Why Did You Lie? by Yrsa Sigurdadottir

I was lent Why Did You Lie? by a friend who shares a very similar taste in books to me. She told me it was one of the best thrillers she’d ever read, so I had very high expectations. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Why Did You Lie?ย is set in Iceland (and translated from Icelandic) and tells three seemingly unconnected stories.

There’s the four strangers stranded in a small lighthouse on a rock, running out of food and not knowing when they will be rescued.

There’s the family who get home from a house swap holiday in America and become concerned about strange things which have happened in their house while they’ve been away.

And there’s the grieving policewoman, whose husband lies in a coma after attempting suicide.

Their only connection is that they all lied and someone is determined to punish them.

I’ll be honest, it took me about 40 pages to get into Why Did You Lie?. But once I was into it, there was no stopping me! This book is an absolute page turner. It feels like the three stories will never come together, but it hardly matters because they’re all gripping as they are.

The fear of the party stranded in the lighthouse and the husband convinced someone has invaded his home feels so real. And while the policewoman has been sidelined at work, she makes an unexpected discovery. Is she overcome with grief and anger, or is there more to her husband’s attempted suicide than she first thought?

Of course the three stories do eventually come together. But this book keeps you guessing right until the very end and I certainly didn’t see the ending coming at all.

Sigurdadottir’s novel is a really high quality thriller and definitely well worth a read. I will certainly be looking out for more of her work in the future. Based on this book, she might even be a better writer than Jo Nesbo!

Why Did You Lie?, Book review, Yrsa Sigurdadottir

Read With Me

Author: Sarah Mummy

Share This Post On

19 Comments

  1. I haven’t read any of her stuff, but Yrsa is a friend of a friend of mine!

    Post a Reply
    • No way! Seriously?! How do you know her! This is a really amazing book and I’ll definitely be looking out for more of her stuff.

      Post a Reply
      • Oh, I don’t know her, but I have a friend who works in publishing who does!

        Post a Reply
        • Even knowing someone who knows her is very cool in my opinion!

          Post a Reply
  2. Oh I like the sound of this, I’m going to look out for it. I haven’t really read many thrillers but I really want to know how it ends. Which makes me think maybe I should read more thrillers as well as looking for this particular book, maybe I’d enjoy them more than I think!
    Nat.x

    Post a Reply
    • Thanks very much! It really is a brilliant book! I got into thrillers quite gradually over a few years, probably starting with the Millennium Trilogy, until I’ve reached a point where they’re what I mainly read. I’m sure you wouldn’t be disappointed by this one!

      Post a Reply
  3. Arrgh i really need to get back into reading. This sounds very good and I need to know what happens at the end now! Maybe I’ll catch up a bit over Easter with my huge list.

    Post a Reply
    • You will love this one, I’m sure! Easter would be the perfect time to get back into reading, I reckon ๐Ÿ™‚

      Post a Reply
  4. This sounds like a great book. I’ve just read a novel with two seemingly separate stories that came together at the end and it took me ages to work out what the connection could be! I’m going to add Why Did You Lie? to my wishlist :o)

    #readwithme

    Post a Reply
    • You won’t be disappointed! It is such a good book. I would never have seen the connection myself because the stories were so separate.

      Post a Reply
  5. ooo I’ve not heard of this one before, I really like the concept! Thank you for sharing with #readwithme

    Post a Reply
    • I wouldn’t have heard of it if my friend hadn’t lent it to me. It’s an amazing book!

      Post a Reply
  6. Sounds great. I have a big stack of Jo Nesbo books waiting to be read that belong to my husband, so I must let him know about this author as he is really into Icelandic books #readwithme

    Post a Reply
    • I love Jo Nesbo books too! I’m sure your husband will love this one.

      Post a Reply
  7. I like books with interconnected stories. This is one to look out for
    #readwithme

    Post a Reply
    • I would definitely recommend it! It took ages before the connection started to become clear. It was very cleverly written.

      Post a Reply
  8. This sounds like a perfect book for me. I’m adding it to my TBR list ๐Ÿ™‚

    Post a Reply
    • Thanks, I’m sure you’ll love it. It really is a brilliant book!

      Post a Reply
  9. This sounds like a great read, going to add it to my wish list ๐Ÿ™‚ #readwithme

    Post a Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.