It’ll be alright, she thought to herself trying to ignore the teenage Sif inside her, who whispered in her ear that locked doors only kept the living out.

Sif has come to a deserted valley in the Westfjords where her family has a summer house in order to put the finishing touches on her master’s thesis. Her topic is the ghosts and specters of the valley, who have never bothered Sif until now. In her solitude she begins doing things she might not otherwise have done. For example, is it wise to invite a perfect stranger to stay the night? Or to rekindle an old romance? And what happened to the tourist woman that the police are looking for?

With The Valley we see the emergence of a new voice in thrillers, Margret S. Hoskuldsdottir, and a riveting story that you simply can’t put down.

“On a good day the valley is surrounded by mountains, birdsong and the wonders of nature. On dark evenings it’s a more sinister place and the shadows walk…
The Valley is Margret S. Höskuldsdottir’s first novel and a fantastic debut! The story grabs you immediately
… the plot plays out rapidly and well …
A genuine Icelandic crime story, twisting together modern Iceland with the ghosts of the past in the background and a strong female protagonist.”
RAGNA GESTSDOTTIR, VIKAN

“The Valley [is] a thriller that one can wholeheartedly recommend, especially for a trip to the summer house, or to any other isolated place, if the reader wants to experience goose bumps.”
SAEUNN GISLADOTTIR, LESTRARKLEFINN

“An exciting story that grabs hold of the reader and doesn’t let go. Margret Hoskuldsdottir is a fine storyteller who is able to weave a fascinating tale that you can’t second-guess. There’s an exciting ambiguity at the heart of the narrative, which rules out seeing just where the story is going, whether this is a thriller or a ghost story, or maybe both blended into one …
The story brings together present-day and historical Iceland in an innovative way… a modern story of modern people, which also seeks its inspiration in the country’s rich folklore and the fates of the women and men who went before us … a fascinating backdrop to the tale … much of the tension is set in broad daylight. In Margret’s hands, daylight is just as laden with tension and horror as darkness, in a way that is reminiscent of the 2019 film Midsommar (Ari Aster), in which the horror becomes apparent in daylight … the narrative is very pictorial … It’s clear that this is a new and exciting author with a strong talent for spinning a tale that has to be followed.”
MELKORKA BRIANSDOTTIR, TENGIVAGNINN/NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVICE