Book Review | The Prey by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

A man uncovers information about a possible family secret. A search and rescue team looks for two missing couples on the highlands. A man works alone at a radar station when a phone rings and he hears a child’s voice asking for her mother. How are these events connected?

There were no tracks to suggest anyone had ever been there, just pristine white snow as far as the eye could see. No living creature moved in the landscape, but then few animals could scratch out an existence in the depths of winter in such a barren waste.

The Prey is a chilling mystery-horror that will make you feel like you’re on a freezing mountain!  Translated by Victoria Cribb, the book takes place during winter in the beautiful yet treacherous highlands of Vatnajökull in Iceland, where its pristine snowy landscape belies its danger. Johanna, a member of a search and rescue team, discovers some worrying clues suggesting the missing group could be in trouble. Drofn is part of that group, and we get her account of what happened to them the previous week. Meanwhile, Hjorvar is convinced someone is haunting him at the radar station where he works, especially after his sick mother mentioned a name he hadn’t heard before.

I found Drofn’s story to be the most engaging and intense because her group was not just fighting bad weather but also possibly something supernatural. Hjorvar’s isolation in the station feels palpable, though the appearance of a stray cat adds some levity to his situation. But he worries about a potential family secret while handling the mysterious phone calls that seem to come from nowhere. The truth about Hjorvar took me by surprise! Johanna’s story feels more pedestrian, and there’s a key revelation about her operation that I feel could have been handled better. Ultimately, this book explores how our past can haunt us and catch up with us when we least expect it.

If you want to try Nordic horror for Nordic Noir November, The Prey is a solid addition to your reading list!

About the author: Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Photo by Anne Nygard