If you don't already follow Yrsa on Twitter, I really recommend it: she's very funny. Which is rather typical of crime writers, especially in Iceland. Anyway, truth isn't necessarily stranger than fiction because a good story usually comes from good research. So Obsidian has fantastical elements but catastrophic volcanic eruption wasn't one of them. And Yrsa (meaning Bear) is not only an award-winning writer of excellent thrillers but is also a civil engineer, working on geothermal and hydro power plant projects. Respect!

Did you know the podcast I co-host with Tim O'Kelly is over six months old now, with a few thousand downloads? Tim is the owner of One Tree Books and he chooses the pick of what new books to look forward to, whereas I choose an old favourite each month and polish it to sparkle again. You can listen to all episodes at TALKING BOOKS

We also talk about what we are currently reading and since I love a good crime novel and "Nordic Noir"  Yrsa and other Scandi authors will certainly be included over the coming months. I hope her newest series, about policeman Huldar and child psychologist Freyja, continues soon and watch out for her detective Thóra on UK television. I'll be reporting back from the virtual Iceland Writer's Retreat at the end of April and chatting right here. Iceland Noir was cancelled (like everything) last year but plans are being made for 2021 so fingers crossed!