and atmospheric, with entrancing descriptions of landscape' A SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR THE FIRST PHONE CALL SHOCKS A FAMILY A box of photo albums is found in the attic of a house in Hofn, a small fishing village on the south coast of Iceland. The new owners return it to...
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  • I Remember You
    The crunching noise had resumed, now accompanied by a disgusting, indefinable smell. It could best be described as a blend of kelp and rotten meat. The voice spoke again, now slightly louder and clearer: "Don't go. Don't go yet. I'm not finished." In an isolated village in the Icelandic Westfjords, three friends set to work renovating a derelict house. But...
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  • The Depths
    Just how low do people sink to get away with murder? A human skull unearthed on the outskirts of Reykjavik. A neighbourhood dispute turned deadly. A daughter, trapped at sea, looking for answers. What police officers Tyr and Karo don't know is that these events are all linked through a terrible tragedy, many years ago, when a trawler caught fire...
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  • Last Rituals
    Death would be a blessing... A young man is found brutally murdered, his eyes gouged out. A student of Icelandic history in Reykjavik, he came from a wealthy German family who do not share the police's belief that his drug dealer murdered him. Attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir is commissioned by his mother to find out the truth, with the help and...
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  • Can't Run, Can't Hide
    On a cold winter evening in a secluded fjord in Iceland, a neighbour visits the house of a family that has not been seen in a week. No one comes to the door when he knocks. After breaking down the back door, his worst fears are realised. Their home is now an horrific crime scene. Policeman Tyr and forensic pathologist...
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