An emotional tale about the last person executed in Iceland

Before an official ordered them to house the murderer Agnes Magnúsdóttir in the days leading up to her execution, the Jónsson family lived quiet lives on their small Icelandic farm. Now they’re a source of gossip and intrigue as Agnes’ deep, dark secrets slowly seep to the surface. An intriguing work of historical fiction, Hannah Kent’s debut novel tells the devastatingly emotional tale of the last prisoner ever put to death in Iceland.

Burial Rites, Hannah Kent, $29. Available at Indigo.ca and Amazon.ca.