JAR CITY by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
PAMELA:
This is one of the books in a series of murder mysteries set in Reykjavik involving the same detective. His name is Erlendur Sveinsson. There is a man found in a flat who has been murdered. He was a sadistic rapist whose death did not inspire sympathy. The detective went to the prison to talk to a man in relation to the crime. He is a moronic psycopath who is being held in solitary confinement. Pamela didn't read it all as she didn't like the characters.
JUDY D:
She also read this book but Judy did like it.
HYPOTHERMIA by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
SHEILA:
Sheila said it could have been a good story as he is a good writer. The detective had found a body of a man who had hung himself. Sheila could only read a few pages as she found the subject too uncomfortable.
SILENCE OF THE GRAVE by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
CONNIE:
This is a crime story. A skeleton is found. The murder happened during the war. Connie read it but wished she hadn't as she found it too depressing. She wouldn't read another one of his books.
REYKJAVIK NIGHTS by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
JO:
Erlendur is a young policeman dealing with robberies, murder etc. He finds a body in a ditch. It's believed to be an accident but he was actually murdered. Erlendur investigates in his own time. Jo said it was interesting but very repetitious. She found all the names quite difficult and a bit distracting. It was okay.
OBLIVION by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
ED:
It was a good story, very direct. There are two murders and two detectives. One is Marian and the other is Erlendur. The story begins with a girl who suffers eczema. She is told by her doctor that swimming in the lava pool would be beneficial. When she goes swimming she sees a boot but when she gets closer there is a body attached. He can't be identified at first but then his sister identifies him. He is from the American base where he works as a flight mechanic but he has been smuggling, including marijuana for his sister with cancer. The other murder case is a cold case. Ed liked the book.
BLACK SKIES by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
JULIA:
This is the first time Julia has read the Icelandic author. She found it really good. There are a lot of characters. In this book Sigurdur Oli is the detective. He is Erlendur's junior offsider. Off duty, he goes to warn off a blackmailer for a friend of a friend but finds one of a pair of blackmailers attacked. He has to find out why he has been attacked. Julia really enjoyed the story.
THE SHADOW DISTRICT by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
BEV:
This is the first in a new series about old crimes. Konrad is a retired detective and he follows up these old murders. It started when the Americans were in Reykjavik. In wartime the body of a young girl is found in a theatre in what is called the Shadow District. There seems to be a link with an elderly man found dead in the present. He is found to be one of the original detectives on the case. Konrad solves the crimes. Bev said it was good.
ARCTIC CHILL by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON
ROSEMARY:
The story begins with the death of a ten year old boy. He is the child of a Thai woman and an Icelandic man. Detective Erlendur suspects a racial attack. Marian, his old boss is like a mentor to him but in this story Marian dies from a terminal illness. Rosemarie has been reading a lot of the author's books and enjoys them.
LAST RITUALS BY YRSA SIGURDARDOTTIR
WENDY LAWSON
This is the first time she has read an Icelandic author. It is the author's 2005 debut novel. It is the first in a series of six. It's a detective story. A PHD student comes to Reykjavik. He is found dead and witchcraft is involved. Wendy didn't enjoy it. She found it clunky. There is no flow in the English. Could it be the translation? The nuances of the story are lost in translation. The victim's family isn't convinced the right man is in custody for the murder and hire a lawyer. He does not speak Icelandic so they hire Thora, a local lawyer to collaborate. Wendy said it was too trite and there were too many red herrings that lead nowhere.
I REMEMBER YOU by YRSA SIGURDARDOTTIR
JUDY A:
There are two storylines. A couple and a friend buy a dilapidated house in an isolated place. The place is only populated in Summer by hikers and people who own houses there. They see an apparition of a 12 year old boy who is out to get them. They have to wait until the boat comes back again before they can leave. A doctor's 6 year old son disappeared without a trace. The two storylines come together at the end. Judy didn't realise it was a horror book. She didn't enjoy it and found the translation was stilted.
SNARE by LILJA SIGURDARDOTTIR
JOAN:
This is a mystery and a thriller. It was published in 2015. This is the first in the set of 4 books. Sonya is recently divorced. She is caught with her lesbian lover by her husband. Now she is struggling financially. She is trying to get custody of her son Thomas. She becomes a drug mule to make money and becomes trapped in a ruthless criminal world. Joan was enthralled by the story. Her writing is forthright. The characters are very credible. She couldn't put it down. Joan felt she wanted more. She said there was no problem with the translation.
SNOW BLIND by RAGNAR JONASSON
PRUE:
This is the first in a series of three books of Nordic Noir. Ari Thor is a new young policeman who previously studied Theology. Ari Thor is first posted to a quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, Siglufjorour. It is only accessible via a small mountain tunnel and Ari is claustrophobic. He is treated like an outsider. He has nightmares of drowning. The head of a theatrical society falls down the stairs, a woman is stabbed and Ari goes to an elderly woman in a nursing home to find out information. The pace gets faster, characters develop and Ari matures. It's a real Agatha Christie type of book. Prue really enjoyed it. She likes the way he writes about the landscape and the town.
ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE UNIVERSE by JOHN KALMAN STEFANSSON
KRIS:
This book is a companion volume to Fish Have No Feet. A list of characters would have helped. It is a family saga. Ari is the main character. The story is narrated by his cousin. Ari has come to see his dying father with whom he had a painful relationship. The story weaves back and forth from present to different decades in the past, spanning the whole 20th century. Once you get used to all this it's not a bad read, although there is a lot of objectification of women and blatant sexualization. There is also a bleakness and sadness in the landscape, the town of Keflavik and the people. It's livelihood depended on the US military base in the 1950's and their influences have shaped Icelandic culture and ethics. It was interesting reading about the different changes in Iceland over this period of time.
Kris
NOVEMBER: Books by the English author Julian Barnes
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