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!