A compelling and authentic story that delves into Iceland’s raging opioid crisis and its violent underworld.

Dora and Rado, the two dedicated detectives we got to know in Broken, have now taken different paths. Dora remains assigned to the detective’s bureau at the Icelandic police force and is undergoing a 12-step program to overcome her serious addiction to pain medication. Rado, the son of Bosnian war refugees, now leads his own small narcotics unit. Recently, his mother passed away and he is now a single father. When Joel, the boyfriend of their former captain Ellidi, is discovered dead on the set of a TV series on the outskirts of Reykjavik, they join forces to investigate.

As the number of deaths continues to rise, they realize that a dangerous batch of a designer drug is circulating in the city. The novel takes place against the backdrop of Iceland’s ongoing opioid epidemic, which has already claimed the lives of over 60 individuals this year (2023), a statistic that places the country at the forefront of opioid and antidepressant drug usage in the Nordic region.

“… an excellent crime novel. It is compact and well-written, and the plot is superbly crafted… Jon Atli’s greatest strength lies in the characters he has created. Dora and Rado are both interesting and exceptionally appealing… This captivating story is exciting from beginning to end, and for various reasons that cannot be disclosed, one can hardly wait for the next book.”
STEINGERDUR STEINARSDOTTIR, LIFDU NUNA MAGAZINE