- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: The Harvill Press (5 May 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1843431858
- ISBN-13: 978-1843431855
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 371,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Times (Sat): Ross Leckie
‘ With great deftness, the author creates a picture of society riven by hypocrisy’
Product Description
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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Speaking volumes for abused families - past and present,
By
This review is from: Silence of the Grave (Reykjavik Murder Mysteries 2) (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.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Such vivid descriptions that you cannot read it in one go,
By
This review is from: Silence of the Grave (Reykjavik Murder Mysteries 2) (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.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Harrowing,
By
This review is from: Silence Of The Grave (Reykjavik Murder Mysteries 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
I think this is the most harrowing book I've ever read in my life. The psychology of the wife-beater, the wife and her journey into submission are absolutely spot on.
In addition to the two 'historical' plots, we also have the contemporary unravelling and the soap opera that is evolving around the lives of the three detectives - all expertly handled. I made the mistake of opening this book up after lunch on a Sunday - and I just couldn't put it down - not for a single minute - the dialogue and pace are absolutely gripping. I eventually emerged in the early evening feeling as though I'd lived a parallel life in a different timestream. It really is that good - no wonder it's won awards all over the place.
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