Football anyone?

Being a writer from a distant, remote island somewhere in the Atlantic, I often get asked about facts and myths regarding my country. I am in general very proud of my country as it is quite an accomplishment for Icelanders having been able to survive in such harsh elements throughout the ages. But that is nothing compared to how proud I was when our national football team qualified for the European cup almost two years ago. Not only qualified but also got really close to winning, as I prefer to look at it; ending up in the top 8 and beating England on the way, as some people may remember. This was a great triumph for such a small nation. I was of course “all in” right from the start. I spent the summer in France where the competition was held and I went to see the team. When we qualified for the last 16, I was back in Iceland so I had to fly back to France to see the famous England game. And then I had to fly to France for the third time to see Iceland play in the last 8, where we did eventually lose to France (but we actually won the second half 2-1, though). Everything was about football!  And then the unbelievable thing just happened! We qualified for the World Cup, the smallest nation ever to do so! I've already bought tickets for all of Iceland's matches there, so there you go…next summer I will be in Russia. Good luck trying to reach me regarding anything else than football!

Whiteout by Ragnar Jónasson published by Orenda Books

Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead beneath the cliffs of the deserted village of Kálfshamarvík.  Did she jump, or dd something more sinister take place beneath the lighthouse and the old house on the remote rocky outcrop?  Wth Winter closing in and the snow falling relentlessly, Ari Thór Arason discovers that the victim's mother and young sister also lost teir lives in this same spot, twenty-five years earlier.  As the dark history and the secrets of the village are unveiled, and the death toll begins to rise, the Siglufjordur detectives must race against the clocks to find the killer, before another tragedy takes place.