I fail at reading some translations. There is something that definitely gets lost and I don't know what it is. In this instance, I think it was definitely the translation rather than me. Sorry. I won't be coming back for future installments.

Murder in the viking age still needed to be solved to prevent more blood being spilled. This book gripped from start to finish as the guilty family member had to be unmasked.

The first novel in the Helga Finnsdottir Series. KIN is a dark mystery set in the summer of 970. It's a Viking crime mystery - and a very, very good one. Snorri Kristjansson's writing and characters are excellent, and the plot will pull readers through from very early on.
Definitely recommended.

Received from Quercus Books and Netgalley for honest read and review.
I really liked the premise of this book,thinking it was going to be more of a fantasy story,but it kind of went along the lines of a murder mystery,which I normally enjoy.

I couldn't really get into the characters from the beginning so found the story quite hard to get into from the start.

I found this quite hard to read and unfortunately could not finish it

A great start to a Viking mystery series with a tiny hint of fantasy. Full of family drama, tension, betrayal, an interesting cast of characters and a fair amount of blood. I raced through it and immediately started the second one which had just appeared on NetGalley (enjoyed that as well, not so much the cliffhanger...) Now I'm going to have ages to wait for the third!

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

In the summer of 970, legendary Viking warlord, Unnthor Reginsson has reached the winter of his years, he’s sixty-two, and has long since retired from raiding. Now Unnthor lives quietly at his farm, Riverside, with his wife, Hildigunnur, their adoptive daughter, Helga and his sworn brother Jaki and his son, Einer. Both Unnthor and his wife are well-respected in the valley and surrounding area, but as much as he denies it, rumours and gossip persists of a large treasure horde secretly buried on his land. All of which is to bubble dangerously to the surface when Unnthor arranges a whole family reunion.

Through the eyes of the young, intelligent and insightful Helga, we witness the preparation and arrival of Unnthor and Hildigunnur’s grown children and their families. There are three sons: the dark, dangerous Karl; the giant Bjorn and the gentle, henpecked Aslak, and one daughter: the lithe, clever Jorunn. With the gathering of the siblings, bad blood simmers and old feuds resurface, as they all make their moves on the old man’s treasure. Then one morning Helga is awakened by screams. Blood has been shed… kin has been slain!

I daren’t go any further with the plot in case of spoilers! What I can say is what follows is a fast, gripping and twisting murder mystery, as Helga races against time to solve this terrible crime, before an innocent is blamed and there can be anymore bloodshed. As an adoptive daughter she has a more objective view and open mind than the others, and she has a wisdom that belies her young years. Also she puts all the cunning traits she has learnt from her wise adoptive mother, Hildigunnur, to work her way through this large cast, wheedling out all their resentments and secrets.

What was a very good murder mystery, which could perhaps be transposed to any time period, was taken to a whole new level by the fantastic, historical Viking setting. The picturesque, wooded Norwegian valley, with the Riverside farm and longhouse nestled within, where life is quiet, isolated and closely tied to the seasons. Then the reunion explodes this life apart with the busy, continuous slaughtering of animals, making beds, cooking food, bringing up the best wine and ale, and entertaining guests. We also have the chance to see traditional Norse games, sports and a blood sacrifice to the gods.

Overall I thought Kin was an excellent Viking murder mystery, which shows a different side to the raiding and pillaging Vikings. On finishing this book, I discovered that it is the first in a planned series, so I look forward to reading more of Helga Finnsdottir’s adventures.

Historical crime / mystery set in 10th century Iceland.

The family of Unnthorn Reginsson have gathered at the family homestead - there are all the usual family rivalries and petty jealousies that could easily be found in a more modern setting, say in Midsomer or St Mary Mead. But positing this in remote and wild Iceland makes for an interesting read.

At the heart of the story is promise of long hidden buried treasure, and as the clan gather, the posturing begins and the tension slowly builds - sometimes, painstakingly so. This is where the scene is set, the characters are introduced and brought together. It is not until nearly half-way through that the murder is committed.

Enter the two main characters - Helga, the adoptive daughter of Unnthor, and Hildigunnur, Unnthor's wife. Whilst Helga is intent on solving the mystery and saving the man-boy before the family seek vengeance (blood price), Hildigunnur provides a more calming figure in the face of a rising body count.

Being familiar with the history and the style of the Icelandic and other Sagas enabled me to easily gain a better sense of the period and the characters the author was presenting to us.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this interesting book! The book was set in the Viking age, in Scandinavia, and the way the author described the town made me wonder if she invented time travel, so realistically it was done!
Recommended.

This is a strange one, a murder mystery set in the time of Vikings. It took me a while to get into, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Helga, her lessons through her mother, and the strength of women in a male dominated world. A great read.

I am always up for a new twist on the crime genre, and here it is! A novel that is, at its heart, a thriller but with Vikings. Kristjansson's stories have such originality, originality that is sorely lacking in crime titles these days. There is all the usual lies, manipulation, and murder just with elements of Viking history added in there for a very different setting to my usual reads. It is beautifully atmospheric and I loved the family dynamics, very dysfunctional. I did struggle a little at the beginning to get all of the characters straight in my mind as there were so many, otherwise this would've been a 5-star read for me.

I see that this is a series opener - excellent! I can't wait to to learn more about Helga Finnsdottir. She is a bit of an outsider, but witty with it. I found myself warming to her as the book continued.

A fantastic new voice in nordic noir and one I will actively look out for in the future.

I would like to thank Snorri Kristjansson, Quercus Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

This book immediately caught my interest due to the appealing, original premise: a murder mystery featuring a Viking family? How could I say no?!
Despite the enthusiasm, this reading turned out quite dull… for many reasons:
1. Unlikeliness: I don’t have any knowledge about Vikings, hence I can’t and I won’t judge the historical authenticity of the setting or the family dynamics depicted. What annoyed me was that often character’s behaviours or choices were not at all believable.

2. Confusion: I think it didn’t depend only on the continuous, quick switching among different POVs. The fact is, I found difficult to follow the story because some basic information was missing (or I missed it, at least);

3. The characters: even though I cannot deny that I appreciated the presence of many strong female characters, I was not given enough character depth and development. I couldn’t connect with or root for any of them. If anything, I disliked many characters or I simply didn’t care. The constant strained, heavy atmosphere and the fact that basically almost anyone was mean for their own peculiar reasons did not help to get attached to the characters or the story;

4. The murder mystery: I expected to find a sort of Sherlock-Holmesque vibe. However, despite Helga’s efforts to play the part of the wannabe detective, the investigation process limped: it was sloppy and was conducted more by chance rather than by observation and deduction.

All in all, despite the engaging premise, I wouldn’t recommend this book.

This has to be one of the most original murder mysteries I have ever read. I loved the setting – it was very atmospheric and the historical period was right up my street. The family dynamics were convincing and (rare for me) I didn’t see whodunit until right at the end. Helga was a wonderful character – dynamic, inquisitive and witty. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Kin centres on a Viking family gathering where things turn sour, and more than the usual fist fight. A family member is murdered and there is no obvious culprit; each family member has their own reasons for hating the victim.

The story is told from the point of view of teenage foster daughter Helga. An outsider compared to her foster siblings, watchful Helga is in a unique position to observe clues that result in the discovery of the murderer. I admired Helga’s intelligence but found that I didn’t really connect to her which may because she was the outsider.

One of the strengths of this story was the setup and development of the tension between the very strong (both physically and mentally) characters There is a large cast of characters, some with unfamiliar names, which was confusing at first. Because of the initial concentration on characterisation, the plot was a little slow to develop. However, towards the end I enjoyed the pace and intricate mind games being played.
A strong sense of family duty, honour and religion weaves through the story. There is a hint of the mystic, with mention of runes and the brief appearance of a mysterious old man. This seemed a little random as it was explored enough.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read about a family of larger-than-life characters, and kept me guessing until the end.

https://lynns-books.com/2018/03/05/kin-the-helga-finnsdottir-1-by-snorri-kristjansson/
I thoroughly enjoyed Kin and thought it made a great start to what I’m presuming will become a murder mystery series featuring Helga Finnsdottir. This is a murder mystery with a difference. Set in Norway during the summertime of 970 this is a book with vikings. But, calm your passions, the murders committed on the page don’t occur whilst plundering villages or out on the open seas. Far from it. The murders here are committed in the quiet of the homestead, with only family around, and virtually everyone is a suspect.

I’m not going to go into the plot because being a murder mystery it would be easy to spoil the outcome. What I would say immediately is that I was completely swept away with this book. I read it in one day because I couldn’t put it down. It was a compelling read with a stark-like simplicity that was completely beguiling.

As the book begins we are introduced to Unnthor and Hildigunner and the other inhabitants of their homestead. The farm itself is basically a longhouse, a few outbuildings, some animals and a small woodland. This is a hard but honest existence, the days are filled with chores but there’s a clear happiness to the small family unit and their simple way of life. Helga is the adopted daughter and Einar and his father complete the group. However, the quiet simplicity of their lives is about to be transformed with the arrival of the rest of the family. Unnthor has invited his children and their families back home for a meet. You could be forgiven for thinking this would be a happy occasion and in some respects it is and yet there is an underlying current of tension that belies the excited expectations of such a gathering.

Unthor and Hildi have four children all now living away from home. Three sons and a daughter. Karl has a streak of danger running through him. He’s something of a brute and the sort of man who takes what he wants. He’s no stranger to raids and the easy pickings they represent have given him an arrogant air of expectation. His brother Bjorn is a positive giant of a man, he and Karl don’t get on and yet Bjorn has a certain quiet gentleness that makes him feel less of a threat than his brother. Aslak is the third son, he doesn’t share the brute strength of his brothers, he’s more brains than brawn and his expectations lie more in the desire for a happy home. Finally we have Jorunn. She’s a clever woman. Competitive and ambitious. The four families descend on the farm, each of them with their own agenda and none of it bodes well, particularly given the rumours that their father is sitting on his own treasure hoard. And then, of course, there is murder most foul and the inevitable realisation that the murderer is amongst them. You can imagine how quickly the air becomes thick with fear and suspicion. Finger pointing and bickering swiftly ensue but along with that a much more deadly threat.

It’s difficult to pin down what it is about this that really won me over. Everything I suppose. The writing is clean and efficient, it does just what it needs to do with no unnecessary flourishes. Everything is laid out with ease, the family dynamics and the lifestyles they all lead, I felt like I knew the people. Unnthor and Hildi are a formidable partnership. They’ve raised their family with respect and fear and yet there’s almost a feeling of wolves waiting quietly to strike. Unnthor’s strength is maybe not what it once was and although Hildi is a force to be reckoned with could it be that her children are becoming almost as sharp? It almost has a feeling that they’re looking over their shoulders all the time. What a horrible feeling knowing that your family seem to be waiting for you to weaken.

The place itself is really easy to picture. There’s a breathtaking beauty about it, wide open skies and barren landscapes. And then we have a murder mystery. Now, given the time period this is clearly not a police procedural style novel. There’ll be no threat of prisons, or police called in to look for clues – just brutal retribution for the murderer if discovered. I think the really winning element of this for me is the unexpected way it turned into a whodunnit. Don’t get me wrong, the writing style, the settings, the people the way of life – this isn’t Murder on the Orient Express – but it does have something in common in the way the story twists about until everyone has become a real suspect. Basically my expectations were exceeded. I was jumping about from person to person, suspecting all of them and only really making the discovery when the author intended me to do so.

In terms of criticisms. They’re not really criticisms here so much as things that I would point out so that you go into the story forewarned. It took me a little while to get all the family members and their respective partners and children straight in my own head but once I’d sorted them all out that wasn’t a problem – I would say it’s worth taking a few minutes to really figure out who’s who – otherwise the whole mystery element will be spoiled by the constant need to keep thinking back about how everyone is related. Basically I took notes as I was going along – you might not need to resort to such means but I found it helped me to group everyone into their respective family knots. There’s very little fantasy involved in the story – in fact the only element is the appearance of one of the Norse gods – and this could almost be whitewashed over as a flight or fancy on the part of Helga. Did it really happen or did she just imagine it. I suspect that Helga may have somebody watching over her and this may become more apparent in future books. The lack of fantasy was clearly not a problem in my opinion but I point it out as the books I read usually have more swords and sorcery than not so I want to set expectations straight from the outset. Finally, in spite of the era depicted this is told in a modern style. Personally I loved this as I don’t want to struggle too much trying to make sense of olde worlde figures of speech and phraseology. If you’re something of a history buff or are looking for a much more faithful depiction of the times then this might not be for you. As it is, I loved the style, I felt like I got a really good look into the way of life without it becoming a work of art or over bearing to read.

I would definitely have no hesitation in recommending this and I look forward to seeing where Helga’s adventures lead us to next.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I was interested in this time period as i have not read a book about it but i could not get into this family saga style tale. The way that Kristjansson's writes is beautiful and i admire the way it is written but i did not connect with the family members. It was an interesting premise but not one that i could go through with all the way.

Kin is a fast-paced historical crime novel, which quickly immerses you in a realistic (OK, realistic-feeling) and well-developed world. Restricting the setting to the environs of the longhouse and grounds is a sensible introduction, i admit that as it took me a fair few chapters to get to grips with the names and position within the family that not having to fully understand the broader world yet was an advantage!
Once over my challenge with the names the characters are well defined, the relationships and feuds between the family members develop and the tensions drive the narrative to first conflict and then murder. The supernatural beliefs of the characters are well-established and leaves some intriguing questions about what the characters experience which i hope will be developed further in the next book.

Sadly not enjoying this one at all - I found the characters far fetched and not fitting the era the book is supposed to be set in - and plainly just not very likeable. A quarter into the story I am still finding it tough going, so I am conceding that this book is just not for me.

Set in 970 this is a dark crime mystery story with Vikings and a dysfunctional family. I thought this was a great mystery book and the author does a fantastic job at creating a rather sinister atmosphere. The plot is compelling, the characters are well written and the writing is good. I thought Helga was a great character and I liked that the readers are left to come to their own conclusions until it all comes out at the end. If you enjoy crime books and/or Vikings then I would recommend checking this book out. I'm interested to see what will happen to Helga in the next book of this series.

This book intrigued me from the beginning - but perhaps the comments I read such as 'no one does Vikings like this' were slightly misleading for this particular book by the author. To begin with, I was quite confused by the direction the story was taking.

The characters in the book are intriguing and well thought out - well, most of them are, some of them are just confusing and it does take a while to sort out who everyone is, and it does, I'm afraid to say, start to become much easier to understand once the 'action' has started and the number of characters has diminished somewhat. That said, it takes nearly half of the book for this to happen, and the anticipation of 'who' will be the victim does start to become more important than why there will be a victim because the why is very clear from early on.

Much of the story is told from one point of view, that of Helga, and that is good. However, every so often, the author does drop in a different point of view, which is a bit jarring and perhaps not needed.

That said the book flows well, and I enjoyed reading it and only spent some of my time wondering about the historical accuracy of it all, and whether certain things would actually have happened.

An intriguing idea.