The Snæberg family should really start up their own chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. I mean, I get it, I'm not much of a drinker and I'd probably feel the need to drink copiously if I had to spend that much time trapped in a hotel with my family, too. But there are only a few characters who don't spend the entire book stumbling around drunk, and the majority of them are hotel employees. Sheesh.

But, with that said, I mostly enjoyed this book. It's a slow burn of a thriller and the important details are revealed at a very, very leisurely pace, but it was kind of like watching a slow-motion train wreck – I just couldn't look away. The Snæbergs are one hot mess of a family.

And speaking of the Snæbergs, there are a whole lot of them. I gave up on trying to remember who was who pretty early on and just consulted the family tree whenever I got too confused. They're also not very nice people for the most part, so don't expect to find very many sympathetic characters here. Almost every family member has a secret or two that they're withholding from the others, and some of them are pretty awful – it's really a wonder that only one of them winds up dead at the bottom of a cliff.

The mystery itself is well-written – you know at the beginning of the story that someone has died, but you don't know who until the very end. There are lots of red herrings related to the deceased's identity, and I personally didn't guess who it might have been until right before the reveal. The ending is a little abrupt and there are a few subplots that don't really get much (or in some cases, any) closure, but overall it was a fairly satisfying conclusion.

You Can't See Me is technically the fourth book in a series, but since it's a prequel it really doesn't matter much. There's a small bit at the end that is obviously introducing the main character of the series, Elma, which seems a little out of place if you haven't read the other novels. Otherwise, though, it works perfectly well as a stand-alone and I didn't feel that I was missing out on anything by not having read the previous books.

My overall rating: 3.75, rounded up. If you like Icelandic noir and books about rich people behaving badly, you should consider giving this one a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orenda Books for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

You Can't See Me is a great, dark thriller. I kept thinking I had it all figured out, just for another layer to be revealed! I didn't want to put it down. I didn't realize that it was part of a series, but it worked great as a stand alone. I don't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the rest of the series first, but I am definitely going to read the rest of her books now! For fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

The wealthy, powerful and well known Snæberg family are attending a reunion at an isolated smart hotel in Iceland. A body is discovered at the bottom of a nearby cliff and Sævar, a detective, and his partner are there to investigate. Which hotel guest died? Was it an accident or intentional?

Irma, a hotel employee who follows the Snæbergs on social media, can’t wait for the family to arrive, to see them in person. Petra, a successful interior designer, is anxious about running into certain family members she hasn’t seen in years. Lea, Petra’s 16 year old daughter is nervous, she has an unwanted follower online that won’t stop messaging her. Tryggvi, the boyfriend of Petra’s aunt, is desperately trying to get through the weekend without drinking, despite memories that are coming up.

You Can’t See Me is a wonderfully dark and atmospheric slow burn whodunit. The way Eva Björg Ægisdóttir described the beautiful setting and surroundings as well as the folklore of the area made me want to visit Snæfellsnes peninsula and I don’t even like the cold! The narratives of the four family members (in first person) from two days prior, and the third person narrative of Sævar in the present, are seamlessly woven together. As the past meets up with the present, family secrets and personal demons are revealed. I was able to work out what was coming, but that didn’t detract from this tense drama and I couldn’t read fast enough!

As an English speaker I appreciated the Icelandic pronunciation guide as well as the Snæberg family tree. I didn’t realize that this is the fourth novel in The Forbidden Iceland series but it’s also a prequel, so it worked well as a stand alone. The multi-layered storylines all came together in a satisfying conclusion making this a Nordic noir not to be missed!

Thank you Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Orenda Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

Scroll down for potential spoiler trigger warnings.




























⚠️Trigger warnings: alcoholism, drug use, CSA, mention of child abuse and infidelity

Another great Icelandic thriller by this author! A very wealthy family is having a reunion in a 5 star hotel that they have rented out just for them. But reunions can be dangerous when there are hard feelings brewing. Also its snowing and freezing cold so they are limited on outdoor activities. There are a lot of characters in this book and its confusing at first but then you put it all together. Im also reading a series by this author but this is a stand-alone. You Can’t See Me by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir is a 4.5 star read. Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy. It will be out Feb 13.

I liked the mystery of this but it’s only a slight prequel to the other books. No complaints about that because I was sucked in and read it in a day! I love the area of Iceland where it takes place and enjoyed the local stories that were shared as background. There are some good red herrings and some nice twists.

This was my first foray in the Nordic Noir genre, and it won’t be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed this atmospheric, creepy take on an Agatha Christie locked room genre. I loved the isolated, hotel in the beautiful yet barren lava fields along with wintery, stormy weather. . The stark, minimalist concrete building almost seemed like a character in itself, too ‘smart’ for its own good. The story focuses on a celebrated Icelandic family, almost considered royalty, who gather in the newly opened hotel for the 100th birthday of a now passed relative However, this is not a happy gathering as one of the family dies tragically in an apparent accident. The police are called in to find out what has happened and family secrets are revealed.
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir does a fabulous job creating tension and keeping the reader wanting more by weaving the mystery with only tidbits of information and not revealing the victim until much later. I found the multiple POVs and dual timelines effective in giving the impression that everyone is guilty of something and has something to hide. I was particularly drawn to Irma and Lea’s storylines. Kudos need to also be given to Victoria Cribb who translated this novel into English and made the words fall from the page.
My rating 4 out of 5 (I did remove a star because I found the cast of characters too big at times especially with the hard to remember Icelandic names)

Thanks to NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group Orenda Books for this eARC that will be published February 13 2024.

A wealthy but troubled family gets together for a celebration in a remote hotel where they soon find themselves isolated by a storm. What could possibly go wrong? The story changes flawlessly from the past to the present. Someone died in an apparent accident that could have involved foul play. We don’t know who it is. Others were involved. The author teases readers by giving information and doling out clues. They are all hiding secrets but it’s not clear whether they are related to the death. Since I’ve read the first three volumes, I was surprised that the action was mostly centered on the family, and the police officers appeared only in a few chapters. I was also wondering why it was these two cops, and how it related to the other books. No spoilers, since that is one more surprising twist. Now, I’m not one to enjoy family drama, but the personal stories are woven into the mystery so tightly that I ended up very invested in them. At first, it was a little hard for me to get who was who, because of their Icelandic names. In the end it was all clear, and the novel kept me turning the pages. The descriptions of the hotel and the lava fields where it’s located add to the unease. This is probably my favorite book in the series, so far.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Independent Publishers Group, Orenda Books.

Eva starts off with one of her characters running out of the Hotel from the Snæberg family's reunion. You later learn who this is. Each of the characters is expanded upon in small snippets which go from the past to the present many many times. You keep wondering when the police are going to be involved. The main characters are Irma, a Hotel Employee, Victor, Petra Snæberg, her husband Gestur, her children Ari and Lea, Oddny and her boyfriend Tryggvi, Stefania, Petra's sister who lives in Denmark. Each of these characters are expanded upon again, and it starts out with them wanting to find out where Maja who's Victor girlfriend ended up, letting them know she's pregnant. It goes on from there but you think you know who's at the bottom of cliff. Then you don't and you believe who pushed the person. It's a good who done it, and I recommend it.

I got this book sent to me so I re-read it. You really don't know who was found until the book is done. Yet I found the book to be very instructive during the first half of the book. Reading it a second time I was actually reading it seeming like the first time I read it. I would really recommend it to read for the second time since I was stifled in what happened.

I was disappointed in this book. The location was dark and depressing, the storyline jumped forward and backwards and the numerous characters, all appearing to harbor secrets, made my head spin. I must admit I sped read through the chapters. I think the story held some interest but not enough to keep me interested.

"You Can't See Me" is creepy and compelling, perfect for readers who appreciate Nordic Noir. Atmospheric, with a a twist I did not see coming. Highly recommended. I will be exploring this series! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Super fun Agatha Christie Style Murder Mystery!

You Can't See Me is set at newly designed hotel set upon a lava field in Iceland - remote, stark,and breathtakingly beautiful.
We meet several members of Icelandic "Royalty" a famously wealthy family featured on social media. They have all come together for a reunion but some are keeping secrets.

Irma is a housekeeper/cook/hotel go-to and cannot wait for the family to arrive. She has followed them on social media and knows them all by name. Her point of view helps in learning a bit about the members as they all move in and get settled. Pretty quickly the chapters are interspersed with a group of police detectives discussing a death. We all know there will be a death but not who it is, how or why.

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir creates a perfect storm in the eerie house, soulless family member and burning secrets. I loved every minute of it and also enjoyed the Icelandic Noir flavor. I didn't realize that this was a fourth in a series, So exciting! Next I will look up the rest of her work!
#youcantseeme #independentpublishersgroup
#EvaBjörgÆgisdóttir