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andersahrenst's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
En udmærket og velskrevet krimi, som holder en hen i det uvisse helt til det sidste. Bestemt læseværdig.
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
5.0
Another great Icelandic police/murder thriller from Arnaldur Indridson. The plot was multilayered, as it focused primarily on unspoken, taboo race issues in Icelandic society. The murder investigation focused on whether or not those issues have any bearing on the death of a young Thai student who is found frozen. As the investigation unfolds, the teachers, students, and parents linked to the school are reluctant to talk about those issues...but there is clearly more to the story. Another investigation is also underway which adds another twist to the primary investigation. Erlendur's private life is also delved into a bit more in this installment of the series as his children push him to reveal more about what happened to his young brother when he was a boy. Reluctant to open up and discuss it, it is clear he cannot help but to revisit this part of his life. The author does a great job of revealing just enough of the stories to keep you guessing and keep you engaged, right up until the end of the book when the motive and killers are revealed.
hillersg7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In many ways a 'typical' Scandi noir story - really gripping thriller. Love the central character who is moody, troubled, sometimes jumps to the wrong conclusion, struggles to accept his mistakes, and longs for some kind of connection while being hesitant in relationships. Love the overlapping of crime stories, too - reminiscent of how life is full of overlapping, often unresolved stories.
lizgrim's review against another edition
5.0
I love Arnaldur Indridason books and have read most of the Reykjavik murder series. His books are not just about a murder, he writes about relationships, Icelandic culture etc. Something special about reading this book and it snowing heavily outside too.
nekreader's review against another edition
2.0
This was my least favorite in the series. I'm not sure the main character is evolving/growing in any way, although the insights into Icelandic society are still interesting. I also found myself wondering far too frequently about the quality of the translation.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
I have a great fondness for noirish crime novels set in the north, so when I snagged Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason from the Early Reviewers program I was enormously pleased. Indridason is an Icelandic author and this book, one of a series of police procedurals, is set in Reykjavik in the winter. In Arctic Chill, the body of a boy is found near the apartment building in which he and his mother and brother live. His mother is Thai and although his father is Icelandic, the suspicion of the police is that this was a racially motivated murder.
The investigation is led by the dour and unfriendly Erlender, a man who is less lonely and wounded than asocial. He's an interesting variation on the usual loner detective and although his behavior is partially explained by events in his childhood, he is an unpleasant guy. He is haunted by an earlier missing woman case and can't let it go.
The novel's setting is an integral part of the story and, in the course of the investigation, Indridason explores the impact of immigrants, primarily from Asia, on the small Icelandic population. In comparison to events in the United States (where I am) the racism is mild and calmly addressed, but what really struck me about Indridason's Iceland is the isolation in which people choose to live. Marriages break up with very little thought and children are abandoned by their fathers who leave without having to support their offspring in any way and people live next to neighbors they never get to know. All this is amplified by the early dark and relentless cold of the Icelandic winter.
The investigation is led by the dour and unfriendly Erlender, a man who is less lonely and wounded than asocial. He's an interesting variation on the usual loner detective and although his behavior is partially explained by events in his childhood, he is an unpleasant guy. He is haunted by an earlier missing woman case and can't let it go.
The novel's setting is an integral part of the story and, in the course of the investigation, Indridason explores the impact of immigrants, primarily from Asia, on the small Icelandic population. In comparison to events in the United States (where I am) the racism is mild and calmly addressed, but what really struck me about Indridason's Iceland is the isolation in which people choose to live. Marriages break up with very little thought and children are abandoned by their fathers who leave without having to support their offspring in any way and people live next to neighbors they never get to know. All this is amplified by the early dark and relentless cold of the Icelandic winter.