Silence of the Grave (2001)
2001
295 pages
Crime Fiction
Erlendur #4
A skeleton is unearthed on a building site in Reykjavik; clearly someone was buried here several decades ago. The familiar cast of Erlendur and his detective colleagues, well known to readers of Indridason’s previous novels, try to discover what happened, seeking out people who lived in the area decades before. Various unpleasant truths surface, and the story behind the skeleton turns out to be both complex and horrifying. This recklessly exciting story is both powerful and realistic; a story that will keep the reader’s pulse pounding.
• The CWA Gold Dagger Award 2005, UK, for the top crime novel of the year in the English language • The Glass Key 2003, The Nordic Crime Novel Award • Prix Fiction 2006 du Livre insulaire de Ouessant • Shortlisted for the Icelandic Booksellers’ Literary Award 2001 • Nomination for the Swedish Martin Beck Award 2004 • Nominated as the best crime novel of 2004 in The Netherlands by crimezone.nl • One of 10 Top Crime Books Of The Year 2005 by CrimeSquad.com, UK • Grand Prix des Lectrice de Elle 2007
Reviews
“… excellent novel…”
Val McDermid, The Independent, UK
“You would not immediately have thought of Reykjavik as one of Europe´s prominent murder centres, but in Arnaldur Indridason´s novels the Icelandic capital is as dark, scary and lethal as Ian Rankin´s Edinburgh.”
Marcel Berlins, The Times, UK
“…chilling tale…With great deftness, the author creates a picture of a society riven by hypocrisy, where a blind eye is turned to misery, and where even the most respectable turns out to have shameful secrets.”
Christina Koning, The Times, UK
“Inspector Erlendur wouldn´t be out of place in any number of British or Scandinavian crime novels. In his fifties, divorced and depressed, this Icelandic sleuth shares the Nordic mindset of Kurt Wallander or Inspector Rebus. Indridason´s latest Erlendur mystery, translated by Bernard Scudder, opens with a grisly vignette: a pink-faced toddler gnawing on a human bone. The police are called in, and a shallow grave is disovered nearby. Indridason´s conventionally cool narrative voice suits a cast of characters who want to keep their darker secrets under wraps.”
EH, Independent, UK
“All (his books) are set in Iceland and all deal with social and politicial issues that, while not exclusive to Iceland, are shaped by a specific local resonance: a national DNA data base for this genetically homogenous population, domestic violence, the legacy of war and colonisation, migration from the country to the city. Indridason´s incorporation of aspects of the Icelandic literary tradition of saga, such as the sometimes bloodthirsty repercussions of actions down the generations, further root the stories deep in this most idiosyncratic culture and landscape.”
The Guardian, UK Nicholas Wroe
“Silence of the Grave unquestionably justifies its choice as Best Nordic Crime Novel; A rnaldur’s narrative is exciting, gripping and disturbing.”
Bodil Juggas, Arbetarbladet, Sweden
“European crime-writing at its best.”
Sydsvenskan, Sweden
“The tension stretches to the very end. The main focus of this book is on domestic violence which is depicted with striking realism… Silence of the Grave is an unusual detective story, gripping and exciting. Erlendur, Sigurdur Óli and Elínborg have become household names for Icelandic crime fiction aficionados and the publication of Arnaldur's books are eagerly awaited every Christmas.”
Katrin Jakobsdottir, DV daily newspaper, Iceland
“Arnaldur Indridason has established himself as Iceland's number one crime fiction writer.”
strik.is, Iceland
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