Council -Snorri Kristjansson

Paperback, 352 pages

Published May 16th 2019 by Jo Fletcher Books

Series: Helga Finnsdottir #2

Historical thriller mystery Crime

To review

I read reviews of book 1 who said it was not viking enough, which I felt was silly because it was Iceland and it was totally viking. Viking is more than raiding. But here I felt like the author tried making it more viking.

Here we have a king in a part of what is now Sweden. His people are coming to a council. Someone seems to want to make that council fall apart. And being a king back then you always worry about other kings too.

Helga is the heroine from book 1. That is she is the smart one who solves crime. Since this is after all, Viking noir, or whatever we should call it. And it is very Scandic. She does a lot of thinking, because what else can you do at that time. The only way to solve a crime is to think and ask questions.

There is a body, and, well I did not see anything coming. As for the end, what? It can not end like that? I have no idea what will happen in the next book. If I have to guess, well we have been from Iceland to Sweden so maybe, maybe she will solve a crime in Viking York or something. 

It was not as light in reading as book 1 (I did miss that), the author threw in a lot of curveballs and I never knew what to expect. Also, if that one person is not punished in book 3 I am going to be so freaking mad. I want death! A cruel death for that person.

I enjoyed it, and, arghh I can not sto thinking about book 3. Do not leave me like that

BlurbAfter five years on the road, Helga has finally settled near King Eirik’s court in Uppsala, where she’s well-regarded as a healer. She’s even in a relationship, of sorts.
But life is about to get a bit more exciting, for King Eirik has summoned all those who owe him fealty to the King’s Council and tempers are already flaring. The body of an unknown boy is found near the river, but with delegations from all over the country arriving and rumours of an imminent attack, there are more important things to attend to than the death of a nobody . . .
Only Helga suspects murder, until a second body makes it clear that someone is intent on breaking up the King’s Council – and that a traitor walks among them . . .