Tag: Fiction

The Strangler’s Honeymoon by Håkan Nesser

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This the 9th in the series sees Van Veeteren more involved than the previous volume. This seems to be an unsolvable crime with the connection between the perpetrator and victim very tenuous. The intrepid Van Veeteren seems more content personally. The story traverses both hatred and revenge with something of surprise ending. Particularly to fans of the series who may find the conclusion unusual. I loathe to comment any more as I don’t want to spoil the ending.

There is a comfortable and familiar feel to this series and the next is a far as I can see the last.

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The Weeping Girl by Håkan Nesser

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Weeping Girl is the eight novel in the Van Veeteren series. The earlier books have Chief Inspector Van Veeteren as the main character. By this volume he is retired and more of a guiding light for Inspector Moreno who is one of his former officers. She becomes entangled in the tale of the weeping girl as she is about to commence her annual leave. The main story is interesting enough but maybe not as good as the previous in the series. However it remains a favourite series of mine and only two to go!
I bought this eBook from Google play and found  the poor punctuation a distraction. In particular the absence of any apostrophes. Rather poor I would have thought in this day and age.

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Bloody Meadow by William Ryan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second Captain Korolev novel, this time he has been sent to the Ukraine to solve the murder of a young woman. She has connections to a powerful man in the ruling party. What follows is an interesting foray into the world of communism. The influence of the powerful and the privileges that they hold.
The ensemble cast is a film crew working in a remote location with almost everyone in contact with the victim at some level. The local militia are cut out by the presence of Captain Korolev. The fear of failure and very real repercussions are ever present. Being the child of a denounced citizen harks to the sins of the fathers and therefore denies access to the benefits of the state seem absurd in the context of a workers utopia. The climate of suspicion and not drawing attention to oneself for whatever reason casts a long shadow over this story.
Korolev is an honest hardworking detective who struggles in a climate where the truth is that which is confidently asserted.
Ryan certainly creates the mood of fear and repression that seems to be the legacy of Stalin’s USSR. Looking forward to the next one!

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Outrage by Arnaldur Indriðason

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This sees a shift in the Reykjavik Murder series, the grumpy old hack Erlendur is not around. He’s on leave and no one knows where. It is assumed that he has gone off to search for his long-lost brother. The focus is then on Elinborg one of Erlendurs trusted assistants. This is what seems to be an open and shut case of rape. There is the involvement of date rape drugs. The setting is within families and connected communities. Elinborg struggles but ultimately triumphs.

The flavour is not quite there I miss the prime ingredient of Erlendur and I hope that he returns.

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Voices by Arnaldur Indriðason

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A mystery a man with no friends or family is found dead where he has lived an worked for 20 years. None seems to know anything about him or his life. Slowly a strange and surprising picture emerges. This is no small part due to Erlendurs persistence. As always this is aided by his grumpy demeanour and direct manner.
In all of the Erelndur novels his discordant family and preoccupation with his long-lost brother form a background.Erlendur is always preoccupied with the missing. This is quite evident in this story.

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Ashes to Dust by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am reading the novels of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir back to back and this is my third in a row. This time our heroine is a called to the site of a devastating earthquake in 1973. The buried buildings are being unearthed as part of an archeological project. Thora?s client is trying to prevent his parents home being excavated until he has been there first.
The setting are some remote islands and highlights the insular nature of such places. Everybody knows something but nobody wants to talk. Thora chips away all the time being frustrated by the police and her own client.
The friendly German is not a feature of this novel maybe next time. Thora’s family don’t feature as strongly as they did in the last book.
The conclusion is a fantastic twist. There is however lots of pain and suffering for many people along the way. Ashes to dust is an apt title!

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The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriðason

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the sixth Erlendur novel but only the fourth translated into English. Central to the mystery is a lake that is sinking. The falling water uncovers a skeleton which inevitably exposes hidden secrets. The Draining Lake continues the theme of the previous novels of lost or missing persons. Erlendur life is full of missing parts. He is a melancholy man who wears his life like a hair shirt. The backstory of Erlendur’s life is the disappearance of his younger brother and the disconnectedness that he has with his own children. There is little light in his world.
The skeleton’s discovery creates a chain of events that makes the cold war erupt into the present day. There is longing for love lost and lives that have been on hold for half a century. A great yarn!

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Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great Icelandic story touches on the homogeneous nature of this society.The story is pervaded by unrelenting rain and Erlendur’s obsession with the past and those who are lost.
Jar City mixes Erlendur’s troubled past with the death of a loner in his flat. This is a journey that started a long time before the crime. Great a pace as the story weaves its way across the rain swept roads of Iceland.

One of my shorter reviews, but I don’t want to give the story away. I look forward to the next one in the series.

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Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great read with lots of sadness. the story moves between the present and WW 2 Reykjavik. Erlendur the central character and investigating officer has his own demons present and past.
There are elements of Henning Mankell and Håkon Nesser both great writers. I am an unabashed fan of Scandinavian crime fiction Arnaldur Indriðason being the latest author I am reading. This is also the first novel that I have read on a tablet. This proved to be less painful than I thought. The added benefit of white letters on a black background means that I can read in the dark.

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