Synopses & Reviews
INSPECTOR ERLENDUR RETURNS IN THIS ICY, INTENSE REYKJAVIK THRILLER
On an icy January day, the Reykjavik police are called to a block of apartments where a body has been found in the garden: a young, dark-skinned boy is frozen to the ground in a pool of blood. Erlendur and his team embark on their investigation and soon unearth tensions simmering beneath the surface of Icelands outwardly liberal, multicultural society. Meanwhile, the boys murder forces Erlendur to confront the tragedy in his own past. Master crime writer Arnaldur Indridason's Arctic Chill renders a vivid portrait of Iceland's brutal, little-known culture wars in a taut, fast-paced police procedural.
Review
"A remarkable series."—
The New York Times Book Review"This Icelandic tale is delivered with exquisite sensitivity, in a moody translation."—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times "A solid police procedural . . . well-constructed and certainly unflinching in its with of the human condition."—Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post
"Arctic Chill is most reminiscent of Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander series."—Jessica Moyer, Booklist
"Delving into the prejudices and inequalities of Icelandic society, this novel has great clarity, emotional depth, and resonance."—Katie Owen, The Daily Telegraph (UK)
Synopsis
In this new extraordinary thriller from Gold Dagger Award winner Arnaldur Indridason, the Reykjavik police are called on an icy January day to a garden where a body has been found: a young, dark-skinned boy is frozen to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Erlendur and his team embark on their investigation and soon unearth tensions simmering beneath the surface of Ice lands outwardly liberal, multicultural society. Meanwhile, the boys murder forces Erlendur to confront the tragedy in his own past. Soon, facts are emerging from the snow-filled darkness that are more chilling even than the Arctic night.
Synopsis
INSPECTOR ERLENDUR RETURNS IN THIS ICY, INTENSE REYKJAVIK THRILLER
On an icy January day, the Reykjavik police are called to a block of apartments where a body has been found in the garden: a young, dark-skinned boy is frozen to the ground in a pool of blood. Erlendur and his team embark on their investigation and soon unearth tensions simmering beneath the surface of Icelands outwardly liberal, multicultural society. Meanwhile, the boys murder forces Erlendur to confront the tragedy in his own past. Master crime writer Arnaldur Indridason's Arctic Chill renders a vivid portrait of Iceland's brutal, little-known culture wars in a taut, fast-paced police procedural.
Synopsis
In this new extraordinary thriller from Gold Dagger Award winner Arnaldur Indridason, the Reykjavik police are called on an icy January day to a garden where a body has been found: a young, dark-skinned boy is frozen to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Erlendur and his team embark on their investigation and soon unearth tensions simmering beneath the surface of Icelands outwardly liberal, multicultural society. Meanwhile, the boys murder forces Erlendur to confront the tragedy in his own past. Soon, facts are emerging from the snow-filled darkness that are more chilling even than the Arctic night.
About the Author
ARNALDUR INDRIDASON is the author of Jar City, Silence of the Grave, Voices, and The Draining Lake, all published by Minotaur. He won the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Silence of the Grave and is the only author to win the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel two years in a row, for Jar City and Silence of the Grave. The film of Jar City, now available on DVD from Blockbuster, was Icelands entry for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and the film of his next book, Silence of the Grave, is currently in production with the same director. His thrillers have sold more than five million copies in over 25 countries around the world. He lives in Iceland.
Reading Group Guide
1. Why might immigration be a bigger problem in Iceland than in the United States? Do you think there would be more or less racism in Iceland than in the US? Why?
2. Do you think that its possible that either Erlendur, Sigurdur Oli or Elinbourg might have any unresolved feelings about immigration? Based on what we already know about their characters, do you think that their personal feelings could ever interfere with their conduct of an investigation?
3. What do you think accounts for Erlendurs theory of Icelands “indifference” to missing persons (p.85)? Do you agree with his account of how Iceland might be culturally more accepting of disappearances?
4. Eliass frozen death in the Icelandic winter brings back painful memories for Erlendur. Does Erlendur really believe that he murdered his brother when he lost him in the snow as a young boy? Did Erlendur unconsciously become a detective in order to catch himself?
5. In learning about what Nirans experience has been like, we come to see that Asian immigrants feel alienated in Iceland, and yet also cut off from their own cultural origins. Why? What would it look like for a person to be both Icelandic and proudly embrace his/her Asian heritage?
6. What were Sunees motives in having Niran taken away? Was she right not to trust the police? What would you have done in her situation?
7. Throughout Erlendurs relationship with Marion Briem, there had been a certain ambivalence. Erlendur often went to Marion for advice, was often annoyed by Marion, and yet felt a certain obligation to be there for his mentor. As Marion dies, Erlendur finally realizes that he appreciated Marion. What was Marions role in Erlendurs life?
8. Do you think that we might be hearing more in later books about Gestur, the mysterious man implicated by Andres as a pedophile who disappeared from the police without a trace? Or did Indriđason just introduce his character in order to throw us off the scent of the real killer?
9. What do you think is likely to happen to Niran now in the Icelandic court system? Do you think hell be treated with the same consideration that an Icelandic youth would? Will he be treated with more or less sympathy given the circumstances of his crime?
10. Do you think the killers apparently arbitrary choice of Elias as a victim will ultimately be of greater comfort to Sunee than if his death had been a hate crime? Why or why not?
11. Why do you think Erlendur was so inclined to think that the voice he kept hearing on his phone was the voice of the missing wife from a different case? Is it difficult for Erlendur to cope with letting certain cases go unsolved?
12. Why do you think Erlendurs daughter Eva Lind was so interested in the stories surrounding Erlendurs brothers disappearance? Is she attempting to find sympathy for Erlendur or is she trying to get revenge on him for leaving them when they were children?
13. What do you think it would take for Erlendur to find peace with himself for the disappearance of his brother? If he did find peace, do you think he would remain a police detective, or would he want to try and start a new life for himself?