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Building work in an expanding Reykjavik uncovers a shallow grave. Years before, this part of the city was all open hills and Detective Erlendur and his team hope this is a typical Icelandic missing person scenario; perhaps someone once lost in the snow, who has lain peacefully buried for decades. Things are never that simple. Whilst Erlendur struggles to hold together the crumbling fragments of his own family, his case unearths many other tales of family pain, anger, domestic violence and fear; of family loyalty and family shame. Few people are still alive who can tell the story, but even secrets are taken to the grave cannot remain hidden forever...

Taking to the Old Gang Meetup.

Picked up at Old Gang Meetup - one from my wishlist! Thank you

Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason - Good

I'm trying to remember why I added this book to my wishlist. It could have been because it is listed in The Guardian's 1000 best novels

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jan/23/bestbooks-fiction

but I don't think so. I suspect I read a review somewhere. Either way, I'm glad I did as it is a well told mystery from an author I haven't read before and therefore introduces me to a whole set of new characters and places.

It ticks all the expected boxes: Loner detective with damaged personal life, tick. Multi stranded mystery, tick. Told in different time periods, tick. Develops the main characters back story, tick.

A new housing development in Reykjavik uncovers a skeleton buried in an area which used to be countryside. Uncertain as to how long the body has been there, a team of archaeologists work alongside the police to recover the body and work out when it could have been buried.

Alongside this, we have the story of a pre-war single mother who marries only to find herself locked in a spiral of domestic violence some of which is paralleled by the modern story of the detective's daughter.

I found some of the domestic violence hard to take, but it wasn't too gratuitous, it's just that I always find domestic violence difficult to deal with. The story was well written and paced, the translation wasn't clunky and right up until the end, I was unsure just who the body was going to turn out to be. The only downside is that I've started with #2 of the series rather than #1. I shall definitely look out for the rest now.

Am now off to add a new column to my wishlist - why added ;-)

released to obcz

Although this book is registered at www.bookcrossing.com, you don't have to be a member. It's perfectly OK to just take the book and enjoy it. Of course, if you can visit the website and let us know that you've picked it up, that would be even better - you don't even have to join, you can add your comments anonymously - you can also post your review when you've read it, then return it or pass it on to someone else.

If you do join Bookcrossing, you'll be able to see what happens to it afterwards - for ever!

Retrieved from obcz

Bringing to 'Old Gang' meetup. If not picked up will leave in the Filmhouse Cafe Bar area.

Although this book is registered at www.bookcrossing.com, you don't have to be a member. It's perfectly OK to just take the book and enjoy it. Of course, if you can visit the website and let us know that you've picked it up, that would be even better - you don't even have to join, you can add your comments anonymously - you can also post your review when you've read it, then return it or pass it on to someone else.

If you do join Bookcrossing, you'll be able to see what happens to it afterwards - for ever!

Picked up at the meetup today thank you.

Sometimes you read a book that teaches you that all the stereotypes of a genre are there for a reason. And this was one of them. It had all the elements I expect of a crime novel these days; including hidden histories, multiple character viewpoints, and a detective full of personal regrets. Yet the story still felt fresh and exciting. It was very well written and plotted and I'm pleased I read it.

To be released at the Old Gang meetup.

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