I am absolutely thrilled that there is a new Icelandic mystery out by Arnaldur Indridason - Voices. I have read 2 others by him so far - the only ones in the system - and have found this author a worthy addition to the grim, dark Scandinavian style of mysteries. I am hopelessly addicted to these kinds of mysteries. It all started one day when I was desperate to find some book to read with lunch. Being a mystery fan, I was browsing that section of our collection and came across a book by Henning Mankell (a Swedish author) and gave it a try. I had ordered another title by the time my lunchtime was over. I was and remain hooked. If you haven't read one of his Kurt Wallander mysteries, try one. The characters and lives they live are so real, alternatingly tough and boring (the lives not the books), full of promise and yet without hope. No one is very happy, everyone drinks too much and everything seems grey - the weather, their lives, the world around them. Apparently, Sweden isn't all we imagine it to be. But Mankell's books are not dreary or depressing - they are fascinating, good mysteries and a great read. Try this entry in the Language Log blog for another person's take on the Wallander mysteries.
So when I ran out of Mankell, I tried out some others in the genre and came across the Icelandic mysteries. And from there I have been trying out a variety of other similar writers. I can highly recommend Karin Fossum - her mysteries take place in Norway. I also have enjoyed Mari Jungstedt's series taking place in Gotland, Sweden so much that I wish I could travel to Gotland - what a beautiful place. Of course, I regret not taking advantage of those weekend trips to Iceland that were so popular in the '80's.
I guess my fascination with Scandinavian mysteries can really be traced back to Robert Barnard's Death in a cold climate. I can remember reading this and being amazed at the thought of living somewhere that has, tops, an hour of weak daylight a day during the long winters. What kind of people could live in those conditions, would choose to live there voluntarily? I have a hard time by mid January and we have plenty of daylight in comparison.
So I am going to try to track down some Finnish and Danish mysteries - if they have been translated - I hear the Finns are a very dour folk. Should make for some great reading. I'll keep you posted.
Movie: Smilla's Sense of Snow
Book: Smilla's Sense of Snow , by Peter Hoeg. Not a traditional mystery, but mysterious and really shows a different slant on Denmark and life in Greenland.
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