Voices (2002)
2002
330 pages
Crime Fiction
Erlendur #5
The Christmas rush is at its peak in a big Reykjavik hotel, packed with foreign guests, when the police are called in to investigate a murder: a member of the staff, a middle aged man, has been stabbed to death, and found dressed in a Santa outfit with his trousers around his ankles. The police, Erlendur, Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli, have a complex case on their hands, and initially seem to have few clues to lead them to the murderer. But delving into the victim’s adventurous and sad childhood, Erlendur and his colleagues begin to unravel some promising leads. A terribly exciting story about the oddness of human fate, solitude and loss in the broadest sense of those terms.
• The Martin Beck Award 2005, Sweden • Prix Tropée 813, France, 2007 • Grand Prix de Literature Policière Roman Étranger, France, 2007 • Selected by the Guardian as one of the Top 10 Crime Novels in translation, 2014 • Honyaku Mystery Award 2016, Japan
Nominated in The Netherlands in 2005 as: • one of the 8 best best crime novels by crimezone.nl • one of the 10 best crime novels by De Volkskrant • one of the 100 best books of the year by BOEK Magazine
Reviews
“Indridason reaches extraordinary psychological depths.”
INDEPENDENT
“Another top-notch mystery from Indridason, its lyrical melancholy matched by the depth of its characterizations.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Morosely, intelligently, Erlendur unravels the mystery. With Voices, Indridason proves that his Golden Dagger victory for Silence of the Grave last year was no fluke.”
Marcel Berlins, The Times
“Once again Indridason demonstrates that the best Scandinavian crime writers can hold their own against their British and American rivals.”
Andrew Taylor, Spectator
“… we can shut ourselves away in tiny rooms, but never escape the past which is inside us…Indridason touches on issues of Icelandic society in ways that remind me equally of Sjowall and Wahloo, creators of Martin Beck, and of Halldor Laxness, Iceland´s greatest novelist.”
Crime Time, Michael Carlson
“Arnaldur Indridason’s bleakly beautiful fiction probably comes closest to the depressive sensibility you might expect to find in Iceland. In VOICES it’s the Christmas tourist season, and Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson and his colleagues on the Reykjavik police force are called to a hotel to investigate the stabbing death of the house Santa Claus, who was also the doorman. Appalled by the mean little room where the man was housed, and by the indifference of both management and staff, Erlendur tries to dignify this forgotten soul by solving his murder — a job that uncovers some melancholy realities about the mistreatment of children.”
The New York Times, Marilyn Stasio
“Every bit as good as Jar City and Silence of the Grave.”
Kolbrun Bergthorsdottir, DV newspaper
“Arnaldur’s best book.”
Susanna Svavarsdottir, Channel 2
“A strong story.”
Katrin Jakobsdottir, DV newspaper
“Voices is an excellent and finely woven crime novel that is sure to haunt readers for quite some time.”
Ulfhildur Dagsdottir, Kiljan/National TV
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France/Switzerland/Luxembourg/ CanadaMétailié
Czech RepublicMOBA
TurkeyDogan
UK/Australia/New Zealand/South-AfricaPRH/ Harvill Secker
USA/PhilippinesSt. Martin‘s Press/Thomas Dunne Books
The Netherlands/Belgium/LuxembourgQuerido
Spain/Andorra/South- and Central America/USARBA Libros
CataloniaLa Magrana
LebanonArab Scientific Publishers
Simplified ChineseXinhua
GreeceMetachmio