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ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
This is Arnaldur Indridason's first installment in his excellent crime series. Erlendur is an aging detective in the Reykjavik CID. He's a solitary man with a bad divorce behind him and a drug-addicted daughter with whom he has a difficult relationship, although they are both trying very hard. In this series debut, Erlendur investigates the case of an old man who is found bludgeoned to death in his basement apartment. It seems to be a case of random violence, until Erlendur delves into the man's history and discovers a violent and unsavory past.
The series portrays daily life in Iceland, a unique place where a relatively small population is isolated from the world by their location and culture. Indridason's descriptions are vivid and his characters are interesting. The case was as bleak as the Atlantic storms battering Reykjavik throughout the book, which has the characteristic feel of a Scandinavian crime novel, albeit in a unique setting.
The series portrays daily life in Iceland, a unique place where a relatively small population is isolated from the world by their location and culture. Indridason's descriptions are vivid and his characters are interesting. The case was as bleak as the Atlantic storms battering Reykjavik throughout the book, which has the characteristic feel of a Scandinavian crime novel, albeit in a unique setting.
gbliss's review against another edition
4.0
I hope the Icelandic names don't make this impossible to follow.
So, for those who have been losing sleep over this: The Icelandic names did NOT get in the way of me enjoying this book and following the plot. A good, atmospheric mystery set in Reykjavik. Interesting characters. Unsettling premise, well realized. Will try to track down others by Arnaldur, son of Indrida.
So, for those who have been losing sleep over this: The Icelandic names did NOT get in the way of me enjoying this book and following the plot. A good, atmospheric mystery set in Reykjavik. Interesting characters. Unsettling premise, well realized. Will try to track down others by Arnaldur, son of Indrida.
lyrareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really bleak book, but I'm glad I read it. Arnaldur Indrisason shows how even in a country with a population under a half a million, a criminal underbelly still exists. He does a fine job incorporating the unique problems of a relativly speaking small hetrogenious population. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars, but decided not to "punish" the author for the at times clumsy translation work. Fortunatly, by the time the story kicks into high gear, the translation becomes less obtrusive.
littletaiko's review against another edition
4.0
Jar City was fascinating. A very interesting and unexpected mystery set in Iceland. The story went down a path that I wasn't expecting which is always a nice surprise. I'm looking forward to meeting more in this series.
staciek3's review against another edition
4.0
This was a buddy read with my mom. She read her first book by this Icelandic author while on her river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. My mom loves mysteries and stories about detectives. I will say that Arnaldur does write a good story and I enjoyed it till the end. There were lots of loose ends on this case, but they all got tied up in the end. (3.5 stars rounded up)
ebokhyllami's review against another edition
4.0
Begynner å like Indridason. Nytt mysterie på Island, denne gang rundt tema genetikk og arvelige sykdommer. Pittelittegranne enkelt plott, men fortellerevnen er det lite å si noe på.
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an interesting study of old crimes that generate new crimes through genealogy. Reykjavik Police Inspector Erlendur is called to the scene of a murder of an old man, Holberg. He discovers that the man was accused of rape back in 1962 and that there was a child.
Erlendur follows the investigation while at the same time dealing with his drug addict daughter. She tells him that she is pregnant and is trying to give up drugs. He is divorced from his wife and tries to help her on his own.
I enjoyed reading this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. The translation was very good.
Update, May 15, 2018. My wife and I visited Iceland last summer for 11 days. It is a beautiful, scenic country. Reykjavik is a lovely city with some interesting sites, including Regan/Gorbachev meeting place.
If you can, go to Iceland
Erlendur follows the investigation while at the same time dealing with his drug addict daughter. She tells him that she is pregnant and is trying to give up drugs. He is divorced from his wife and tries to help her on his own.
I enjoyed reading this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. The translation was very good.
Update, May 15, 2018. My wife and I visited Iceland last summer for 11 days. It is a beautiful, scenic country. Reykjavik is a lovely city with some interesting sites, including Regan/Gorbachev meeting place.
If you can, go to Iceland
horthhill's review against another edition
3.0
"Jar City" by Arnaldur Indriðason is an Icelandic murder mystery. Somewhat of a police-procedural, we follow the investigation by the Reykjavík police of the blunt force trauma murder of an elderly man in his flat. Inspector Erlendur is the middle-aged detective: a bit of a lone wolf. At first suspecting a robbery gone wrong, Erlendur senses something isn't quite right. The murder victim turns out to have a very dark past. While the solution to the murder seems to me not to make psychological sense, the story itself moves forward smartly.
feanor451's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5