Jar City
2 journalers for this copy...
I read one of this author's books, which are set in Reykjavik, and I was hooked. It was Arctic Chill which is one of the later books. I was able to find this book, the first to be translated, at Uncle Edgar's Mystery bookstore in Minneapolis along with 2 others.
Any fan of Nordic Noir mysteries will be sure to be entranced by this series which is set in Iceland. This is the first book in the series although not the first that I have read. Be aware that this book is also published under the title Tainted Blood. I wasn't aware of that and so I bought this book thinking it was a new one to me. After I started I realized that it seemed familiar but I kept reading because I was captivated by the slow uncovering of details.
Here's what I said in my review of Tainted Blood:
This is the second book written by Indridason that I have read but it is the first one that he wrote. That is hard for me to believe because it is so well crafted that I would have thought it the work of a more seasoned writer. The author notes say that he is the son of an Icelandic writer and that he worked as a journalist and reviewer before publishing this book so perhaps that explains the seasoned nature of his writing.
Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson of the Reykjavik CID has been called in to investigate the murder of a man in a basement apartment. Holberg lived alone, had never been married, was about 70 years old and still worked occasionally as a lorry driver. His head had been smashed in by a heavy glass ashtray. The only thing to indicate that this wasn’t just a random intruder was a note left on the body that said “I am HIM”. Erlendur feels that something in Holberg’s past led to this murder but he is at a loss until he receives a call from his former boss, Marion Briem. Marion tells him that Holberg raped a woman a long time ago but was never convicted. With this slim lead Erlendur goes on to track down the killer and in the process uncover a genetic mystery.
His discovery process leads him to think about fathers and daughters and it seems natural that his own daughter, Eva Lind, should show up. Eva Lind is a drug addict but she is now pregnant and she wants to get clean. Erlendur agrees she can stay with him and the ending indicates that we will see more of Eva Lind in the future books.
It’s almost axiomatic in a certain kind of mystery that the chief investigator is an older, divorced man with estranged children. So perhaps Indidason’s mysteries would be called formulaic by some but I think the location and the Icelandic lore that is sprinkled through them makes them interesting.
Here's what I said in my review of Tainted Blood:
This is the second book written by Indridason that I have read but it is the first one that he wrote. That is hard for me to believe because it is so well crafted that I would have thought it the work of a more seasoned writer. The author notes say that he is the son of an Icelandic writer and that he worked as a journalist and reviewer before publishing this book so perhaps that explains the seasoned nature of his writing.
Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson of the Reykjavik CID has been called in to investigate the murder of a man in a basement apartment. Holberg lived alone, had never been married, was about 70 years old and still worked occasionally as a lorry driver. His head had been smashed in by a heavy glass ashtray. The only thing to indicate that this wasn’t just a random intruder was a note left on the body that said “I am HIM”. Erlendur feels that something in Holberg’s past led to this murder but he is at a loss until he receives a call from his former boss, Marion Briem. Marion tells him that Holberg raped a woman a long time ago but was never convicted. With this slim lead Erlendur goes on to track down the killer and in the process uncover a genetic mystery.
His discovery process leads him to think about fathers and daughters and it seems natural that his own daughter, Eva Lind, should show up. Eva Lind is a drug addict but she is now pregnant and she wants to get clean. Erlendur agrees she can stay with him and the ending indicates that we will see more of Eva Lind in the future books.
It’s almost axiomatic in a certain kind of mystery that the chief investigator is an older, divorced man with estranged children. So perhaps Indidason’s mysteries would be called formulaic by some but I think the location and the Icelandic lore that is sprinkled through them makes them interesting.
Journal Entry 3 by gypsysmom at Second Cup – Graham & Edmonton in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Thursday, June 14, 2018
Released 5 yrs ago (6/14/2018 UTC) at Second Cup – Graham & Edmonton in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
I will be taking this book to the Winnipeg BookCrossing Meetup tonight. If no-one there takes it home it will be left on the OBCZ shelf for a new reader.
When you find a BookCrossing book it is yours to do with what you like. You can read it and keep it or pass it on or if you don't think it is your kind of book pass it on to someone who might like it or release it in a spot for someone else to find like you just did. Whatever you choose it would be great if you could write a short note letting us know what new adventures the book is on.
When you find a BookCrossing book it is yours to do with what you like. You can read it and keep it or pass it on or if you don't think it is your kind of book pass it on to someone who might like it or release it in a spot for someone else to find like you just did. Whatever you choose it would be great if you could write a short note letting us know what new adventures the book is on.
This book is currently sitting on the Winnipeg Official Bookcrossing Zone bookshelf in Second Cup, 254 Edmonton St., Winnipeg MB.
It is waiting there for a new reader to take home, read, and release back into the wild!
It is waiting there for a new reader to take home, read, and release back into the wild!
This book has left the OBCZ shelf. Safe travels and let us know where you end up. Your previous journalers would love to know.
