Review | The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

A woman is murdered in her house and the only witness is her seven-year-old daughter, Margrét. She is refusing to speak or describe what happened on that night. Detective Huldar has to work with child psychologist, Freyja, to find a way to get through the little girl. But they have no idea that this is just the beginning of a series of brutal murders. Who is behind the crimes? And is Margrét in danger?

The child clambers over the smooth duvet to Elísa’s side. Bending down she whispers, her hot breath tickling her mother’s ear and smelling faintly of toothpaste. “There’s a man in the house.”

What a start to the Children’s House series! I’m kicking myself for taking so long to read The Legacy because I had such a great time reading it. The prologue shows three children being turned to the social services after losing their guardians. In the present, there’s a horrific murder, cryptic messages from a shortwave radio, and a little girl who refuses to talk. All of them made for a complex mystery and I was excited to see how the pieces are linked.

I really liked the main characters! Freyja is a child psychologist currently living in her brother’s house as he serves time in prison. Huldar is a detective taking charge of a murder case for the first time. They have previously met under different circumstances and their exchanges are fraught with tension and humour. I’m not usually a fan of romance between lead characters but I liked the hints of it here. They’re both kind of a mess and I found it really entertaining watching them navigate their relationship as they work together to solve the mystery.

I did find some chapters a bit slow, especially with regard to the side characters. The details are a lot and I just wanted to keep moving! But what an ending. I didn’t see it coming. I cannot wait to see what Huldar and Freyja gets up to in the next book. Be sure to check out The Legacy if you love Nordic noir, you won’t regret it!

CW: graphic violence, animal abuse, sexual assault

About the author: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Translator: Victoria Cribb

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