It's been said that the landscape becomes a character, a living thing, in some of Thomas Hardy's novels, and I think the same thing could be said about the Icelandic landscape in Arnaldur's. The stark and desolate volcanic mountains, fjords, and surrounding sea affect just about everything in the lives of the inhabitants. The weather--the snows, the blinding summer sun, the brutal winds, the cold rains--conspire with this landscape to instill in the characters a fatalism and a subtle, grim sense of humor.
Arnaldur Indridason is, for my money, one of the few mystery writers who transcend the genre.
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If you like happy endings and cheerful tales, Arnaldur's novels are not for you. Also, if you're seeking nonstop action and gratuitous sex and violence, look elsewhere. But if you appreciate a finely-wrought plot and vividly drawn characters, with the weird backdrop of the Icelandic landscape, look no further. Strange Shores" by Arnaldur Indridason. If there was ever a book that I could say was my reason for reading the Inspector Erlendur series Inspector Erlendur is much more than just motivated Erlendur is back in his hometown of Reykjavik, Iceland. He's back to continue his delving into the disappearance so long ago of his younger brother.
Then he discovers that another person, a woman named Matthildur, went missing during that same storm. She went missing while w Strange Shores" by Arnaldur Indridason. She went missing while walking alone on the moors during that very storm to visit her Mother. Then Erlendur's investigative instincts snap into action uncovering a clue at a time behind these strange occurrences.
Occurrences that have gone unanswered. Relatives of the woman as well as long forgotten relationships are brought into question. Forgotten by almost everyone except those closest to her. This is one of the most fabulous books and series I have had the pleasure of reading.
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Never knowing beforehand what lie in front of the inspector until the author allows me to read it. I can only recommend this thought provoking book to lovers of the best in mystery This book is exclusively Erlendur and it was amazing how such a solitary and obsessive quest had me turning the pages and seeking the truth just like Erlendur.
Erlendur is back east where he grew up-remote, austere-mountains, fjords. He's camping out in the ruins of his childhood home as he resumes his quest to find his brother, who disappeared in a blizzard during their childhood. He's beset by visions or dreams. He was holding his brother's hand when they got separated. A casual conversation w This book is exclusively Erlendur and it was amazing how such a solitary and obsessive quest had me turning the pages and seeking the truth just like Erlendur.
A casual conversation with a fox hunter gets him off on a tangent, another missing person story that occurred during WW II.
Strange Shores | Sarah Ward at crimepieces
A woman goes missing in a storm at the same time a group of British soldiers go missing. The woman's body is never recovered. Erlendur starts investigating her disappearance and it becomes an OCD type quest. Perhaps some things are better left unknown might be your conclusion after reading this book.
Erlendur's quest for the truth is unrelenting and perhaps is embarking him on a path that will be his undoing. This is a really deep and depressing novel Erlendur's brother was lost in a snowstorm and was never found Erlendur has been haunted by this loss ever since. From the haunting thoughts of his past life Erlendur revisits his brother's disappearance. He also stubbornly investigates the case of a missing woman, Matthildur, who was also lost in the snow many years previously. He questions everyone who wa This is a really deep and depressing novel He questions everyone who was involved with Matthildur in the past.
There is a strong sense of guilt, sadness, and unfinished business throughout the entire novel - for both of the missing people It is deep and poignant - and filled with loss - I think it would be a strange book to read if you hadn't read the other books in the series first Indridason does a superb job with the feelings and atmosphere of the story Indriadson is one of my favorite crime authors.
The latest in the Erlander series in not up to the previous efforts in terms of being crime thriller, but I believe in this book the author was far more interested in a mediditation on loss, grief and guilt. It does in places come across all as a disjointed narrative, and the usual depressive undertones are taken to an almost comical extreme.
If you have read the rest than worth finishing it all up and I at least found myself moved and a little tro Indriadson is one of my favorite crime authors.
If you have read the rest than worth finishing it all up and I at least found myself moved and a little troubled by the book. Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the copy of this novel. He is looking for Matthildur but also for a long-lost brother, whose disappearance in a snow-storm when they were children has coloured his entire life.
He is looking for answers. Right so I Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the copy of this novel. Right so I have come in at the end of this one so to speak!
I was hunting around for books to try to expand my knowledge and experience of Nordic Fiction and this one sounded highly intriguing - not realising at the time that this was the finale to a long and much loved series, it made not one iota of difference to my enjoyment of this book and I will be heading back to read previous Erlendur tales as soon as time allows.
It is a haunting story - the setting is wonderfully enigmatic if a setting could be described as such - and the journey that Detective Erlendur takes is a compelling one. A ghostly aura surrounds the fjords as he treks onwards and upwards in an effort to discover the truth - about Matthildur and also what happened on that long ago day that his brother was lost Having not read any of this authors previous works, I have to say that if this is the standard of all his novels then I am in for a treat indeed.
I'm not sure of course if the story involving his brother has been an ongoing part of his background, and in order to remain spoiler free I will not be saying much more, but I was entrhalled and involved in this story from the outset and it kept me turning pages long into the night.. If you are a lover of this type of fiction you will adore this.
Very much looking forward to catching up This is a powerful, sad, poignant book in the Murder in Reykjavik series. I enjoy most Nordic Noir novels, and have read three previous books in this series. I feel I would have appreciated it more had I read more of the earlier books. Inspector Erlendur is away from the city, camping in the ruins of the farmhouse where he lived as a child in the Icelandic wilderness.. He is melancholy man, haunted with guilt when his younger brother let go of his hand in a blinding snowstorm,was lost, and the b This is a powerful, sad, poignant book in the Murder in Reykjavik series.
He is melancholy man, haunted with guilt when his younger brother let go of his hand in a blinding snowstorm,was lost, and the body never recovered. His father who suffered from depression almost froze to death. One day while wandering the frozen fields near his home he meets an old fox hunter who tells him about a woman, Mathhildur, who was lost in a raging storm during WW2, and her body never found. In that same storm 60 British soldiers were also lost, and some perished. Erlendur goes on an obsessive hunt to discover what happened to her, questioning old people still alive who were relatives or acquaintances of the woman decades earlier.
He learns there are rumours that her husband had been abusive, and that her husband drowned shortly after her disappearance. As he is investigating on his own, the people find the inquiries upsetting, and do not like secrets of the past dredged up. This is a slow, haunting book, more a psychological mystery than an action story and very well written. After some macabre scenes, he uncovers the truth which may have been better left to remain hidden.
After all this time there is no resolution to this old mystery, but he may have begun to come to terms with his brother's death. Gloomy atmosphere, gloomy people. Slow and stealthy as the 12 hour blizzard that white outs to cover, chill and freeze all that lies beneath! Erlendur's gloom and introspection comes home to his childhood farmhouse in half-collapsed decay; he camps within for duration of coming to definitive answers on long past crimes in his far Eastern fjord district.
His stubborn tenacity of pestering for gossip and witness continues. He barely eats, he lives in the cold. He obtains answers in methods that are fully non-policeman like, IMHO. This one slows to a near freeze, and leaves us sure of what happened 60 years ago and little else. It was closer to a 3. Hypothermia is warm in comparison. Don't read this if you have harsh climate and are in cabin fever. Better to do in the bright sun. This book, possibly the finale of the series, is different from the other Inspector Erlendur stories inasmuch as he is solo and not really on a case.
But of course, a mystery to be solved finds him and the story not only unfolds along this line, but we travel along with him as he continues to find closure re: This book is more about uncovering Erlendur's psyche as much as solving any mystery or murder. Indrida This book, possibly the finale of the series, is different from the other Inspector Erlendur stories inasmuch as he is solo and not really on a case. Indridason's masterful style of leisurely wrapping the reader up in the Icelandic world he and his characters inhabit is on full display here, and I sincerely hope the reports that this is the last of the series are wrong.
A very enjoyable book. I look forward to this authors books and have yet to be disappointed - I will tell you that of all the ones I have read that Voices is still my favorite. This author has a way of making you think about his books for months after you read them - haunting I think is what that is called. This is another that will make me think about what really happened at the end. My husband is of one opinion and I am of another.
I enjoy the characters in this series - in this book you just have Erlendur and a que I look forward to this authors books and have yet to be disappointed - I will tell you that of all the ones I have read that Voices is still my favorite. I enjoy the characters in this series - in this book you just have Erlendur and a quest again for his lost brother. Great story line - interesting characters you meet along the way and the end I am still not sure about that Book 9, in the Inspector Erlendur series This is a powerful and very emotional novel.
The story digs deep into how people cope with traumatic events and how it affects and shapes their lives for many years afterwards. Although I do agree with those saying this book works well as a standalone I would highly recommend you give the previous installments priority. After a few editions without the presence of the main character it is nice to see the focus back on the morose Icelandic policeman Erlendur Book 9, in the Inspector Erlendur series This is a powerful and very emotional novel.
After a few editions without the presence of the main character it is nice to see the focus back on the morose Icelandic policeman Erlendur Sveinsson. This impressive story sets Erlendur to face his past. Camping at his childhood farm in the East Fjords where his brother disappeared in a snowstorm Erlendur makes a last-ditch effort to find out what happened to him. Of course the story intertwines with another disappearance of a young woman in the same area during WW Indridason mixes some fact with his fiction with a true story of British soldiers stationed nearby caught up in an appalling storm which cost them their lives.
The plot is more a soft flowing story than a fast, scary crime novel. It is simply a well told investigation of cold cases in the frozen fjords of Iceland. This is a classic Indridason, with pared down dialogue, wonderful characters and a beautifully imagined scenario.
Furðustrandir
The impressive way this drama concludes leaves us to believe this may be the last outing for a wonderful character, if so this series finishes with a very light touch. This is not a typical Inspector Erlender novel. He returns to his boyhood home where many years ago his eight year old brother was presumed dead after getting lost in a blizzard.
The memory has haunted Erlundur who has always felt guilty and partially responsible. While making his annual trip to the long abandoned family homestead, Erlundur becomes interested with the story of another Icelander caught in a blizzard and presumed dead. As Erlunder explores the 20 year disappearance of this Icelande This is not a typical Inspector Erlender novel. As Erlunder explores the 20 year disappearance of this Icelander, he becomes increasingly convinced that there may be a possible crime which leads into some possible answers to the disappearance of his young brother as well. I don't think this book will stand on its own.
I've read several of the previous books which are of important background material on Erlander's life and should be known before reading this novel. The pages seem almost soaked in sadness and loss, but the ending is satisfying, if not entirely uplifting.
The message of the book is that, try as we might, there is so very little we can control, especially when it comes to life, which is so fleeting and fragile. This story broke my heart for Erlunder but you would have had to read earlier ones in the series before you get here -- in order to feel the heartbreak of his final resolution.
Strange Shores
Erilaista, mutta kuitenkin aika taattua Arnalduria. Ei paras, mutta ei huonoinkaan miehen teos. This has been on my 'to read' list for a few years, so it's about time I got round to it. It has two quite distinct halves. The first half is at a gentle pace as Erlendur, a policeman on vacation from Reyjkavik in the north east of Iceland follows the case of a missing woman from the late s.
This latter theme is common to other books in the series. The second ha This has been on my 'to read' list for a few years, so it's about time I got round to it. The second half comes alive though, and the book changes its nature completely. With no doubt a homage to Poe, Indridason makes this far more than a domestic tale. I wondered for a while what had made this such a classic in Scandinavian crime fiction, but the second part gave me the answer. The last book in Indridason's Inspector Erlendur series and it was a fitting finale.
Nothing over the top, just Erlendur solving one last cold case while looking for closure on an old family tragedy. A very enjoyable character driven series. Aug 29, Paul rated it it was amazing. Indrioson is the crime writer of his generation and this, the final instalment in this series, is the best. A profoundly dark and moving tale of journeys, endings, places and people. Perhaps the most intensly 'sad' novel I have read. Yet there is also a mystery here as well, well posted in the earler books Indrioson is the crime writer of his generation and this, the final instalment in this series, is the best.
Yet there is also a mystery here as well, well posted in the earler books and perhaps in the beuty of the writing a form of hope?.
It still haunts me and I suspect will for some time. I can't really say anything about the plot without spoilers but wow! Best read after reading some of the earlier books. Bleak landscapes can make for a plodding read when the author is not quite sure what he means to convey. He gets in touch with the family of Hannibal and discovers a tragedy that occurred years earlier that led to his spiral into destitution.
Reykjavik police are focusing their energies on the hunt for a missing woman who disappeared after a night out with colleagues. Instead, the depth of characterisation and sense of place are the reasons we return to Indridason time and time again. Thanks to Karen from Eurocrime for giving me her copy of the book. The translation was by Victoria Cribb. The shortlist for the award is as follows: Anne Bruce Sandstone Press.
Victoria Cribb Harvill Secker. Anthea Bell Harvill Secker.
- Strange Shores | Scandinavian Crime Fiction;
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- Strange Shores » CRIME FICTION LOVER.
- Furðustrandir (Inspector Erlendur #11) by Arnaldur Indriðason?
There were a number of strong contenders for the award and deciding on with the shortlist provoked plenty of lively debate amongst us judges. The winner will be announced in Crimefest in May. More details of the award can be found at the Petrona Award website. He approaches this quest by investigating another event, the disappearance of a young woman he learned about as a child. He probes the secrets and memories of those still alive who can help him put the pieces together. She calls the book powerful, emotional, and a beautiful exploration of how trauma can shape a life.
Like Bernadette, she finds it a curiously uplifting read. When she arrives in Norway, she disappears. There are various timeframes and one becomes a bit of a slog. Office politics among the main characters is about as appealing as. And the pacing overall, she felt, was off in an over-long novel. She recommends her other books, though. In addition to a crime, the story involves the lives of its ongoing cast of characters.
That cauldron the weird sisters are stirring?
- Undercover: My Five Years Fighting for Animals at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
- Heures Mystiques, Volume 2, Op. 30: Sorties!
- ;
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- A Chance Encounter (Master of the House Book 1).
It just might be brewing some kick-ass meth. The story is likely to keep relationships and themes but perhaps not much else. Finally, if you are fortunate enough to be in northern California on February 2, Janet Rudolph invites you to join her and fellow fans for a lecture on Swedish crime fiction by my fellow Minnesotan, Jim Kaplan. There has been no shortage of reviews and news in the interim. UrbanIndianWoman is a fan of Scandinavian crime fiction and at her blog, Indian Feminist , she sometimes muses on its feminist aspects. Is it their innate sense of justice and fairness that finds voice in crime fiction?
Reading is a popular pursuit in all of the Scandinavian countries, but according to the BBC , writing may be more popular per capita in Iceland, which has a thriving book culture for its small population of roughly , One in ten Icelanders will publish a book, according to the story, and the biggest genre at the moment is crime fiction. Sales double those in other Scandinavian countries, which also have healthy sales. What is particularly insteresting to me is that Arnaldur Indridason had virtually no company when he began to write crime stories not too long ago.
Takk fyrir , Arnaldur, for your books and others coming from your small island. I abosolutely concur with her conclusion that some readers who expect resolution may be disappointed — but others including Laura and me will simply want to read the rest of the trilogy.