jmatkinson1's review
5.0
A body is found in a shallow lake in the middle of a lava field, the man has dies from injuries consistent with a fall from a great height. Sent to investigate Detectives Erlendur and Marion quickly discover that the man was a civilian worker at the US base in Keflavik. Joining forces with a determined female US Army policewoman they uncover a tangled case of smuggling, cannabis trades and infidelities but they also may have stumbled on something a little more significant involving the placing of nuclear arms on Icelandic soil. Meanwhile Erlendur is also trying to solve a twenty-five year old mystery - what happened to a young schoolgirl who just disappeared one morning.
This is a very carefully constructed book set in the 1970s. The two cases are not linked at all but each is engrossing and beautifully plotted. The layers of prejudice in the murder story are clever - black and white, US and Icelandic. The fact that the resolution of the closed case is so startlingly obvious is its strength, it's not who did it, it's proving that fact.
This is a very carefully constructed book set in the 1970s. The two cases are not linked at all but each is engrossing and beautifully plotted. The layers of prejudice in the murder story are clever - black and white, US and Icelandic. The fact that the resolution of the closed case is so startlingly obvious is its strength, it's not who did it, it's proving that fact.
frooblie's review
4.0
I enjoyed this mystery quite a lot, and look forward to reading more from this author.
The only complaints have nothing to do with the actual book: first, my edition calls it a "thriller," and that is certainly not the energy level of this book. Two, occasionally, there are spurts of those nervous tics of sentence fragments that I associate with JD Robb and Nevada Barr. I despise poor punctuation masquerading as a sort of style! I'll assume it's the translator's fault, though. Also, while I understand this is an American edition, why don't the publishers spell the author's name correctly? How hard is it to type ð?
The only complaints have nothing to do with the actual book: first, my edition calls it a "thriller," and that is certainly not the energy level of this book. Two, occasionally, there are spurts of those nervous tics of sentence fragments that I associate with JD Robb and Nevada Barr. I despise poor punctuation masquerading as a sort of style! I'll assume it's the translator's fault, though. Also, while I understand this is an American edition, why don't the publishers spell the author's name correctly? How hard is it to type ð?
hillersg7's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Good to discover another Scandinavian crime thriller series, with a central character who has relationship challenges, obsessions and a mysterious past.
annabarbarabittner's review against another edition
3.0
Najnowszy kryminał Indriðasona zabiera czytelnika ponownie w przeszłość. Erlendur pracuje już w policji kryminalnej, a jego współpraca z Marianem Briemem układa się bardzo dobrze, za to życie prywatne mniej. Erlendur żyje sam, pięcioletnią córkę obserwuje jedynie z daleka, nie próbując nawiązać z nią kontaktu. Zawodowo natomiast zaczyna się intensywnie interesować przypadkami niewyjaśnionych zaginięć.
W tej powieści mamy dwa niezależne śledztwa - Erlendur na własną rękę próbuje wyjaśnić zagadkowe zaginięcie młodej dziewczyny, która zniknęła na początku lat pięćdziesiątych w drodze do szkoły. Wiadomo, że miała kontakty z pracującymi w bazie wojskowej Amerykanami, którzy poprzez współpracujących z nimi Islandczyków byli źródłem zakupu wszelkich brakujących na wyspie dóbr takich jak alkohol, narkotyki, papierosy, a także płyty gramofonowe. Ściśle powiązane z bazą jest także aktualne śledztwo policji z Reykaviku. Marian i Erlendur próbują odnaleźć zabójcę brutalnie zamordowanego mężczyzny. Gdyby nie pewna kobieta, lecząca łuszczycę w wypełnionych mleczną, gorącą wodą nieckach pewnie długo nie znaleziono by zmasakrowanego ciała. Wszystko wskazuje na to, że mężczyzna spadł z bardzo dużej wysokości. Okazuje się, że zamordowanym jest mechanik, który naprawiał samoloty w amerykańskiej bazie. Wszystko wskazuje na to, że przyczyną morderstwa był udział w handlu towarami, pochodzącymi z rąk amerykańskich żołnierzy.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.pt/2017/08/kamp-knox-arnaldur-indriason.html
W tej powieści mamy dwa niezależne śledztwa - Erlendur na własną rękę próbuje wyjaśnić zagadkowe zaginięcie młodej dziewczyny, która zniknęła na początku lat pięćdziesiątych w drodze do szkoły. Wiadomo, że miała kontakty z pracującymi w bazie wojskowej Amerykanami, którzy poprzez współpracujących z nimi Islandczyków byli źródłem zakupu wszelkich brakujących na wyspie dóbr takich jak alkohol, narkotyki, papierosy, a także płyty gramofonowe. Ściśle powiązane z bazą jest także aktualne śledztwo policji z Reykaviku. Marian i Erlendur próbują odnaleźć zabójcę brutalnie zamordowanego mężczyzny. Gdyby nie pewna kobieta, lecząca łuszczycę w wypełnionych mleczną, gorącą wodą nieckach pewnie długo nie znaleziono by zmasakrowanego ciała. Wszystko wskazuje na to, że mężczyzna spadł z bardzo dużej wysokości. Okazuje się, że zamordowanym jest mechanik, który naprawiał samoloty w amerykańskiej bazie. Wszystko wskazuje na to, że przyczyną morderstwa był udział w handlu towarami, pochodzącymi z rąk amerykańskich żołnierzy.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.pt/2017/08/kamp-knox-arnaldur-indriason.html
kiramke's review against another edition
3.0
I pick this series up every once in a while, and it's never as good as I expect it to be. I can't even put my finger on what's not right. Still enjoy the setting, though.
themaxdog's review against another edition
3.0
Full review now available on my blog: http://www.thewritinggreyhound.co.uk/2015/08/book-review-oblivion-by-arnaldur.html
In many ways, this book is the epitome of the Nordic Noir genre of crime fiction. You have the classic interwoven storylines with dark and gritty realities, all set against the backdrop of Iceland's bleak beauty. Fans of the genre know just what to expect, and here Indridason delivers exactly that.
Indridason's writing style is a perfect match for the genre. Considered and unrushed, slowly but surely the story unfolded, keeping pace with the events in a way similar to Martina Cole's novels. You have to be patient with this book - if you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed thriller then this is not the book for you. Indridason takes time to reflect on every aspect of the story, taking a slow and measured approach to writing that somehow blends perfectly with the bleak landscapes and no-nonsense cast who populate the story.
I loved the fact that the two unrelated cases, past and present, were interwoven. This meant that towards the end of the book we are kept constantly on our toes, searching for the resolution of both cases. However, this brings us to my only real complaint. I thought that the endings of both cases were far too predictable. In fact, I'd already thought of them way back in the book and dismissed them as being far too predictable to actually be the resolutions. So in a way that kind of spoiled it a bit for me, as the ending didn't manage to live up to the promise of the rest of the book.
In many ways, this book is the epitome of the Nordic Noir genre of crime fiction. You have the classic interwoven storylines with dark and gritty realities, all set against the backdrop of Iceland's bleak beauty. Fans of the genre know just what to expect, and here Indridason delivers exactly that.
Indridason's writing style is a perfect match for the genre. Considered and unrushed, slowly but surely the story unfolded, keeping pace with the events in a way similar to Martina Cole's novels. You have to be patient with this book - if you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed thriller then this is not the book for you. Indridason takes time to reflect on every aspect of the story, taking a slow and measured approach to writing that somehow blends perfectly with the bleak landscapes and no-nonsense cast who populate the story.
I loved the fact that the two unrelated cases, past and present, were interwoven. This meant that towards the end of the book we are kept constantly on our toes, searching for the resolution of both cases. However, this brings us to my only real complaint. I thought that the endings of both cases were far too predictable. In fact, I'd already thought of them way back in the book and dismissed them as being far too predictable to actually be the resolutions. So in a way that kind of spoiled it a bit for me, as the ending didn't manage to live up to the promise of the rest of the book.
katrinkirjat's review against another edition
3.0
Vaikka dekkareita luen muuten harvoin, niin näitä islantilaisia jaksan yhä lukea. Nyt on toistaiseksi kaikki Arnaldurilta suomennetut luettu. Tämä oli hyvin samankaltainen kuin kaikki muutkin näistä. Katoamistapaukset kiinnostaa ja tässä ratkottiin jälleen yhtä sellaistakin.
juniperusxx's review against another edition
4.0
Kylläpä niin taas tykkäsin Indridasonin tekstistä. Ei mitään piinaavaa jännitystä tai väkivallalla mässäilyä, vaan enemmänkin inhimillistä, verkkaista, kahdessa aikatasossa kulkevaa kerrontaa, joka auttaa lukijaa ymmärtämään rikoksen psykologisen taustan.