If you had to choose a new location for a crime series, where would you look? In 2009, Michael Ridpath had to do just that. He chose Iceland, a country of fjords, glaciers and volcanoes, of long, manic summer days and long, sinister winter evenings, a place where everyone is on Facebook and everyone's grandmother has spoken to an elf.

This his account of researching the country: the breathtaking landscape, its vigorous if occasionally odd people, the great heroes and heroines of its sagas, and (of course) those troublesome elves; with a little bit thrown in about how to put together a good detective story. Entertaining and informative, it's a guide to Iceland for the visitor, and a guide to crime writing for the reader.

"A very entertaining book about a crime writer's experience of writing books that take place in Iceland. So knowledgeable and humorous, yet kind toward our country's quirkiness."
Lilja Sigurdardóttir, bestselling Icelandic author.

Buy the ebook now on Kindle