Yrsa Sigurdardottir is a critically acclaimed author, born in Reykjavik, Iceland on August 24, 1963. She is renowned for her gritty and hard-hitting crime novels, which are primarily set within the suburbs of Iceland. Sigurdardottir has written a successful series of books centered around the character of Thora Gudmundsdottir, a lawyer and single mother of two children. In addition to her crime novels, she has also authored several standalone thrillers and horror novels, all of which have been met with critical acclaim.
Sigurdardottir began her writing career in 1998 and has since become one of Iceland's most successful authors. Her debut crime novel, "Last Rituals," was published in the US in 2007 and in the UK in January 2008. It was translated into English by Bernard Scudder and is the first book in the Thóra Gudmundsdóttir series. Sigurdardottir is a prolific writer who has also made a name for herself in the world of children's fiction. In 2000, the Icelandic department of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) awarded her for her book "Við viljum jólin í júlí" (We Want Christmas in July).
Apart from being a novelist, Sigurdardottir has also worked as a civil engineer. She graduated from high school in 1983 and went on to finish a B.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Iceland in 1988. She then completed an M.Sc. in the same field from Concordia University in Montreal in 1997. Currently, Sigurdardottir works as a civil engineer for the company Fjarhitun, in addition to her writing career. She is married and has two children. Sigurdardottir resides in the Reykjavík suburb of Seltjarnarnes.