The Silence of the Grave

The Silence of the Grave is the second mystery by Arnaldur Indridason. (For a review of Jar City, the first book in this series, click here.) Police detective Erlendur is back, along with his subordinates in the department, Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg. Once again, the crime is murder. This time, however, the crime is some seventy years old and the victims have been reduced to skeletons. Using testimony from former residents of the crime site, as well as crime scene evidence, archival research and a bit of luck, the team gradually uncovers the identities of the bodies and the events that led to their deaths.

What I like most about these books is the personalities of the detectives: they seem believably real. I also like that the author makes it easy for the reader to feel he has guessed the likely suspect and outcome, only to have the details of the resolution twist off in unexpected directions. Iceland -- cold, snowy, and isolated -- contributes an essential bleakness to these novels.

-Paul