Death of a Diplomat

A remote Icelandic island. A diplomatic dinner party. And a murderer in the midst.

When the deputy Canadian ambassador dies suddenly at a dinner party, attended by the great and the good from business, culture and politics, suspicion falls on everybody present, but particularly on the victim's boss, the Canadian ambassador.

Jane, the ambassador's wife, knows that she has to solve the murder if she is to save her husband, and her marriage. But Jane knows better than anyone that, when it comes to protecting scandalous secrets, there are no lengths to which people won't go.

So soon the question becomes: can she track down the killer before they strike again?

With its twisty Golden Age plot and a fascinating Nordic Noir setting, this novel is perfect for lovers of each. -- ANN CLEEVES, author of the Vera series
A fresh, transporting, emotionally involving suspense debut -- AJ FINN, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window and End of Story
An intriguing mystery, an exotic setting, and a Christie vibe-what's not to love? -- SHARI LAPENA, internationally bestselling author of What Have You Done?
I loved this book. Eliza Reid is so assured in her plot, her characters that it's hard to believe this is her first novel. Death of a Diplomat is compulsive and propulsive reading. Not only wonderfully evocative of a little known area of Iceland, it is also surprising, with twists even a seasoned crime reader won't see coming. A brilliant debut, that promises more to come. -- LOUISE PENNY, author of the Inspector Gamache series
An addictive and edgy murder mystery with wonderfully quirky characters and razor-sharp dialogue. You'll turn the pages faster than you ever thought possible. -- Jann Arden, bestselling author of The Bittlemores
Death of a Diplomat is a wonderful and compelling debut, welcoming a new and unique voice to the Icelandic crime fiction genre. -- Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, author of the Thóra Gudmundsdóttir series

Eliza Reid's take on a locked room mystery is an island off the coast of Iceland during a perfect storm - for the perfect murder. Among the suspects are an ambitious chef, an award-winning writer, an Ambassador and a captain of industry. Skullduggery in high places! A most enthralling, entertaining and intriguing mystery.

-- LIZ NUGENT, author of STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND
I loved the feeling of Iceland that came through and the feminism. It went at a cracking pace and I didn't guess the twist. I can't wait for the next book. -- CHERIE BLAIR
So this is what Eliza Reid was thinking about during all those diplomatic dinners. -- ANTHONY HOROWITZ
Eliza Reid has drawn on her experience as Iceland's former First Lady to craft a classic murder mystery set on the windswept Westman Islands. The ensemble cast is filled with quirky, complex, and believable characters who are all dealing with their own baggage, along with a dead body or two. And the island itself is a mesmerizing setting made even more sinister by the lashing storm. Whether you have the self-control to savour this tale, or you read it in one desperate binge, as I did, Death on the Island is the debut everyone will be talking about -- TERRY FALLIS, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour
A classic murder mystery set against a brooding landscape. Full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing right to the very last page -- WILL FERGUSON, Giller Prize-winning author of 419
Gripping, moving and beautifully written, Death of a Diplomat will keep you enthralled until the end. -- KATE WILLIAMS, historian

Eliza Reid is a bestselling writer, public speaker, gender equality advocate, and cofounder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat. She was born and raised in Canada but has lived in Iceland for over twenty years. Her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World, was an instant bestseller in Canada and Iceland, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick, and translated into numerous languages. Death of a Diplomat is the first of a series and has been optioned for television. From 2016 to 2024, Eliza served in the unofficial role of First Lady while her husband was President of Iceland, an adventure which greatly informed the writing of this book. A memoir of her time in the position is set for publication in 2026.

Eliza lives in the outskirts of Reykjavik with her husband and four children. This is her first novel.

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