“I hope they will leave some men behind, to make sure she doesn’t kill us in our sleep.”

Book Review:

Review by Betsey Van Horn  (APR 10, 2014)

Twenty-eight-year-old Australian author Hannah Kent spent time in Iceland while in high school, chosen because she wanted to see snow for the first time. She fell in love with this island country south of the Arctic Circle, and returned several times to do extensive research on Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last woman to be beheaded in Iceland, in 1829. Kent imagined the interior psychological states of various characters, especially the enigmatically alluring Agnes, and has successfully penned a suspenseful fiction tale that transcends the outcome. It reveals a complex love triangle and double murder, and a provocative examination of the religious and social mores of the time. Knowing the fate of Agnes prior to reading the novel won’t change the reader’s absorption of the novel. The strong themes hinge on the backstory and viewpoints that are woven in and reveal characters that go through a change of perception as the circumstances of the crime come to light.

Each chapter begins with official or private correspondence or testimony, which reflects the judicial process and established standards of the time, which was then under Danish rule. The title refers to whether the dead are fit to be buried on consecrated ground. Agnes is sent to northwest Iceland, to stay with the district officer, his wife, and two daughters, pending her execution. The family members are outraged at first, some more than others. The farmers in the area are also hostile to her. Over time, as her story unfolds, I became emotionally engaged with Agnes, and touched by the young cleric, Toti, Agnes’ appointed spiritual advisor.

Kent is a poetic writer, whose descriptions of a grim, harsh, bleak landscape and a socially rigid terrain are told with a striking beauty.

“Now we are riding across Iceland’s north, across this black island washing in its waters, sulking in its ocean. Chasing our shadows across the mountain.”

“They have strapped me to the saddle like a corpse being taken to the burial ground.”

“…waiting for the ground to unfreeze before they can pocket me in the earth like a stone.”

The restrained savagery and cruel irony reflects in those that persecute Agnes and accept the official story of her acts as gospel. The gradual overtures of Toti and certain members of the family were organically developed, allowing for tension and intimacy in equal measure. The slight stumbling block for me was accepting Agnes’ relationship with her lover, Natan, one of the men she is convicted of killing. I understand that very smart women can often make poor choices in men; however, Agnes was depicted as a self-contained woman. I had a difficult time accepting her bottomless apology for Nathan’s consummate cruelty and selfish barbarity.

Despite my tenuous acceptance of Agnes’ love for Natan, I did register the isolated, punishing terrain of 19th century Iceland, especially in the winter months, when loneliness was crushing, and reaching out for companionship a pressing need. The landscape came alive as a character, and Kent folded in an Icelandic Burial Hymn and bits and pieces of the Nordic sagas and myths, such as “I was worst to the one I loved best.” Poet-Rosa, who also loved Natan as passionately as Agnes, writes a bitter poem to her. (Interestingly, I have just read the first 80 pages of the Laxness novel of Icelandic sheep farmers, Independent People, in which a character named poet-Rosa is described.)

This is an impressive debut novel, easily read in a few sittings. The point-of-view shifts back and forth from third to first skillfully. By the end of the novel, I was able to answer the question of whether a condemned life can have meaning, and whether the person who is condemned can change the perceptions of others –for the better. I will be looking out for Kent’s next novel.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 699 readers
PUBLISHER:	Back Bay Books (April 1, 2014)
REVIEWER:	Betsey Van Horn
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Hannah Kent
EXTRAS:	Interview and Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Read our review of: The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve

Bibliography:

• Burial Rites (2013)

“When a loved one went missing time changed nothing.”

Book Review:

Review by Friederike Knabe  (FEB 23, 2014)

Arnaldur Indridason’s most recent novel available in English, Strange Shores, is the most thoughtful, subtle and sympathetic portrait of Reykjavik Police Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson I have read. The author shines an intimate searching light on the seasoned, somewhat curmudgeon, Erlendur, and a tragedy in his past that “convinced [him] there and then that he would never be a happy man.” On vacation in the village of his childhood, situated in a remote part of the eastern region of Iceland, Erlendur cannot escape the long lost or suppressed memories of two disappearances that of his young brother in one of the sudden vicious storms and of a young woman in another.

Erlendur’s father was a sheep farmer until tragedy made the family move away to the capital Reykjavik. Their old farmhouse stands in ruin and, ever so often in recent years, Erlendur has returned, camping out among the remnants of the house and wandering into the nearby mountain range, reliving that tragic day. It is like a pilgrimage for him, a journey that he feels compelled to take, still searching for clues or signs.

“Admittedly, [time] dulled the pain, but by the same token the loss became a lifelong companion for those who survived, making the grief keener and deeper in a way he couldn’t explain.”

Pain for Erlendur is fused with survivor guilt for his lost younger brother. For related and different reasons the disappearance of the young woman Matthildur has been occupying the police inspector’s mind for many years. Rumours kept alive among the locals as to whether she really was lost in the storm or some other fate had befallen her. A chance encounter with an old local hunter rekindles Erlendur’s passion to solve long lost mysterious disappearances. But, can there any hope to find clues, if not answers, after so many years?

The questions surrounding the two disappearances, separate and nonetheless linked in the mind of Erlendur, stand at the centre of Arnaldur’s captivating narrative. The author shows his usual insight into his protagonist’s motivations, yet, here he goes deeper into discovering the hidden facts that surrounded the disappearance of Matthildur. Surviving family members are reluctant to open up old wounds. By following the inspector’s various leads, we gain considerable insight into one of these remote communities, the complicated intimate relationships and strongly held ties to the past. Secrets that have been hidden can be pried open only if handled with great care and sensitivity. Erlendur himself experiences a wide range of emotions, provoked not only by the recurring memories from the past, but also made palpable through vivid dreams, nightmares possibly, that capture the depth of pain and loss and the wish to search for evidence that could heal the wounds. Reliving his own past gives him the determination, obstinacy to some, to find the evidence that lay hidden from sight regarding the young woman’s disappearance.

Arnaldur’s understanding and empathy with the witnesses of the past events, their personalities and individual behaviour is exquisitely rendered. His understated evocation of the landscape reflects its stark beauty as well as its many hidden dangers. I found this to be one of his most engaging books yet, at least of those that I have read.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 33 readers
PUBLISHER:	Harvill Secker (September 16, 2013)
REVIEWER:	Friederike Knabe
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	Not Yet
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Wikipedia page on Arnaldur Indridason
EXTRAS:	Reading Guide and Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Read our review of: The Fifth Woman by Henning Menkell

Bibliography:

Reykjavik Police Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson series:

• Jar City (aka Tainted Blood) (2000; 2005 in US)
• Silence of the Grave (2001; 2006 in US)
• Voices (2003; 2007 in US)
• The Draining Lake (2004; 2008 in US)
• Arctic Chill (2005; 2009 in US)
• Hypothermia (2007; 2011 in US)
• Outrage (2008; 2012 in US)
• Black Skies (2009; September 2013)
• Strange Shores (2010; September 2013 in US)

Stand-alone thrillers:

• Operation Napoleon (1999; 2011 in US)

“My home, Finland. The ninth and innermost circle of hell. A frozen lake of blood and guilt formed from Lucifer’s tears, turned to ice by the flapping of his leathery wings. I limp back inside. This kind of cold makes my bad knee go so stiff that I drag my left leg more than I walk on it.”

Book Review:

Review by Bonnie Brody (MAR 17, 2011)

Kari Vaara is back on the job. After taking a bullet to the face in his last book, Snow Angels, he is back to working on new cases as a police detective with his partner Milo. As Lucifer’s Tears opens, Kari is assigned two investigations. One involves a murder and the other is bringing an alleged war criminal from World War II to justice. Meanwhile, Kari’s wife, Kate, is eight and a half months pregnant with a baby girl. After losing twins in her last pregnancy, both Kate and Kari are very apprehensive and nervous that everything goes right this time. Both of them feel responsible for their prior loss. Kate has invited her brother and sister over to Finland from the United States to be there for the birth and this creates a whole new set of problems for Kari.

The murder victim is named Iisa Filippov, wife of Ivan Filippov. Ivan is twenty-four years Iisa’s senior. She was found tortured to death, lashed and whipped, covered with cigarette burns. She and her friend Linda are known for playing kinky sex games with videos and sex toys. Iisa and Linda also liked to dress up the same with the intent of looking like the retro sex symbol Betti Page. It is uncanny how much they looked alike. There is a lot of pressure on Kari to pin the murder on a man named Rein Saar but Kari does not believe that he is the murderer. Investigating this case opens a can of worms. People all the way at the top of the food chain are involved. Kari needs to watch his back and he is not very good with politics like this. On top of that, his partner Milo is a loose canon. He likes to play with guns and weapons and doesn’t always use them judiciously.

Arvid is a very elderly man who is being accused of war crimes in Finland during World War II. The Finnish people have been taught that they are not guilty of any war crimes, that they withstood the German pressures and did not participate in any anti-semitic activities. It appears that Arvid and Kari’s grandfather served together in the same unit and Kari learns a whole new history of Finland, one that shocks him and changes how he views his grandfather.

Meanwhile, Kate’s brother John is getting into all kinds of trouble. He is a terrible alcoholic and drug user and Kari has to rescue him at the most inopportune times. Kate’s sister Mary is a bible thumper and the whole family has to be careful about everything they talk about in front of her. Additionally, Kari is suffering from unrelenting, acute migraines that leave him drained and in agony. He finally visits his brother, a physician, to get some medical help for this problem.

Kari is an insular man who likes to keep to himself. He sees a therapist for his post-traumatic stress following his last case but basically trusts no one but Kate. He has had a nasty childhood that has left him scarred and angry and he has chosen to tell no one about what occurred. He comes to realize that this is not the best route to take and he wants to open up to Kate.

This is a multi-dimensional book – a thriller, murder mystery, family saga and history book all in one. It is a fascinating and thrilling roller coaster ride of a read and James Thompson does not disappoint. He knows Finland and its people. Though he lives in the United States, he spent many years living in Finland. It seems like the Scandinavians are going through a renaissance in crime novels, and this is a wonderful addition to the genre.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 20 readers
PUBLISHER:	Putnam Adult (March 17, 2011)
REVIEWER:	Bonnie Brody
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	James Thompson
EXTRAS:	Reading Guide and Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Read our review of: Snow Angels

Bibliography:

• Snow Angels (January 2010)
• Lucifer’s Tears (March 2011)

“The snow is about three feet deep and she’s sunk about half that distance into it. She managed to thrash enough to make a snow angel. Her black body is ensconced in white snow stained with red blood. In places, blood has spattered and sprayed two yards away from her. Her corpse is starting to cool, and silver frost is forming on her dark skin, making it shimmer.”

Book Review:

Review by Bonnie Brody (JAN 24, 2010)

This debut mystery by James Thompson is a riveting read with all the best elements of a character driven mystery. Mr. Thompson was born and raised in the United States and has lived in Finland for the past decade. The book jacket indicates that he has worked as a “bartender, bouncer, construction worker, photographer, rare coin dealer, and soldier…before becoming a full-time writer.”

The mystery takes place in Finland during the time of Kaamos, that time of the year when the sun never shines, when it is dark all the time and the temperatures dip to forty degrees below zero. Winds howl, people become crazy, the crime rate escalates, and people drink. There is also a beauty in this land. “In winter, twenty four hours a day, unaccountable stars outline the vaulted ceiling of the great cathedral we live in. Finnish skies are the reason I believe in God.”

Though Finland is a country of only five and a half million people, it has a lot of violent crime. “The overwhelming majority of our murders are intimate events. We kill the people we love, our husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, parents and friends, almost always in drunken rages.”

The mystery opens up with the murder of a Somali movie star. She is found dead in a remote area of Kittila, a ski resort area in Finland. The murder appears to be racially and sexually motivated. The victim has been gruesomely mutilated and ugly racial words have been carved into her abdomen.

Inspector Kari Vaara is the detective in charge. He is married to a beautiful American who runs the large ski resort compound in the area. Recently, they have found out that she is pregnant with twins. As the mystery unravels, it appears that the man who Vaara’s first wife left him for thirteen years ago, may be the prime suspect in the murder. This brings Vaara’s motives for investigating the murder and his ability to be objective into question.

The novel provides a lot of information about Finnish culture and religion. Finns don’t talk much, they avoid emotional intimacy, always take their shoes off at the door and religion plays a large part in many of their lives. “The Saame people, Laplanders, suffer a lot of prejudice here, like Eskimos in Alaska.” During the Somalia uprising in the 1990’s, the Finns allowed several thousand Somalians to enter their country. For many Finns, these were the first black people they had ever seen. At first the Finns were benevolent, but then as the Somalians were given generous welfare packages, nice apartments and dressed well (because they didn’t spend most of their money on alcohol like many Finns), prejudice raised its ugly head. Thus, when the beautiful Somali actress is murdered, the question has to be asked: Is the murder racially motivated?

As Inspector Kari Vaara and his team work this case with its racial and sexual angles, it becomes apparent that there are also personal implications for the murder. The book offers fine character studies, a fascinating plot and is well-written in a somewhat noir style.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 56 readers
PUBLISHER:	Putnam Adult; 1 edition (January 7, 2010)
REVIEWER:	Bonnie Brody
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	James Thompson
EXTRAS:	Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Lucifer’s Tears More winter stories: Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg Water Dogs by Lewis Robinson A Reliable Wife by Robet Goolrick Also partially set in Iceland: The Journey Home by Olaf Olafsson

Bibliography:

• Snow Angels (January 2010)
• Lucifer’s Tears (March 2011)