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A review by jmatkinson1
Someone to Watch Over Me by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
4.0
Jakob was born with Down's Syndrome and lived most of his life with his mother but as he grew towards adulthood the expense and difficulty of caring for Jakob meant that the Icelandic state decided he should move to a facility for disabled people. Jakob resented this and one night the home burnt down, killing all the residents except Jakob. Convicted of murder Jakob has been placed in a secure unit. However one man believes he is innocent, the only problem is that he is a psychopath. Jakob's case is taken on by Thora Gudmundsdottir, a lawyer with a chaotic life but a passion for the truth. As she peels away the layers surrounding the case it is clear that there are people with much to hide.
This book was widely acclaimed as one of the best crime novels of last year and, whilst I wouldn't regard it that highly, it is a really good read. There is a sense of time and place but rather than focusing on Iceland's landscape and beauty, this novel uses the Icelandic banking crash to influence approaches and decisions and is better because of that. The attitude of the public, and many in authority, to the special needs of the home's residents are highlighted. Whilst it would be easy for Sigurdardottir to focus on the psychopathic nature of one of her characters, the approach is gently restrained.
This book was widely acclaimed as one of the best crime novels of last year and, whilst I wouldn't regard it that highly, it is a really good read. There is a sense of time and place but rather than focusing on Iceland's landscape and beauty, this novel uses the Icelandic banking crash to influence approaches and decisions and is better because of that. The attitude of the public, and many in authority, to the special needs of the home's residents are highlighted. Whilst it would be easy for Sigurdardottir to focus on the psychopathic nature of one of her characters, the approach is gently restrained.