Listen, there is nothing better than a fall night in with a page-turning mystery. Double Blind: The Icelandic Manuscript Murders is a crime, whodunit, novel packed with forensic and genetic science. But, that’s not all, it also intertwines the history and geography of Iceland. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind book that cannot be missed. So we decided to chat with Sara Winokur, a Ph.D molecular geneticist, and get the inside story on her fantastic novel.
Here is the captivating book description:
A young boy disappears in the chill of North Iceland. Twenty years later, a mysterious poem lands on the desk of his twin sister Brynja, a forensic geneticist, and rekindles her hopes that her brother might be alive. As Brynja unravels the clues, more poems arrive, each bearing dire consequences for those who receive them: the guard of the medieval manuscript of Icelandic sagas that possibly has the answer to her burning question, the prime minister’s secretary, the local pastor.
Is the poet out to stop Brynja from finding her brother and shut down her access to the DNA database? Or is the verse maker simply a psychopath copycat killer?
Fighting the visual auras that have plagued her since childhood and now threaten everything she holds dear, Brynja must summon the strength to navigate the twisted labyrinth of the poet’s mind and confront the dark secret buried in her family’s past.
“DOUBLE BLIND: The Icelandic Manuscript Murders” is a wild ride through the cultural landscape of Iceland, from rural farmsteads to icy fjords to the high-tech world of DNA forensics. This crime thriller packed with twists and turns will keep you at the edge of your seat until the very end.
Q Tell us about your book in 5 bullet points or less
Mystery-thriller about young female forensic geneticist
Total immersion in all things Iceland (grab your sweater)!
Beware of seemingly harmless plant-based foods. . .
Q Can you tell us 3 fun facts about you?
I’ve explored every continent
I have a photographic memory
I have a morbid fear of elevators (that actually isn’t fun)
Q Can you tell us 3 fun facts about your main character?
- She’s a DNA scientist
- She has a perceptual disorder called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
- She never gives up
Q Where is your favorite place to write?
Have laptop, will travel (i.e., anywhere)
Q Which celebrity would most enjoy reading your book?
Reese Witherspoon (are you listening, Reese?)
Q What is your favorite passage of your book?
A colony of gulls soared high above, carrying with them the last traces of the Blue Hour, that time of day when the sky meets the sea and becomes not air and water, not wind and waves, not the path of the sun nor the road of the whale, but the light in which the two become one, the light in which the past fades into the future and gives way to the present.
Q What is your dream vacation?
Hiking in Patagonia and sleeping under the stars
Rapid Fire Questions and Answers:
Q Morning person or night owl?
Morning person
Q Netflix or Hulu?
Hulu
Q Winter or Summer?
Winter
Q 4th of July or Halloween?
Halloween
Q The Library or a coffee shop?
Coffee shop
Q High heels or sneakers?
Sneakers
Q The ability to fly or invisibility?
Fly
Q Margarita’s or Wine?
Margaritas
Q Justin Timberlake or Justin Bieber?
Timberlake
Q Coffee or tea?
Coffee
