For UK readers of a certain age, the thought of an ambassador’s reception probably conjures up a famous TV advert featuring a certain brand of gold-foil-wrapped chocolates. For Eliza Reid though, in her debut novel Death Of A Diplomat, ambassadorial receptions are instead the perfect setting for murder.
Reid has the inside view on such occasions. Alongside being an internationally renowned speaker on gender equality and a bestselling writer, she spent eight years as Iceland’s First Lady during her husband’s term as President. She uses that knowledge perfectly, setting her Agatha Christie-inspired murder mystery against a visit by Canada’s Ambassador to Iceland to the remote Westman Islands. The choice of Canada isn’t some random global pick – Reid was born in Canada though now resident in Iceland.
In a country known for its close-knit communities, places where everyone knows everyone else, the islands’ remote setting – often cut off from the mainland in winter if the weather proves too treacherous for the regular ferries – heightens the tension. So when the husband of the local mayor, an investigative journalist, is found dead, rumours are already flying that this isn’t the cardiac-related death the medical professionals are claiming.
A few months later, in the middle of a ferocious winter storm, Canadian officials gather for a reception. When the lights go out during a display of flaming cocktails, it’s inevitable something bad will happen – and Reid doesn’t disappoint. The tension builds, and before we know it the Deputy Ambassador has collapsed, seemingly poisoned by someone in the room.
It’s a traditional Christie setup: a closed room, a murder, and a roster of characters who all have potential motives. The Ambassador himself, frustrated by his deputy’s ruthlessness; the chef who prepared the food under pressure from the demanding deputy; the jealous wife; the local businessman with questionable ethics – all are suspects of the young local police officer to investigate.
Reid, however, isn’t attempting to create a Christie sequel. Death Of A Diplomat has a life and pedigree of its own. Reid plays with the familiar structure we expect from the Queen of Crime but uses it to wrong-foot us. Just as we work our way through the investigation of the first death, chapter titles begin to count down towards the death of another, yet unidentified, victim. It’s a masterful device, throwing the reader off the scent and providing a dual thread to unravel.
At least it seems like a dual thread – but like all good noir mysteries, there’s overlap and red herrings aplenty to keep the reader on their toes. The clever construction ensures that the reveal of the killer is a genuine surprise. Even then Reid isn’t finished with her readers: there are more twists still to come.
The diplomatic scene is clearly a world Reid knows intimately, and it’s tantalising to speculate whether her characters and plot are based on real-life receptions she attended as First Lady. But even without that extra layer of intrigue, Death Of A Diplomat is an assured and thrilling debut.
Agatha Christie may be undergoing something of an Icelandic revival, with Ragnar Jónasson – himself a Christie expert – drawing inspiration from her work in recent novels. Reid’s novel, however, is no pastiche. Death Of A Diplomat is fresh, contemporary, and confident in its own voice – a debut that proves she can stand proudly alongside the masters of the genre while bringing something distinctly her own to the table.
Death of A Diplomat by Eliza Reid is published by Sphere Books.
Written by: Glen Pearce, Content Creator at Nordic Watchlist
