In 1828 Fridrik Sigurdsson, the son of the farmer at Katadalur, murdered his neighbor, the farmer and doctor Natan Ketilsson, at the victim’s farm Illugastadir in the rural Hunavatnssysla region of Northwest Iceland. Natan’s housekeeper Sigridur and one of his working women Agnes plotted with Fridrik to kill Natan, encouraging Fridrik and pledging their loyalty and assistance. The three burned Natan’s sleeping quarters to cover up the crime, which was committed for financial gain, and then helped hide the stolen goods so they wouldn’t be consumed by the blaze.

Regional magistrate Bjorn Blondal convened the district court to hear the case. This book details the interrogations of the accused and his associates, which shed new light on the story and transport the reader into world of one of Iceland’s most fascinating murder cases.

• Morgunbladid Daily’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2021
• Nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize 2021

JURY’S COMMENTS
“A dazzling, intimate account put together from the most highly regarded source material, shedding new light on the events leading up to and following this chilling tragedy from the beginning of the 19th century. “The miseries multiply when the story is closely examined” is a fitting description of this read. The readers are brought along with the writer through the source material, quickly finding themselves racked with dread at the edge of the farmyard.”