Building work in an expanding Reykjavik uncovers a shallow grave. Years before, this part of the city was all open hills, and Erlendur and his team hope this is a typical Icelandic missing person scenario; perhaps someone once lost in the snow, who has lain peacefully buried for decades. Things are never that simple. Whilst Erlendur struggles to hold together the crumbling fragments of his own family, his case unearths many other tales of family pain. The hills have more than one tragic story to tell: tales of failed relationships and heartbreak; of anger, domestic violence and fear; of family loyalty and family shame. Few people are still alive who can tell the story, but even secrets taken to the grave cannot remain hidden forever.
Silence Of The Grave (Reykjavik Murder Mysteries 2)
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
‘ With great deftness, the author creates a picture of society riven by hypocrisy’ -- Times (Sat): Ross Leckie
Book Description
Detective Erlendur and his team investigate Reykjavík's hidden past to unravel a case of human nastiness. Tense, atmospheric and disturbingly real, this is an outstanding continuation of the Reykjavík Murder Mysteries.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By LizzySiddal
Format:Paperback
This novel, which won the Best Nordic Crime Award in the year it was published, is a worthy successor to the magnificent "Jar City" (now republished as Tainted Blood). In it Indridason tells three tales in parallel: the investigation into the identity of the bodies found in a shallow grave and two tales featuring female abuse from the days of WWII.
To be honest, the strength of this novel doesn't actually lie in the traditional murder mystery but in the depth of the social commentary. Abused wives and children still exist, but the behaviour of the abuser is no longer tolerated and social mechanisms are in place to protect the vulnerable. 60 years ago this was not the case and the portrait Indridason paints of a wife-batterer and his abused family is powerful and harrowing, yet never voyeuristic. He is more concerned with the psychological destruction of the soul rather than the physical breaking of bones.
The other strength of this novel is his downtrodden detective, Erlendur, whose family life is as traumatic as that of the people he investigates. Is Erlendur, who is portraited realistically, warts and all, partly to blame? This mystery is offered alongside the traditional murder and it's one for which there is no open and shut case.
I read this novel in 2 sittings. The author is one to watch. At one week in the summer of 2003, his crime novels occupied the top five spots in the Icelandic bestseller list.
Only two have been translated into English. Does anyone know when the next one is due?
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Ramses
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is number 2 in the Erlendur series. Having read "Jar City" (number 1) first, I found this one much darker, and as much gripping as the first one. We find our now familiar cop heroes back, Erlendur and Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli, investigating a found skeleton. Without giving anything away about the plot, this is about two stories in parallel that obviously must meet somewhere, and it was skillfully told. I found the plot quite good, but what struck me the most was the clash between the dark mind of the "bad guy" and the courage of his victims. All this mirrored in Erlendur's present with his daughter. Quite impressive litterary feat, no frills, straight prose and dialogs, economy of language but very effective, all from the very first page.
Absolutely great stuff that kept me riveted.
Now I am almost afraid of starting the next one in the series, it can't be as good. I hope it is. GREAT WRITER.
Absolutely great stuff that kept me riveted.
Now I am almost afraid of starting the next one in the series, it can't be as good. I hope it is. GREAT WRITER.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Linda Oskam
Format:Paperback
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.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 153 reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ice cold in Iceland
I'd read Mankell and wasn't really impressed. I'd read Asa Larsson and shrugged a little. Then I came across Indridasson. Brilliantly exectued. Grim. Sparse. No nosense prose.
Published 11 days ago by Ap
5.0 out of 5 stars
subtly tense
A compelling read where the tension builds. Not another obvious blood and gore murder book. This is much more subtle.
Published 1 month ago by B M M Morison
5.0 out of 5 stars
Silence of the Grave
I love every book the guy has writen so far and so will you. Its hot stuff for such a cold climate
Published 1 month ago by john hughes
3.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZON START PAYING TAX IN THE UK
A good story, nicely interwoven strands, very sad too, Iceland seems to be the most noir in the world of "Scandi noir"! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael Hirons
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yesterday's crimes
This outing for Reykjavik police inspector Erlendur takes him back into the victim's past. In parallel with his investigation he strives to come to terms with the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by BC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Silence of the Grave
Although it's a dark work it drew me in from page one and I put it down with difficulty thereafter. I found the main characters complex, yet compelling, in a plot wonderfully... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ian Buchanan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Silence of the Grave
A moving account of domestic pain of the investigated and the investigator.
Weaves current and historical developments cleverly to construct a convincing picture of... Read more
Weaves current and historical developments cleverly to construct a convincing picture of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by andrew
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quite different!
I really enjoyed this Icelandic murder mystery. Not at all the usual detective story - Icelandic detectives seem much more laid back. Read more
Published 10 months ago by J. Domin
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good story & insight to Iceland, not good translation
I really wanted to give a chance to this book, as I still found the story interesting, but the translation made it very difficult to read and enjoy it.
Published 10 months ago by J. Schneider
2.0 out of 5 stars
over-rated
I'm afraid I can't agree with your reviewers and the judges who give him all his awards. Indridason is just not in the same class as Larsson and Mankell. Read more
Published 11 months ago by pierre
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
