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jimbowen0306's review against another edition
3.0
After the success of Henning Maskell in the UK, I think publishers went a bit mad trying to find "the next big thing" to come out of Europe's Arctic north. Arnaldur Indridason was, I suspect, a beneficiary of this search for Nordic writers.
"Arctic Chill" is about the stabbing or a bi-racial boy in Iceland (he's part Icelandic, part Thai). The police can't immediately find a motive. Was it racists? Was it drug dealers targeting the estate hr live on? Was it someone who was targeting the murdered boy's brother? The police try to look at all these possibilities before finally working out who the killer is.
The book isn't bad, I certainly learned something about Iceland by reading this book. The problem is that there isn't much description of the inner lives of the detectives. It, like their furniture, is very spare, and likely to leave you cold. Even the lead detective isn't presented in a particularly 3-dimensional way if you ask me.
In addition, the book seemed to suggest (to me at least) that I had nothing to fear from Icelandic coppers. Their whole investigation smacked of chaos and inadequate forward planning. They jumped from one theory to another, without anyone getting the feeling that they knew what they were doing. And that, To be honest, just irritated me.
"Arctic Chill" is about the stabbing or a bi-racial boy in Iceland (he's part Icelandic, part Thai). The police can't immediately find a motive. Was it racists? Was it drug dealers targeting the estate hr live on? Was it someone who was targeting the murdered boy's brother? The police try to look at all these possibilities before finally working out who the killer is.
The book isn't bad, I certainly learned something about Iceland by reading this book. The problem is that there isn't much description of the inner lives of the detectives. It, like their furniture, is very spare, and likely to leave you cold. Even the lead detective isn't presented in a particularly 3-dimensional way if you ask me.
In addition, the book seemed to suggest (to me at least) that I had nothing to fear from Icelandic coppers. Their whole investigation smacked of chaos and inadequate forward planning. They jumped from one theory to another, without anyone getting the feeling that they knew what they were doing. And that, To be honest, just irritated me.
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.