In the presence of fumes, a blaze likely ensues.
Five pals from their college days are haunted by the past when they journey to a distant isle for an old friend's funeral. Within the deceased's abode, they discover a corpse in the basement. A corpse they believe they should recognize.
Longshanks, Oswald, Dagur, Elin, Magnus, and Siggi are mates. A gang of students who shared a dorm. They studied together, jabbered, partied. The future was yet before them. Then a few years elapsed, their ways diverged. Oswald is a financier, Longshanks desires to be a physician, Dagur is a tech genius, Elin works in law, Magnus in mechanical engineering. Yet Siggi?
She's deceased. Too young, not even 30. In the WhatsApp group, she'd frequently sought aid, voiced that she had cancer. Now her funeral, and the rest of the gang sets sail to the Westman Isles off the south coast of Iceland to bid adieu and soothe their consciences. They feel like they let Siggi down.
Five friends, a frosty plain island – and a hidden secret that slowly emerges: That's enough to spark Iceland's most successful genre author, Yrsa Sigurdardottir's, creative juices. And so, it's not long before the quintet is tormented by dread in "Smoke".
Chaff in an old wound
After the funeral, the five must pay a visit to Siggi's residence, take a keepsake, something that recalls their old friend. However, all they find is a few model ships crafted by Siggi's father and a large wooden container in the basement that piques their interest. None of them knows at this instant: This curiosity may cost them their lives.
Inside the box is a corpse. Preserved in plenty of salt, it's in astonishingly fine condition – and resurfaces forgotten or repressed recollections of a revelry night in the student dorm. They were all intoxicated, and drugs were distributed. There was also an eighth person, a lady that resided on the same floor but had slim to no interaction with them. She sauntered to her room at some point during the night and then vanished without a trace.
Is it her in the wooden box? The relics of braces provide persuasion. Did Siggi kill her? Or Oswald, who had completely lost it that night and sauntered to the lady's room once more? Or Longshanks, who thinks he checked on her again? Or was it one of the other young women, Elin or Magnus? Many questions, few solutions. The gang quickly realizes that they have to dispose of the body. On a tiny island battered by wind and weather, that's not an easy task: Drown it in the sea? Too hazardous. Bury it? Impractical in frozen ground. Burn it?
The five's heads are swirling, they're no longer friends. Each suspects the other of being answerable for the lady's demise. Each seems to want to conceal a dark secret at any price. Even Siggi. She wasn't perishing of cancer; she expired from a fall from a mountain. Did she intend to slaughter herself and finally uncover peace and closure?
This Icelandic suspense is marvelously suspenseful and atmospheric, with a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end.
Looking for an end are also the two investigators Tyre and Caro, well-known from the previous bestseller "Night". Alongside the forensic pathologist Irina, they seek a solution to a case that began with the discovery of a burned corpse on the seashore. Another casualty was seated near the fire. Irina has her work cut out for her. She didn't desire to return to the Westman Isles. In her youth, she had as soon as broken up with her father. However, her "working visit" resurrects old wounds.
Tyre, Caro, and Irina make sluggish progress in uncovering the background of the burned corpse. Irina wants to avoid hypothesizing. She is the type of loner and is not exactly likeable at first sight. But this time, Sigurdardottir centres on her. While "Night" focused on Tyre and Caro, it is now Irina's account that is examined in more depth, immersing both readers and listeners deeper into the plot. Time jumps further condense the action, making it impossible to pause the over eleven-hour audiobook.
The voice of narrator Dietmar Wunder also contributes to this, as he personally reads the story. Wunder is the German dubbing voice of Daniel Craig. While his story is told, Sigurdardottir's saga continues. "Smoke" is not the last book in the series about Tyre, Caro, and Irina. We all know: Where there's smoke, there's fire. The gang has experienced this painfully firsthand.
Find more audiobooks by Yrsa Sigurdardottir here at RTL*
Upon examining Siggi's residence, the friends stumble upon reviews and reviews of her online, praising her warm-hearted nature and artistic talent. Despite her struggles, she had a significant influence on those around her.
As they grapple with the discovery of the preserved corpse, the friends recall a visit to a local museum where they came across an exhibit on courtesy and manners in the past. Amidst the displays, they noticed a section on etiquette for handling unpleasant situations, including the respectful treatment of the deceased.
