Yrsa Sigurdardottir proves her extraordinary plotting skills in this excellent police procedural, which kicks off her new Children’s House series. It begins with three siblings being separated at the children’s home back in 1987, and in the present day we begin to see what appears to be the fallout of the authorities’ decision. There’s a serial killer in Reykjavik and his first victim dies with a vacuum cleaner pipe stuffed all the way down her throat. Newly promoted detective, Huldar, must try and find the killer, helped by Freyja. She works at the same children’s home but her role is to coax information from the only witness to the crime – a nine-year-old girl. Brutal, with a gripping plot line and excellent treatment of procedural detail. Read the full review here.