by Arnaldur IndriðasonWho?
It was not a case of my wanting to be the first person to write a review of a novel by an unpronounceable Icelandic author... nor am I wanting to get even with Iceland for the volcano or the collapse of their banking system and the chaos that both brought to the UK. It is simply that someone suggested the book to Jean and she checked it out and urged me to read it first.
I was amused to read above the title "A Reykjavík Murder Mystery" as if there are that many that fall into that genre.
It both gained and lost by being set in Iceland. The unfamiliar setting gave me information about the country that I had not had before... for example: the main character is looking forward to having his daughter with him for Christmas and plans on a meal based on boiling smoked lamb. Now there is a culinary treat that I will gladly miss during any season of the year!
The names did slow me down a bit. The detective is called Erlendur and one of his assistants is Elínborg... I kept on having to check the ends of the names in order to keep clear which is which. I won't even comment on another assistant, Sigurdur Óli or the victim, Gudlaugur...
Yes, the victim. Just one. Having become accustomed to the high body-count school of mystery writing, a single death did come as a surprise. But then the author prepares us for this when, on the first page, he writes: "Iceland mustn't be too exciting, too much of an adventure."
Only one dead body, yes, but what a bizarre one... In a basement room of a hotel a man dressed as Santa is found stabbed to death with, "... his trousers down round his ankles. A condom hung from his penis."
All in all I am glad that I read it and I did find it interesting. If I run across any other book in the "A Reykjavík Murder Mystery" series, I will certainly be happy to spend the time reading it.
Reviewed by David Nale
I was amused to read above the title "A Reykjavík Murder Mystery" as if there are that many that fall into that genre.
It both gained and lost by being set in Iceland. The unfamiliar setting gave me information about the country that I had not had before... for example: the main character is looking forward to having his daughter with him for Christmas and plans on a meal based on boiling smoked lamb. Now there is a culinary treat that I will gladly miss during any season of the year!
The names did slow me down a bit. The detective is called Erlendur and one of his assistants is Elínborg... I kept on having to check the ends of the names in order to keep clear which is which. I won't even comment on another assistant, Sigurdur Óli or the victim, Gudlaugur...
Yes, the victim. Just one. Having become accustomed to the high body-count school of mystery writing, a single death did come as a surprise. But then the author prepares us for this when, on the first page, he writes: "Iceland mustn't be too exciting, too much of an adventure."
Only one dead body, yes, but what a bizarre one... In a basement room of a hotel a man dressed as Santa is found stabbed to death with, "... his trousers down round his ankles. A condom hung from his penis."
All in all I am glad that I read it and I did find it interesting. If I run across any other book in the "A Reykjavík Murder Mystery" series, I will certainly be happy to spend the time reading it.
Reviewed by David Nale
1 comment:
I can just imagine all the little tots under the tree in Reykjavik while daddy tells the story of Santa's dead body wearing a condom. Better than what's his name's pap about a jolly old elf with his finger aside his nose. Ho, ho, ho!
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