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sarahdmt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
saltycorpse's review against another edition
3.0
Impressive debut crime fiction from an Icelandic writer, and the plot ties in Iceland's now well-known genetic database research, and a little bit of Icelandic history and the history of Reykjavik, which was fascinating. The chapters were short and the pacing well planned, it was a book that I didn't want to stop reading. I'll definitely be reading the subsequent novels in this series. Well done.
april_golden's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first Indridason published in English featuring Detective Inspector Erlendur, but it isn't his first Erlendur novel, and I could tell. I felt through most of the novel that I was missing some important part of Erlendur's character. That there was something about him that made him the way he was (distant, bad at communicating, a bit of an oddball), but I wasn't privy to what it was. I wonder if it is revealed in one of the first two novels about this character?
Despite that, I enjoyed the novel. It definitely has a good sense of space and location. I felt the cold and dreariness of Iceland throughout the pages. What I didn't feel was a connection to the characters. They all seemed to be acting and reacting in ways that felt odd to me, and like I said, I just felt I didn't have the whole story.
The plot, about what appears to be a "simple" (the character's words) murder of an old man in his home, is interesting enough, but I was waiting for a climax, and it never really got to that point, IMO. Rather, the story just seemed to meander along and you figured out the hook rather early in the experience.
I will likely give this author/character another chance, because I see potential here, but I'm in no hurry.
Despite that, I enjoyed the novel. It definitely has a good sense of space and location. I felt the cold and dreariness of Iceland throughout the pages. What I didn't feel was a connection to the characters. They all seemed to be acting and reacting in ways that felt odd to me, and like I said, I just felt I didn't have the whole story.
The plot, about what appears to be a "simple" (the character's words) murder of an old man in his home, is interesting enough, but I was waiting for a climax, and it never really got to that point, IMO. Rather, the story just seemed to meander along and you figured out the hook rather early in the experience.
I will likely give this author/character another chance, because I see potential here, but I'm in no hurry.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
alliepeduto's review against another edition
3.0
This was definitely classic Nordic Noir: dark and and more than a little depressing. I picked this up since I’m going to Iceland next month and I love reading books by people who are actually from the country I’m visiting. I really enjoyed reading the tidbits of Icelandic culture scattered throughout the novel, and the descriptions were very evocative of what I expect Reykjavik look like. As for the mystery itself, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of intrigue. There were multiple leads in the investigation that all merged together to develop a very satisfying ending. My only complaint is that is has a very dark feel, so I finished it feeling a bit hopeless. It’s still a really well done novel, but it’s more a 3 read for me because of all the great mystery elements than it is because I liked the book.
cristinanovak's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
laviskrg's review against another edition
3.0
Well written but a completely different kind of thriller. Not necessarily my cup of tea but a good entry point to the Nordic thriller genre.