Customer Reviews

Silence of the Grave

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3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're a fan of crime fiction and well-plotted mysteries, and are on the lookout for a fresh new face in a crowded genre, then you'll be doing yourself a favor by trying Arnaldur Indridason and his captivating "Silence of the Grave".

Back from last year's "Jar City" is Erlendur Sveinsson, the jaded Reykjavik police detective plodding bitterly though a life of regrets. A skeleton is found while excavating a new housing project, quickly determined to be decades old, and assumed a murder victim. With a supporting cast of eccentric archeologists and his own quirky investigative team, Erlender gets to the bottom of a gut-wrenching tale of domestic violence and child abuse.

A word of warning - this is some tough material. Any idyllic views of a society tolerant to drug use may be shocked into sensibility with the author's unapologetic portrayal of life among the needles and crack vials. And Erlender is about as bleak a character as the barren Icelander setting in which he is cast - the subject matter adding to a general air of depression and despair. But this is powerful noir fiction, only heightened by the dark setting, as Indridason's prose captures the unique Scandinavian brand of fatalism. The mystery is tightly wound and fully engaging, taking more than a few twists along the way before reaching a cleverly poignant conclusion. In the end, a haunting tale of revenge with little redemption - a novel that you'll not easily forget. Clearly one of the year's best - don't miss it.

A corpse is found on a hill in the outskirts of Reykjavik. It looks like it has already been there for a long time, but the excavation goes terribly slow because a team of archaeologists is carrying out the work. In the meantime inspector Erlendur and his colleagues try to get a picture of what happened 50 to 70 years ago. Slowly but surely they find out the awful truth. In between the story line of the investigation, there is another storyline about a family consisting of a father, mother, 2 brothers and a handicapped sister. It soon becomes apparent that something horrible happened in the family and this is written down so vividly that I had to put down the book a few times because it nearly became too much. An in the meantime Erlendur's drugs-addicted daughter Eva Lind is in a coma and he finally finds the courage to tell her what he feels for her. In short, this is a wonderful, sensitive thriller with a lot of psychological insight, well-developed storylines and beautiful descriptions of the various characters.

This is the second installment in Arnaldur Indridason's Detective Inspector Erlendur Svinssson series, and it definitely does, in my opinion, top "Jar City" -- the first book in the series. Evenly paced and highly suspenseful, it is no wonder that "Silence of the Grave" won the Golden Dagger Award. I certainly was riveted by this novel and (literally) read on relentlessly till the very last page.

When skeletal remains are discovered at the building site of a new housing estate, Detective Inspector Erlendur Svinsson and his team are called in to take charge of the case. The first thing the team must do is establish just how long the skeleton has lain buried, and then determine if this indeed a case of murder, or something else. And if certain members of Erlendur's team (Detective Sigurdur Oli in particular) aren't too sure why they're wasting so much time on a cold case, it is obvious that Erlendur holds to the belief that every suspicious death deserves an investigation, and that Erlendur at least feels that there is something suspicious about this mysterious burial. Elendur's quest to learn the truth will take him back to Iceland during W.W.II, and to the guilty secrets of two families in particular. This case will also lead him to reexamine on his own past and his own failed relationships with his ex-wife and his two children, and to wonder if it is not too late to repair the damage...

Arnadldue Indridason is a very gifted storyteller, and I have to thank both him and his brilliant translator, Bernard Scudder, for the 4 very pleasurable hours I spent reading "Silence of the Grave." The novel was evenly paced, taut and completely riveting. The book is divided into two subplots -- one subplot deals with the events of the past, while the other subplot centers on the current investigation. It is not an easy thing to do, going backwards and forwards in time, while still managing to maintain a level of suspense and to keep readers guessing as to the identity of the unearthed skeleton. And yet, the author managed this feat with ease, skill and finesse. And even though I expected and suspected certain developments, the denouncement still took me by some surprise. Truly, "Silence of the Grave" was very well done, and if you're looking for a fresh voice in the police procedural genre and one that will hold your interest from beginning to end, you will want to check both "Silence of the Grave" and "Jar City" out.

As I write this 11/19/06 the film "Mırin" (Tainted Blood, Jar City, Nordermoor) has just won 5 Eddas (the Nordic Oscar). I am normally niggardly with stars, 4 for my best liked, 5 for masterpieces, 3 for well liked. Last year Silence of the Grave won the Golden Dagger, the English Detective Stories' award. As I read it in the original version, I viewed mr. Scudder's translation at the same time. Indridason is not the best of stylists and Scudder sometimes betters him. I remember one sentence off hand."Erlendur veit ekkert í sinn haus" verbatim means "E. knows nothing into his head." I think most people would translate it "E does not have a clue" but Scudder renders it "Erlendur does not know his arse from his elbow." I can remember there were more instances like this, where Scudder lifts the text to a higher standard. I am not as critical as mr Klovsjö of Sweden (see his critique on amazon.co.uk) but I agree that the solution of the plot was a little thin and the main character's personal issues are a bit à la Martin Beck. Sjöwall / Wahlöö are obviously better writers though and must surely have won a golden dagger at some point. This depends on the translator though, and Bernard Scudder owns a big part in Indridason's golden dagger. I suggest that Icelandic readers read Scudder's translation, and everyone else, i.e. those who can read English.

I'm not a big fan of this genre. In fact, the only reason I read this book was because they were available, and I was out of other reading material. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself completely engrossed from start to finish. The characters are all disturbingly flawed; haunted by their own personal demons, yet somehow managing to unravel a long-forgotten series of crimes.

I imagine that crime fiction aficionados would find even more to love in this well-written, thought-provoking story.

In the award winning "Silence of the Grave", Arnaldur Indridason again demonstrates that he's an extremely accomplished crime drama author. This excellent novel intertwines two stories from the past and the present surrounding a police investigation conducted by Reykjavik inspector Erlendur and his team. During construction in the elite Millenium Quarter on the outskirts of Reykjavik, human remains were discovered. Construction was halted and an archeologic team was brough in to work the site and remove the skeleton.

Meanwhile in flashback fashion Indridason relates a story of a family who lived in the Milennium Quarter area back around the time of World WarII in a long gone chalet. The family of two sons and a daughter who was both physically and mentally disabled by a childhood bout of meningitis, was subjected to despicable and disturbing domestic violence. The nurturing mother was beaten severely and regularly by her monstrous husband who was playing out his sadistic inner demons by ruining her life. As the novel progresses the two stories begin to meld.

Indridason is terrific in his ability to develope the character of Erlendur who struggles with his personal life. A large ago divorce estranged him from his children. His daughter Eva Lind a long time drug addict who is seven month pregnant was found after being missing lying in a pool of blood. She is now resting in a coma in a local hospital. Her infirmity resulted in an unfortunate meeting with his banshee like ex-wife whose still simmering hatred for Erlendur resulted in a hurtful encounter. Indridason delves deeply into Elendur's personality giving us insight into where his motivations have evolved from.

When I first began reading this author's first translated novel, _Jar City,_ I didn't think I was going to enjoy it. Then I got caught up in it and it's stayed in my mind ever since. This second novel featuring the dour, laconic Detective Erlendur Sveinsson of Reykjavik, isn't as gray in tone and texture as the first one, but it's just as unsettling, . . . not unlike an Icelandic saga, in fact. Again like the first book, the plot hinges on a crime committed long ago, revolving this time on the identification of a body found in a foundation excavation in a new housing subdivision. The story shifts between the present day, in which Erlendur has to deal with a university archaeologist who has undertaken to excavate the body (their forensics expert being on vacation in Spain at the moment), and the days of the Allied occupation during the 1940s, when an entire family is living in continual fear of domestic abuse. Because, even though the cover rather erroneously calls this a "thriller," it's really a story about strained family relationships and all the variations that situation can take. Erlendur has a very iffy relationship with his pregnant, drugged-out daughter, and a twenty-year nonspeaking relationship with his ex-wife. One of his detectives is in the middle of a crisis with his live-in girlfriend, who wants commitment. A vicious wife-beater has a sick relationship with everyone in the house. Another possible victim whose body it might be had a series of troubled relationships with fiancé and family. And on and on. Anyone who has read Henning Mankell will see a resemblance in Erlendur to Kurt Wallender. (Maybe it's a Scandinavian thing.) So, don't expect a lot of cop-type action here, but do expect a very well-written novel.

I just finished reading 3 books (in 3.5 days) by a wonderful author I've recently discovered: Arnaldur Indridason & he's Icelandic.
The 3 books that have been translated into English are: JAR CITY (2004), SILENCE OF THE GRAVE (2005) & VOICES (2006). Two more are scheduled for release late next year and I can hardly wait!!!

It's truly a fascinating read and it pulled me in FAST, drawing me to the next novel and then the next at a pretty fast clip.

There's not the kind of action, drama, gruesomeness that is in many crime/thriller novels these days. There is a feeling that you accompany the detectives on their journey to a resolution. You can feel the cold, see the landscape, experience the smells and the warmth of a fire!

It's like watching a foreign movie. You're drawn into an interplay with the characters as they evolve. If Arnaldur Indridson's books were made into movies, they'd need Alfred Hitchcock as the director. Both can (could) tease you with fear that's been subtly created.

I can't say enough. Check this author out yourself.

I relish the way Arnaldur unravels his mysteries bringing the past to life, & yes, SILENCE OF THE GRAVE is about domestic violence, or to be brutally clear: wife beating, & what it does to the children, & the reader. More than once I could have leapt into the pages & done something wicked to the batterer.

At the risk of coming off callow, this tale is about way more: Iceland's past; British & American WWII influences; social sorrows besieging Icelanders in their shabby towns on their volcanic rock, & the utter despair & irrationality of dealing with people who cannot let go of their angst.

While Arnaldur does not sugar coat the terrible effects of depression & drug use, through his dogged wounded detective I got to glimpse the noble & hopeful in Icelanders' history.

Seems enough hardy souls keep surviving both the climate & each other so that at the close I was left with the urgent desire to keep visiting with Erlendur & his team, & the cases that come their way.

Very interesting book. Seems to be handling several issues at once. Interesting to have the main character being good/sad at the same time. Not a fast moving book but certainly holds your interest til the end.