Jar City

"I don't read enough mysteries. I should read more." I say this to myself each time I read a good mystery. Then I go looking for more but cannot find any that live up to what I just read. Months later I stumble upon another good one and the process repeats itself. Fortunately, I think I have overcome this tedious cycle of reader's disappointment -- at least temporarily -- for I just read Arnaldur Indridason's first novel, Jar City. He has written many more in addition to this, and if they are only half as good as Jar City, I should have mysteries to keep me busy for some time.

Set in bleak, rainy Reykjavik, Iceland, Jar City follows police detective Erlendur as he and his team investigate the murder of a man found bludgeoned in his apartment. A cryptic note left on dead man's chest is initially all they have to work with. The trail leads eventually to the victim's violent past, his crimes and their repercussions for the living. Indridason's prose is elegant in its economy and is perfectly paired with the novel's quick pace and dark foreboding.

Fans of Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo will enjoy Arnaldur Indridason.

-Paul