Great, twisty, well-structured tale

books:


	• Jar City: A Reykjavik Thriller Arnaldur Indridason Picador, 2005 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 33 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Chilling Events

I found this mystery good to read on a hot day - it chills you to the bone. The author does a good job of depicting the gloom and bleakness of fall rainy days in Iceland. Curiously, as I read the story, I pictured all the scenes in black, white and grey -like the cover.

Equally bleak is the relationship Erlendur hammers out with his daughter, Eva Lind. I was happy to sense a spark of warmth at the end of the book, with the possible naming of Eva Lind's baby. I liked the realism of their struggles to understand each other, painful as it was.

The genetics data bank information was fascinating - wish there had been even more on this device for moving the plot.

Some scenes of the women expressing emotions - when talking about how the crimes affected them - fell short somehow. But those would be powerful feelings, difficult to portray.

I look forward to reading more of Indridason's books.

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An engrossing read

Jar City is a complex mystery that is difficult to put down. Detective Erlendur finds himself investigating both a recent murder and the mostly forgotten atrocities commited by the victim himself, many years before. The mystery itself is fascinating, but equally engrossing are the glimpses into Erlendur's family life and the bleak Reykjavik setting. Erlendur, who seems to very much like the status quo, finds himself butting heads with the modern world as he tries to unravel a mystery that began long ago but has far-reaching consequences. A satisfying read all around, I can't wait to read more by Indridason!

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Cold case from Reykjavik

The style of Indridason's novels will appeal more to admirers of Peter Robinson than those looking for more Henning Mankell. Despite the chill nordic setting, the moody, introspective inspector Erlendur and his backstory is closer in tone to that of Robinson's Banks than that of Mankell's Wallender. In addition, Mankell's Wallender mysteries usually have an international significance, reflecting Mankell's experience living in Africa. However, the mystery here is intriguing and above average interest. The solution, satisfying. Readers seeking literary thrillers by different authors in foreign locales will be happy, as will those who have read all Rankin, Mankell and Robinson and are seeking a new author to follow.

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Great, twisty, well-structured tale

I don't know a thing about Iceland and I don't even know if this is an accurate police procedural for that part of the world but it feels spot on. And I wouldn't have given this a second look if I hadn't already become deeply entrenched in the superb writing of the Swede, Henning Mankell. When a reviewer (may have been the NY Times but frankly can't remember) drew the comparison, I said OK. And I'm glad I did. To read a translated work requires some patience because the language is structured more for accuracy than lyricism and the rhythms are somewhat different than those of a native English writer. No matter. The story soon takes over and the simple declarative sentences create a certain beauty. Also, this book is rich in dialogue and really perks along through the characters themselves. The story, which involves a murder that is associated with a decades-old rape (or maybe rapes?) is deftly interwoven with the brutal emotional relationship between the inspector, Erlunder, and his daughter. I flinched at some of their interchanges but they never seemed contrived or unnecessary. I'm sure it is possible to have an inspector whose personal life isn't a wreck (Ruth Rendell's Wexford comes to mind) but the copper with feet of clay can provide a useful distraction when the author is building a complex story. This is a good one with fairly original bloodlines (no pun) and a good grasp of the thorny issues of rape prosecution. I heartily recommend it.

P.S. You aren't going to believe what a jar city turns out to be!

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Quick read

This was a typical mystery. I was hoping for more details of Iceland. I felt very little sympathy for the characters due to the style of writing. It was more like reading a story in the newpaper.

reviews: 1, page 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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