Arctic Chill

Starred review from July 6, 2009
In Indridason’s stellar fifth Reykjavik thriller (after The
Draining Lake
), police detective Erlendur Sveinsson and his team investigate the murder of a dark-skinned Asian boy, found frozen in his own blood one midwinter day outside a rundown apartment block. The author imbues the self-doubting Erlendur with enormous depth, as an insecure father unable to show his love for his errant son and daughter as well as a troubled professional who’s made pain his constant companion. Indridason also lays bare the plight of Thai women brought to Iceland, married and soon divorced by Icelanders, left to raise their children alone in a culture, a climate and a language they don’t understand. On top of this national tragedy is the universal problem of bored, unsupervised youth, raised with no respect for authority and awash in fast food, rock music and violent computer games. Indridason has produced a stunning indictment of contemporary society.

Starred review from August 1, 2009
The stabbing of an immigrant child unsettles Reykjavik and its police alike.

The body of nine-year-old El"as is found on a frigid January morning in a garden not far from his school. This murder hits inspector Erlendur especially hard because, as a child, he was unable to save his younger brother from drowning while the two were out alone. Subtle racial prejudice had made the half-Thai El"as a bit of an outcast. His mother Sunee, who works in a chocolate factory, emigrated to marry the carpenterÓdinn, from whom she's estranged, partly because of Niran, El"as's older half-brother, whom Sunee brought over from Thailand after marryingÓdinn. Since El"as's murder, Niran has gone missing, placing him on a long list of suspects which also includesÓdinn, racist teacher Kjartan, schoolmates who reportedly sell drugs and Andres, a tightly wound young man found in possession of child porn who blames the ruin of his life on an unnamed person whom he proceeds to stalk. Erlendur's other case involves a long unsolved disappearance that springs to life again when he receives anonymous calls from a woman in distress whom he imagines to be the missing party. Meanwhile, Erlendur's mentor Marion dies slowly in hospital; his daughter Eva Lind continues on the roller-coaster of drug addiction; and his relationship with crime-scene tech Valgerdur proceeds in baby steps.

A beautifully layered mystery notable for its breadth and depth. Indridason (The Draining Lake, 2008, etc.) and his hero steadily improve with age.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

August 15, 2009
The latest entry in Indridason's Erlendur series (after "The Draining Lake") finds the detective and his team investigating the death of a young boy of Thai/Icelandic descent. His seemingly motiveless murder brings to the forefront an examination of racial tensions in Iceland's outwardly liberal society, particularly within the school system. At the same time, Erlendur continues to investigate the haunting case of a missing woman who likely committed suicide. He also struggles with the death of his former boss and with taking potential steps to reconnect with his estranged children. Although dubbed a thriller, this crime novel is actually more of a police procedural, as it is more leisurely paced with a strong emphasis on its main character's inner turmoil and the detailed interviews of potential suspects and the victim's family. VERDICT For fans of moody Nordic mysteries by writers such as Henning Mankell and Åke Edwardson, this is an essential read. The book is also strongly recommended for those who enjoy the more introspective aspects of Colin Dexter's Morse series and works by Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine. [Library marketing campaign; see Prepub Mystery, "LJ" 5/1/09.]Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2009
Icelandic detective Erlendur is in charge of investigating the stabbing death of a 10-year-old Icelandic Thai boy, found frozen to the ground behind his apartment building. Even though this investigation takes place almost entirely in the present day, Erlendur cannot escape the past, as his old mentor, Marion Briem, dies, and Erlendurs daughter shows up to pester him about his younger brother, who died many years ago in a blizzard. Perhaps the most upbeat of this determinedly dark series, this episode finds the perpetually depressed and lonely hero on speaking terms with both his adult children and having a go at a steady relationship. Still, the crimes and the overall mood remain extremely bleak, consistent with the previous books in the series. Arctic Chill is most reminiscent of Henning Mankells Kurt Wallander series, as Erlendurs investigation focuses, as Wallanders cases often do, on immigrants and racial tensions; in addition, this one puts more emphasis, as Mankell does, on procedural detail rather than thriller elements (Jar City, 2005) or historical investigations (Draining Lake, 2008).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)