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outi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ingabbjarna's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Terminal illness and Death of parent
ajaggers324's review against another edition
It was too dark for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
littletaiko's review against another edition
4.0
When you are sitting in a doctor's waiting room for over an hour and have left your book at home, what is a girl to do? Scroll through the ebooks to read on her phone and finally read one of them. I always seem to pick the Indriaason books to read and weird times like this and I'm never disappointed in them. This one in particular was probably the best in the series so far. It was a bit of a departure from the other books in that it was primarily about Erlendur and his interest in a death ruled as a suicide. There was a nice side story about a couple of cold cases as well. I have a couple more in the series lined up for the next time I find myself stuck somewhere without a book or else in need of something reliable.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
5.0
Less of a review - closer to a drool, HYPOTHERMIA is the latest in one of my all time favourite series of books from Icelandic author Arnauldur Indridason. If you've not read any of the earlier books, coming to HYPOTHERMIA from the start could still work, but part of what is really wonderful about this series is the slow unfolding of the backstory of the central detective Erlendur.
Erlendur is very much of the "rumpled / crumpled" detective genre - somebody who life has dealt some complicated hands to. Whilst he shuffles those cards, the reader is taken through his current life, his relationships with his estranged children, his childhood and his family tragedy. Still with that Nordic sense of constraint, thoughtfulness and introspection, there's also something lighter and hopeful in the sub-themes of HYPOTHERMIA, despite the puzzling suicide of a woman in a beautiful lakeside location. Her obsession with the loss of her mother, and the drowning of her father when she was a child takes Erlendur back to what happened to events from her childhood, somehow giving him permission (or the will) to explore his own history, and the death of his young brother in a blizzard many years before.
Within this series there has always been a strong sense of Icelandic culture and beliefs, from their particular personal name conventions in earlier books, to a real sense of the relationship between the present and the supernatural in this book in particular. And it's not just Erlendur's personal circumstances that leads to an exploration of the past and the present - there is often a theme within the books that pursues exactly the effect that past events (sometimes hidden, sometimes not) have on the current lives of many of the characters.
Along with the rumpled / crumpled detective styling, Erlendur has an admirable sense of justice and duty. He doesn't give up, he doesn't accept the obvious (in this case the rapid verdict of suicide) and he is prepared to stick to the task until the truth is revealed - no matter what the consequences. Having said that he, and this author, are not unaware of the effect of this sort of persistence. Grief, loss, guilt and confusion are beautifully illustrated, as is there often a cheeky sense of humour.
HYPOTHERMIA is an outstanding example of everything that is wonderful about crime. The book transports the reader to the place and the culture in which it is set, the landscape, the people, their particular way of looking at the world are woven into the threads of grief, loss, cause and effect seamlessly. There is pace to the story, alongside lyrical, beautiful storytelling and there are wonderful, believable, flawed characters to follow. Hopefully for lots of books to come.
Erlendur is very much of the "rumpled / crumpled" detective genre - somebody who life has dealt some complicated hands to. Whilst he shuffles those cards, the reader is taken through his current life, his relationships with his estranged children, his childhood and his family tragedy. Still with that Nordic sense of constraint, thoughtfulness and introspection, there's also something lighter and hopeful in the sub-themes of HYPOTHERMIA, despite the puzzling suicide of a woman in a beautiful lakeside location. Her obsession with the loss of her mother, and the drowning of her father when she was a child takes Erlendur back to what happened to events from her childhood, somehow giving him permission (or the will) to explore his own history, and the death of his young brother in a blizzard many years before.
Within this series there has always been a strong sense of Icelandic culture and beliefs, from their particular personal name conventions in earlier books, to a real sense of the relationship between the present and the supernatural in this book in particular. And it's not just Erlendur's personal circumstances that leads to an exploration of the past and the present - there is often a theme within the books that pursues exactly the effect that past events (sometimes hidden, sometimes not) have on the current lives of many of the characters.
Along with the rumpled / crumpled detective styling, Erlendur has an admirable sense of justice and duty. He doesn't give up, he doesn't accept the obvious (in this case the rapid verdict of suicide) and he is prepared to stick to the task until the truth is revealed - no matter what the consequences. Having said that he, and this author, are not unaware of the effect of this sort of persistence. Grief, loss, guilt and confusion are beautifully illustrated, as is there often a cheeky sense of humour.
HYPOTHERMIA is an outstanding example of everything that is wonderful about crime. The book transports the reader to the place and the culture in which it is set, the landscape, the people, their particular way of looking at the world are woven into the threads of grief, loss, cause and effect seamlessly. There is pace to the story, alongside lyrical, beautiful storytelling and there are wonderful, believable, flawed characters to follow. Hopefully for lots of books to come.
caitpoytress's review against another edition
3.0
I am one of only 10 or so people - worldwide, it seems - who thought The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo sucked. I'm ok with that. The world would be a boringplaceifwealllikedthesameblah blah blah. But it did make me wonder, am I somehow missing the chromosome that is responsible for enjoyment of Scandinavian and Nordic crime fiction? Because people love this book. I entered the Good Reads giveaway for a copy of Hypothermia with the intent of answering that question. Plus, the description sounded pretty cool.
Guess what? Arnaldur came through! This book is actually the 8th in a series, but I didn't feel out of the loop by having not read the previous books (some of which I don't think are translated to english yet). The central mystery of this story is interesting: the victim is a suicide. Inspector Erlendur embarks on an unofficial investigation in the hopes of understanding just what drove this woman to such an end. Erlendur himself has a back story that's just as compelling, if not more.
I used to read a lot of crime fiction when I was younger. Not the hardboiled variety, more the CSI/Law & Order kind. I attribute that to the dream I had of one day becoming a criminal profiler for the FBI (until I realized I was to chickenshit to become a cop). [a:John E. Douglas|54208|John E. Douglas|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg] is still one of my personal heroes. My aspirations have since turned to medicine - primarily pathology - but it all boils down to the same interests. I like the puzzle. The helping people part is cool and all, and a really great bonus, but the assembling of clues and seemingly random bits of information into one coherent story is what really pumps my nads.
Arnaldur does this well in Hypothermia. Even when I knew where all of the puzzle pieces would go - and I fully believe it was not due to my stellar deductive reasoning, but because it was Arnaldur's intention all along - I was still just as interested in seeing them fall into place. I think what I liked most, though, was the atmosphere Arnuldur evoked. If I had synesthesia, I would probably describe this book as gray.
I began to gravitate away from genre fiction years ago*, but books like this remind me of how moronic it is to disregard entire classes of books rather than judge them individually on their own merit. Arnaldur has not only induced me to read more of his work, but he has also managed to renew my desire to read some of the other similar books on my shelves: [b:Faceless Killers|935308|Faceless Killers (Wallander #1)|Henning Mankell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1286560266s/935308.jpg|2885250], [b:Echoes from the Dead|3235328|Echoes from the Dead|Johan Theorin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1225062405s/3235328.jpg|3269806], [b:The Unit|5730888|The Unit|Ninni Holmqvist|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255729924s/5730888.jpg|5902518], to name a few. So yeah, regarding Stieg Larsson? I guess I'm just weird like that.
*Embarrassing confession. I remember the moment this gravitation began. I was at the library in 1999, looking for a Patricia Cornwell book (shut up) when, due to the alphabetical vicinity, I came across Douglas Coupland's [b:Girlfriend in a Coma|3384|Girlfriend in a Coma|Douglas Coupland|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SN5494ZEL._SL75_.jpg|81401]. The rest is history.
Guess what? Arnaldur came through! This book is actually the 8th in a series, but I didn't feel out of the loop by having not read the previous books (some of which I don't think are translated to english yet). The central mystery of this story is interesting: the victim is a suicide. Inspector Erlendur embarks on an unofficial investigation in the hopes of understanding just what drove this woman to such an end. Erlendur himself has a back story that's just as compelling, if not more.
I used to read a lot of crime fiction when I was younger. Not the hardboiled variety, more the CSI/Law & Order kind. I attribute that to the dream I had of one day becoming a criminal profiler for the FBI (until I realized I was to chickenshit to become a cop). [a:John E. Douglas|54208|John E. Douglas|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg] is still one of my personal heroes. My aspirations have since turned to medicine - primarily pathology - but it all boils down to the same interests. I like the puzzle. The helping people part is cool and all, and a really great bonus, but the assembling of clues and seemingly random bits of information into one coherent story is what really pumps my nads.
Arnaldur does this well in Hypothermia. Even when I knew where all of the puzzle pieces would go - and I fully believe it was not due to my stellar deductive reasoning, but because it was Arnaldur's intention all along - I was still just as interested in seeing them fall into place. I think what I liked most, though, was the atmosphere Arnuldur evoked. If I had synesthesia, I would probably describe this book as gray.
I began to gravitate away from genre fiction years ago*, but books like this remind me of how moronic it is to disregard entire classes of books rather than judge them individually on their own merit. Arnaldur has not only induced me to read more of his work, but he has also managed to renew my desire to read some of the other similar books on my shelves: [b:Faceless Killers|935308|Faceless Killers (Wallander #1)|Henning Mankell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1286560266s/935308.jpg|2885250], [b:Echoes from the Dead|3235328|Echoes from the Dead|Johan Theorin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1225062405s/3235328.jpg|3269806], [b:The Unit|5730888|The Unit|Ninni Holmqvist|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255729924s/5730888.jpg|5902518], to name a few. So yeah, regarding Stieg Larsson? I guess I'm just weird like that.
*Embarrassing confession. I remember the moment this gravitation began. I was at the library in 1999, looking for a Patricia Cornwell book (shut up) when, due to the alphabetical vicinity, I came across Douglas Coupland's [b:Girlfriend in a Coma|3384|Girlfriend in a Coma|Douglas Coupland|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SN5494ZEL._SL75_.jpg|81401]. The rest is history.
carolpk's review against another edition
4.0
This mystery was just as it should be. A woman commits suicide or did she? The detective must determine if it’s murder or not. The story is revealed a step at a time, a logical progression of deduction and you, the reader, gets to go along on the ride.
Hypothermia was satisfying from start to finish. I haven’t read any of the others in the series but like the character, Detective Erlendur. He’s just flawed and quirky enough to hold my interest. I could grow to really like him as he seems to have a sensitive side that has appeal I got just enough of a chill, both literally and from the setting, Reykjavík, Iceland. I didn’t figure out the whole mystery until quite close to the end.
I’ll have to try another at a future date and see if I can get a bit more info on what makes Erlendur tick. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to those liking Steig Larrson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but would hand it to anyone liking a mystery that is serious, a bit brooding, and with a well thought out plot.
Hypothermia was satisfying from start to finish. I haven’t read any of the others in the series but like the character, Detective Erlendur. He’s just flawed and quirky enough to hold my interest. I could grow to really like him as he seems to have a sensitive side that has appeal I got just enough of a chill, both literally and from the setting, Reykjavík, Iceland. I didn’t figure out the whole mystery until quite close to the end.
I’ll have to try another at a future date and see if I can get a bit more info on what makes Erlendur tick. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to those liking Steig Larrson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but would hand it to anyone liking a mystery that is serious, a bit brooding, and with a well thought out plot.
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
Inspector Erlendur is investigating a suicide and a couple of cold cases in this entry in the series. The focus of this book is all on Erlendur and how his past still affects him and his work. Well written, though very dark at times, this was another great read by the author.
sibbostar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ebokhyllami's review against another edition
4.0
Jeg likte plottet og omgivelsene. Jeg er noe mer usikker på om engelsk er språket som dekker den islandske feelingen best. Neste Indridason-bok ut blir definitivt på norsk i lydbokform på Storytel. Da skal jeg begynne med nr 1 i serien - dette var nr 8. Godt og annerledes krimplot, feil språk - er vel konklusjonen på denne.