Three Stars

Best for:
People who like mysteries set around Christmastime.

In a nutshell:
Detective Erlendur is called to investigate a murder that took place at a hotel a week before Christmas.

Worth quoting:
N/A

Why I chose it:
I’m enjoying having something somewhat easy to read in between more substantial books. That sounds like an insult, but I don’t mean it that way at all.

Review:
I said in my last review that I was hoping this author wasn’t committed to having women always (only?) be the victims of the crimes his detective investigates, and I got my wish with this one. While a woman does play a prominent role in the investigation, the story involves the murder of a man who was formerly a renowned choirboy.

This story definitely has a more claustrophobic feel than the previous two books. Erlendur spends the duration of the novel staying in the hotel where the murder took place, taking his meals, meeting with his daughter, and of course, investigating the crime. It’s snowing out, Christmas is approaching, and there’s both a sense of urgency and a sense of calm in the book.

The book also does an interesting job of exploring the expectations families put on children, and how when they may not live up to those expectations — either by circumstances, or by choice — parents can be cruel in response. It also looks at how people who are perceived as being different are treated, both as children and as adults. Kind of a lot of a mystery, eh?

It took my a month to read the book, but not because it was a hard read. I just had to allow myself the time to get into it – this can’t be a book you read a couple of chapters at a time – this is a good book to pick up at lunch and commit to reading all afternoon.

Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Donate it