Thanks to Arjen for reading this book together with me! It was a rollercoaster ride and I always felt excited to pick up this book and I was also able to read it fairly quick! It's a good mystery, thriller but at times it's also very graphical. I think this is a fun standalone to read if you're looking for something fast and exciting to read!

Full review can be found at BiteIntoBooks

A really thrilling, exciting and great mystery book with an amazing main character.
The whole setting on the Shetland Islands was amazing and added a lot to the overall feeling in this book. I think that this was Sharon Bolton's debut and I think she did friggin' good!

3.5 stars

Learn something new every read, it seems. The Trows of the Shetland islands or Kunal Trows add to more horrifying myths and folktales, I never thought I'd read about. Thankful for the book veering into the myth via the supernatural elements, I am.

Tora (Thora) was likable enough. I have my gripes about Sacrifice of course..the waffling of is he good? Is he bad ? (leaves you in suspense!) The relationship between Tora and Duncan. The many, many words dedicated to Kenn's looks and how it lit a flame in Tora and then well, fizzled into nothing (why bother la?) I do not have time to write the specifics though, despite being under a movement control order during this trying time

DID I READ THIS RIGHT? I loved the book couldn’t put it down but the ending?? SHE STAYS AND IS PLANNING ON HAVING A FAMILY WITH A GUY WHO FOR YEARS KNEW HIS FATHER AND OTHER PEOPLE BRED AND KILLED WOMEN??? And she just forgives him? Like that? What the actual fuck?
And not to mention her boss who goes from sexual-abuse-at-work to total sweetheart?
Loved the concept, even if it was a bit outrageous but this ending completely threw me off and I couldn’t give it 5 stars.

I picked this up when I was in Australia and it's now one of my favorite books. Love to keep reading it. I have a hard time putting it down! I happen to like the cover that I have more, that's what first caught my eye. Definitely recommend this book to others.

This was my first book from S.J. Bolton. And I can see we're going to have a nice relationship.
Every killer book I seem to take lately is set up either in deep American south in bayous with mosquitoes or in Scandinavian countries with snow and white nights. And it's true; setting if written good, can be another character in story.
This story is set up on Shetland Isles-"a land of sea caves, voes and storm-washed cliffs", as author described it in one sentence. Already in first chapter, S.J. Bolton brings chilling atmosphere of such setting. And Tora dealing with it like a pro. I could clearly see in my head rain, mud sleeping under her feet and peat. I just loved the setting.
This book is written from Tora's POV. There were 3 female characters in book and I loved every one of them. They were smart,strong, confident and persistent. There aren't TSTL women in S.J. Bolton's "Sacrifice". We're told that Tora is not liked, that she can't form connections easily. It was same for Dana Tulloch. Well, listening to Tora's voice told me I would love to know someone like her. She is a doctor, so she have that scientific, practical way of thinking. But she tears up every time she delivers a new baby, so you can tell she can be driven by emotions.

Spoiler

At the beginning Tora's horse has died. She tells us he is her best friend, she is sad, but at the same time she's digging a hole to bury him.

When she entangles herself in murder investigation, you can tell she's not gonna stop until she had all the answers. Gifford was interesting character. Author had made him very elusive. You don't know if he's one of the good guys or mastermind behind whole thing. His interactions with Tora were some my favorite parts of the story. Story itself was inspired by some Shetland legends. You can tell author put a good chunk of time in researching, there were lots of facts, but at the same time I didn't have any trouble understanding the whole premise. I was having a bit trouble with

Spoiler

persuasion as personality trait for Trows

, but that doesn't make this story less great for me at all. I was entertained, I was interested and i was terrified-

Spoiler

what they did to that poor women was downright scary.

I recommend Sacrifice wholeheartedly.

Wow! I literally could not put this book down. The story was complicated and interesting, the characters fascinating. I'm still thinking through the story days after I finished reading it. I will recommend this book to everyone!

Ho amato questo libro fin quasi alla fine, tanto che mi son detta che sarebbe stato l'unico a cui avrei dato un 6/5... poi la spiegazione che l'autrice dà di tutta la faccenda mi ha un pò deluso...
sarà perché non amo particolarmente le storie al limite del reale, o perché forse mi aspettavo qualcosa di più.
Tuttavia Sacrificio è uno dei libri più piacevoli che abbia letto, o meglio, divorato; la storia è intrigante, non ci si affeziona particolarmente ai protagonisti, ma questi non mancano di spessore.
E poi il romanzo tocca temi attualissimi, in primis l'aborto, poi la compravendita di bambini, l'omosessualità, i rapporti tra uomo e donna.
Sullo sfondo meraviglioso delle Shetland.

http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/2009/09/sacrificio.html

While Tora is digging a hole in her yard to bury her deceased horse, she digs up a body. A young woman having recently given birth whose heart has been torn from her body and strange runes carved into her back. As an obstetrician, Tora is curious about this woman and her baby. Could she possibly have been a patient at her own hospital? What happened to the baby? Do her coworkers know about this? Is there a conspiracy on the small Shetland island where she works? She engages in a little detective work of her own and nearly makes the ultimate sacrifice for it.

I loved Little Black Lies so it was only natural that I pick up another of Sharon Bolton's work. This is her first, and it's clear from the writing - some clunky dialogue and a bit of odd character development here and there. BUT the plot is excellent. The action is realistic and the twists and turns that the story takes continually kept me guessing. I'll definitely read more of Bolton's early work.

Edge-of-the-seat thriller

Perfect weekend read: creepy, fast-paced and fun.