Trap

by Lilja Siguroardottir

Translated by Quentin Bates

Orenda Books

Publication Date : October 18, 2018 (UK) November 1, 2018 (US)

Pages : 276

Synopsis From Publisher :

Happily settled in Florida, Sonja believes she’s finally escaped the trap set by unscrupulous drug lords. But when her son Tomas is taken, she’s back to square one … and Iceland.
Her lover, Agla, is awaiting sentencing for financial misconduct after the banking crash, and Sonja refuses to see her. And that’s not all … Agla owes money to some extremely powerful men, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it back.
With her former nemesis, customs officer Bragi, on her side, Sonja puts her own plan into motion, to bring down the drug barons and her scheming ex-husband, and get Tomas back safely. But things aren’t as straightforward as they seem, and Sonja finds herself caught in the centre of a trap that will put all of their lives at risk…

The first book of the Reykjavik Noir trilogy, Snare was an eye opener for me. It is the first crime fiction book I read which focused on the illegal drug trade. I was a bit hesitant, but I am so glad I gave it a chance. Sometimes I do forget there is much more to crime fiction than just murder. Snare and Trap portray a dark world with characters as cunning and evil as those in any murder mystery.

Former drug trafficker Sonja and her young son Tomas have escaped Sonja’s dangerous occupation and her drug kingpin husband, Adam. In Florida, Sonja has taken on a transient lifestyle in order to keep Adam and his associates off her trail. When Tomas is abducted, Sonja is forced return to Iceland and to the career she fled. After returning to Iceland Sonja is now deeper into the drug trade than she was before. New and more dangerous players have entered Sonja’s life making escaping with her life and Tomas seem impossible.

Sonja’s lover, Agla is in just as much trouble as Sonja. Agla is waiting to be sentenced to prison for her role in Iceland’s financial crisis. She is also indebted financially to a very treacherous man who is demanding payment in full.

After reading the first book Snare, I was left wanting to know more about Agla. Although she is a major character in Snare, details of her past were limited. As I got deeper into Trap, I was really excited when details of her background began to emerge. Agla’s mother appears to have been the biggest influence in her life. She was raised to be tough, smart, resourceful, and independent. Traits which served her well in her banking and finance career. In a male dominated world, Agla excels and is permitted entry into the inner circle of the bank with which she is employed. Although this eventually lands Agla in trouble, I was confident she had the skills and knowledge to overcome any obstacle. Even though Sonja is the main character of the series, I found myself drawn to Agla. 

What I find so interesting about Sonja and Agla’s relationship, is how little they know about each other. Sonja knows Agla is in trouble with the law due to the press coverage, but she rarely questions her for details and Agla does not offer any explanations. Sonja has told Agla that she runs a computer software company which requires her to travel often, but Sonja is barely making ends meet. Sonja and Agla are both intelligent and intuitive, they have to know there is more to the others life but it seems they are afraid to learn more. I could not help but wonder what they could accomplish if they were honest with each other. With their combined skills, I cannot imagine a situation they could not manage.

In Trap we learn more about the charges of financial misconduct Agla is facing. We now know her supposed role in the bank fraud allegedly committed by her and the other bank managers. In detail, we learn about money laundering, fake bank accounts and loans. I initially thought I would find these details a little overwhelming and hard to follow. Surprisingly, I was able to understand how the money was laundered and the explanation of the fraud was smoothly woven into the story.

Readers who are new to the series can read Trap as a standalone, but they will miss out on the heartbreaking and shocking story of Bragi, who for me was the stand out character in Snare. Readers will need to know Bragi’s background in order to understand his relationship with Sonja. Trap is an addictive and thrilling read, perfect for crime fiction fans looking to branch out into other sub genres of crime fiction. 

**Thanks to Orenda Books for my free copy of Trap**

Murder and Moore Rating :

4.5 out of 5 Stars

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