A review by fishky
Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason

3.0

This book was fine. A very convoluted mystery that was simpler than it seemed. Likely, I missed character growth and exposition by not reading the other books in the series. The main character frequently finds himself confronted with confusing ideas about family, genealogy, familial relationships, etc.... but he never really has a solid idea about what his ideas are. He and his addict daughter have an antagonistic and complicated relationship where they both tend to act on instinct: she has a friend who was abused by her father: he meets a doctor who does not want a family but who has a collection of organs he studies in his spare time: mothers who cherish their children despite their violent parentage: etc. But this pastiche does not very much impact the protagonists own relationship with his daughter, so..... yes, a fast read, interesting concepts, a lack of (for me) true substance.