This book, a prequel to the Forbidden Iceland series, is set in 2017 before Elma Jónsdóttir joins the Akranes CID.

The wealthy and powerful Snæberg family gathers for a reunion at a luxury, futuristic hotel on Iceland’s remote Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The point of view of three attendees is given. Petra, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the gathering for some unknown reason. Her teenaged daughter Lea has attracted the attention of an unwelcome follower on social media, a follower who seems to be physically stalking her. Tryggvi is an outsider, tolerated by the family only because he is in a relationship with Oddný, Petra’s aunt. An additional point of view is that of Irma, a hotel employee who is very excited to see the Snæberg family members up close.

The focus is on the interactions among family members during the reunion on Friday and Saturday. Interspersed are chapters flashing forward to Sunday when a body has been found in the vicinity of the hotel. Sævar and Hörður, two detectives from Akranes, have come to investigate.

Not only do readers not know the identity of the murderer, but the identity of the victim also remains a mystery. All we know is that the victim is someone attending the reunion. As various Snæberg family members appear and their personalities are revealed, several potential victims emerge, as do several murder suspects. Several people have secrets and several behave inappropriately. There are tensions. Reference is made to bad consciences, post-traumatic stress, and grief. As a result, readers are constantly thinking to fit together the pieces of the puzzle.

Having read a considerable number of crime fiction books, I pay particular attention when some event or someone’s behaviour is mentioned more than once. Consequently, I was able to surmise the connections among some of the characters early on, though because certain details aren’t revealed until later, I didn’t predict the identities of the victim and killer until virtually the end. The author excels at red herrings and misdirecting the reader.

Of course having a large cast of characters helps the obfuscation. To the author’s credit, she ensures that the major characters are distinctive; certainly, each narrator has a distinct voice. It is only the biological relationships that I needed to clarify more than once, and the Snæberg family tree at the beginning was helpful in this regard.

The title of the book is perfect. It suggests members of the hotel staff that are often dismissed as “part of the hotel furniture.” It suggests people who have secrets hidden even from loved ones. It can refer to public personae adopted online which do not reflect reality. And after all, “there are black sheep in every family, even those who appear perfect on the surface.”

There are some coincidences which bothered me; the presence of one person in particular seems very much a chance. And one character does indeed need “a good helping of luck”!

I was thoroughly entertained so I definitely recommend this book. Its cliff-hanging chapter endings will have you reading all night. The novel can be read as a standalone but anyone who hasn’t yet encountered the Forbidden Iceland series will be motivated to continue with The Creak on the Stairs (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-of-creak-on-stairs-by-eva-bjorg.html), Girls Who Lie (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2021/11/review-of-girls-who-lie-by-eva-bjorg.html), and Night Shadows (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2022/07/review-of-night-shadows-by-eva-bjorg.html).

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