Sun On Fire

by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson, Björg Árnadóttir (Translator), Andrew Cauthery (Translator)

When the gutted body of a businessman is discovered in the Icelandic embassy in Berlin, Iceland's best detectives are sent to Germany to investigate the crime. The stab wounds and the murder weapon?an elegant hunting knife?suggest a ritualistic killing. But the only suspects present in the sleek modern office building were some of the island nation's cultural elite, including J?n the Sun Poet and ceramics artist L?dv?k Bjarnason. The victim is someone few would miss, and investigators Birkir and Gunnar, joined by forensics expert Anna Th?rdard?ttir, wager they have an open-and-shut case on their hands. What they find is anything but: The crime reeks of premeditation and vengeance, and leads the team into a sordid tale of international child abuse, arson, and retribution.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Nordic Noir, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Scandinavian Literature

324 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Viktor Arnar graduated with B.Sc in Civil Engineering from the Icelandic College of Engineering and Technology in 1983. In 1990 and 1995 he studied Communications, Publishing and Computer Graphics at the George Washington University in Washington DC. He started working for the Public Roads Administration in 1969, and has worked there full time since 1983. Since 1985 he has supervised all the institution's publications.
His first novel, Dauðasök (Capital Offence), was published in 1978. Since then he has published more crime novels. His third novel, Engin spor (No Trace), was nominated for the Glass Key award for Scandinavian crime writing, as was his fourth, Flateyjargáta (The Riddle of Flatey).

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another satisying Icelandic mystery from Ingolfsson. This story revolves around a murder in the Icelandic Embassy in Berlin. The murderer must have been among the small party that night in the Embassy. A group of 3 police go to Berlin to investigate. The story involves a hippie commune from the 70's, a fire, and a pedophile Icelandic businessman, the murder victim. By the end, the case is solved, almost improbably, by the detective. All the details are accounted for, including the improbable way in which the murder weapon was smuggled into the embassy.The bleakness of Iceland comes through in this book, particularly when the detectives are enjoying some of what Berlin has to offer.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmmmm.... need time to think about this

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sun on Fire is the second book I have read by Icelandic author, Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson. It’s a solid police procedural with echoes of an Agatha Christie closed room style of murder mystery. I like Ingólfsson’s writing style and the translation certainly seems to do the original Icelandic version justice. There’s a clarity of the prose that appeals to me. I quite liked the police characters, especially Birkir and could definitely read more of him. I like his style, deliberate, intentional and routine... very believable. Gunnar was a bit more of a comic relief although not a bad character.

The novel starts off set in Berlin in the Icelandic embassy which is a part of the five Nordic embassies complex. A particularly grizzly murder has occurred during a party that the ambassador has invited a seemingly disparate group of Icelanders who happened to have gathered in Berlin for some seemingly unconnected events. However, it’s the connection between the real reason the Icelanders have come to Berlin and the murder that is unapparent and somehow coincidentally related.

The central although absent figure in the story is Sunna, described in the kindest and most gracious of ways who through a series of tragic happenings died in a house fire. Her presence permeates the book and in fact ties a lot of events together. I guess this where the name of the book comes from, Sun on Fire... not sure what I think about that...

I can’t say I loved the ending of the book as much as the body of it. It seemed to climax kind of for the sake of climaxing and there was an inevitability about that that didn’t appeal to me. 3.5 stars for me rounded down to 3.

[Mirrordance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un giallo vecchia maniera con un numero limitato di sospetti tutti con un buon motivo (a metà tra il giallo della camera chiusa e Assassinio sull'Orient Express), un delitto che catalizza altri eventi criminosi e, sebbene siano tutti collegati, il colpevole non è sempre lo stesso.

Uno strano delitto che si svolge all'ambasciata Islandese di Berlino ma una indagine tutta casalinga che si dipana tra Reykjavík e dintorni.
Una storia in cui il lettore coglie molti taciti (e meno) indizi ed emozioni latenti e che, senza eventi straordinari, mantiene viva l'attenzione e l'interesse. Promosso a pieni voti!
4 stelline e mezza, un po' faticoso l'ascolto di Mikael Naramore almeno fino a quando non ci si fa l'orecchio.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Icelandic mysteries, and this one had a new twist - the crime was committed in an Icelandic embassy in Germany. Luckily, there was still plenty of action in Iceland, as the Icelandic detectives investigated connections between the potential suspects.

I liked the diverse team of detectives - a chain smoking older woman doing forensics, a perpetually hungry half-German detective and a straight-laced detective who originally came to Iceland as a child refugee. I'm now looking forward to reading the other book featuring these detectives ("Daybreak"), even though I wasn't originally interested in the premise of that book.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sun on Fire was a good Police Procedural read. It crossed into Germany and back to Iceland again. The Police characters were fantastic and I would love to read more of them. The character writing and dialog was really what drew me in to this story along with the well developed sense of place. The story starts with an Icelandic citizen being murdered in the Icelandic Embassy in Germany. The investigation leads the murder squad on a merry chase and uncovers secrets and lies and hidden connections from years past. Discussion of past severe child sexual abuse. Fans of the Department Q series would probably enjoy this.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a good book. While the initial setting is Berlin the rest of the book is in Iceland. It is the second book I have read with Birkir and Gunnar as the main characters. I hope someone will set these up as a series.

[Mike Cuthbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Noir is actually two stories, both involving the same characters. The first story is that of Sun, a magnificently perfect young woman who had only two flaws: she was afraid of mice and fire. That she died by fire is the reason her story remains important; the REASON she died by fire is crucial to the story. The other is a diplomat, disemboweled in the Iceland Embassy in Berlin. The entire cast of characters is involved in the Berlin embassy investigation and eventually is found to have participated in one way or another in the Sun death. The investigators come from Reykjavík, led by the considerable bulk of Gunnar who is always looking for a meal. He is also the most beat-up of the gang, which includes a Vietnamese-born officer named Birkir Li Henricksson. He and Gunnar do most of the heavy lifting as they track the killer of Anton, the businessman knifed to death. A quaint feature of the novel is the constant mention of various classical music titles that the detectives hear and recognize. It reminds one of Kurt Wallander’s references to the same literature, though his focus is always on opera. The locale varies between Berlin and Reykjavík, the plots unwind slowly but then rush to closure but they are both interesting and intriguing at the same time. Gunnar’s appetite is a constant joke, as is his maneuvering for the largest seat on the airplane and the passenger seat in any car that carries him. Eventually, his lumbago puts him on crutches and makes getting around tough, especially when he is nearly choked to death in a car and is forced to wear a neck brace. Sun’s death was caused by a batch of wax that overheated and spread throughout the house in which she was living in the attic. Witnesses saw her body collapse into the inferno of the interior of the house and the image haunted all of them. There is a fascinating character, Fabían who is dying of cancer yet makes the trip to Berlin, yet Sun haunts the entire plot. A flower child, she was both beautiful and pure—a princess tragically taken too soon. Ingolfsson’s style is typical Nordic Noir and the book is largely a procedural with occasional trips into gourmet and lesser diets, thanks to Gunnar. All-in-all, a good read.

[Genevieve Paquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to revise my opinion of this one. I listened to it for a second time at work tonight, and it wasn't nearly as slow as I remembered.
The one scene that I really, strongly remembered wasn't the murder, or the crime scene, or the horrifying description of a past incident. Nope. It was the scene at the trade show, where the German vendors groan about the "quirky" Icelandic poet making a noisy scene again.
I'm not sure why, but everything about that scene bothered me. I have a deep loathing of trade shows, home shows and the like. They make me extremely uncomfortable. And they're also incredibly boring. And then the idea of some smug, raging jerk making a big scene in public while you're stuck at a booth is just completely nightmarish. So yes. In my mind, this was the excruciatingly slow, boring trade show mystery.

It isn't actually that bad. I even laughed a few times! Ok, it's still slow, and honestly, not all that much happens, but the story is put together very well, and the characters are genuinely great. And as I mentioned, there were several bits that appealed to my sense of humor.

[Susann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, the best of the three in English!

What a story! Tightly written, well translated, exciting, great characterizations, perfect. Would love a sequel with these detectives. Can't wait to go to Iceland. Addendum: I just found a prequel to this one, Daybreak, which I'm now reading. Wonder if there are more untranslated ones.

[Emerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying the book up until the point it talked about Anton raping Fabian. I was very upset that that happened and that it had no saying rape was involved because I would not of read it if it were. I have very strong emotions towards things and this is one that I dislike incredibly.

[Randall Chris Herrington · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perversion detailed. Contrived in the end

Disgusting details of pedophilia. Not a decent read. Dark, sad tale of deviancy, murder and criminal cover up. No real redeeming value. Pass this one up.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I likeliked the story, but not the writing style. It consisted of characters telling their stories , resulting in very long, narrative sections. The end had more action than straight narrative, and that was better.

[Paul Antes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story well told. Full of twists and turns plot plus exceptional exploration of exceptional minds.
I suggest that the reader develop a list of the characters as you meet them and their relationships with the other characters.

[Aurica Estelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at a vintage store, gave it a try and was a big fan after it! Icelandic thriller with a twist of german components ( the murder takes place in Berlin) and a commissar that is pretty relatable

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mystery and characters, but whether because it was on audio, because of the unfamiliar names, or some combination of the two, I had problems following and keeping track of the characters.

[Brie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads contest.

I have passed the book along to a friend who loves mystery/detective books and they are currently really enjoying reading it.

[Richard M. Stawicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a freebie from bookbub. Some interesting plot lines, hard to follow at times.

[Margo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Icelandic noir. This wasn't an example of the best, but still good fun.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course, I'm a great sucker for Icelandic fiction, which is largely mysteries at this point in time. This book, starting at the Icelandic Embassy in Berlin, is no exception.

[Chris Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The action was a bit slow until it wasn't (toward the end). I do like following Gunnar and Birkir's processes - I would hesitate to call them adventures. They are probably a bit dull though.

[Ioana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The past that haunts us becomes our present and future. Nice detective novel.

[Walter Mack · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting yarn ,beautifully translated. Sensitive characters etched memorably. Birkir and Gunnar deserve future analysis. Too pat for my taste.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow moving, but very good read. Gunnar is a great character.

[Steven Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, SUN ON FIRE by Viktor Aranar Ingolfsson seems to be the type of mystery that is used as a gimmick at a theater party as everyone becomes one of the characters in the storyline. Guests are left to determine which of the characters is guilty of murder, and slowly as the narrative unfolds characters are eliminated as suspects. However, in the case of Ingolfsson’s book the mundane approach just described explodes into a real life “who dun it” as certain characters reveal further information that reflect the complexity of past events in their lives. The two detectives who are the center of the investigation; Bikir Li Hinriksson, a refugee who survived the Vietnam War; and Gunnar Mariuson, who still lives with his mother and spends most of the novel on crutches, are interesting characters in their own right as they try and piece together the evidence and solve the murder of Anton Eriksson, an import export business type who deals in Asian slave labor and also happens to be a pedophile.

What attracted me to the author was my interest in foreign mysteries, particularly those taking place in Scandinavia. Since the author is Icelandic and the book’s plot centered on investigators and protagonists in the Reykjavik area it fit right into my area of interest. The story begins in the Icelandic embassy in Berlin on a Sunday afternoon when the Icelandic ambassador to Germany, Konrad Bjornsson hosts a gathering of eight people and at the end of the day one of them is murdered in the ambassador’s study. Two Icelandic detectives are sent to Berlin to investigate the murder and the “game” is on.

The action soon shifts to the Reykjavik area of Iceland where the plot grows increasingly complex. Ingolfsson’s writing is clear and precise reflecting a strong translation by Bjorg Arnadottir and Andrew Cauthery, who capture the sarcasm and cynicism that often appears nicely. I enjoy the author’s approach as he only uses the first names of his characters once their identification has been established and provides their personal history enhancing the depth of the story. At the outset, the suspects for the murder include a ceramicist and his helper, a gay couple involved in the fashion industry, an artist dying of cancer who as a nine year old was sexually abused by the murder victim, and a nationally known poet and his companion. What emerges is a past that has a tremendous influence on the crime, a hippie commune where many of the suspects had lived in the 1970s, and a number of other characters, including a diplomat and a police chief who were also involved with the commune. It all makes for a story that has unique twists and turns, and the final resolution of the case leads to two other crimes that will keep the reader totally involved. Overall I would characterize the author’s approach as an Icelandic version of the Swedish writer Henning Mankell, reflecting how successful the novel is.

[Shelly Donaghey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying to read all the Nordic mysteries that I could find in the last several years. SUN ON FIRE is the first of Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson’s books that I have found and I must say I do like it. Although the murder takes place in the Icelandic Embassy in Berlin, the detectives are Icelandic and the heart of the tale is there.
The dead man is found with his belly slit open, sitting in the Ambassador’s office after a small party. Security for the five Nordic Embassies in the closed compound was very strict so we have only a handful of suspects. Detectives Bikir Li Hinriksson, a Vietnamese refuge, his partner Gunnar Mariuson, brilliant but overweight and suffering for it, are on the case but, due to the time lag between the killing and their arrival on the scene, forced to chase after the suspects who have been released. The suspects are a varied and, in some cases, outlandish group of artists of one stripe or another.
The action moves to Iceland itself and the criminal case unfolds. There are many unsavory things found about the victim to include rumors of slave labor and pedophilia. There is a great deal of history uncovered, the lives of the suspects torn asunder even as their ties are brought into the light.
This is yet another glowing addition to an already strong lineup of Nordic mysteries, one with interesting detectives and a messy kind of investigation which has the lead investigators talking about doing things “off the book.”
I won this thriller through Goodreads.

[Mauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this - it combined what attracts me to Scandinavian mysteries (setting, different culture) with characters I could believe were actually day-to-day professional cops. Not homophobic/sexist/racist-with-a-heart-of-gold cops, but regular cops. Fastidious, Vietnamese-Icelandic Birkir, chain-smoking forensics expert Thora, food-loving sharp-minded Gunnar, I was charmed by all of them. Plus, there was no "the court won't mind if we rough this suspect up" or "the plot demands that we kill this beast because we failed to find sufficient evidence to convict, even though we KNOW he did it". Instead it was all "You want a lawyer? Alright then, you call one, we'll stop asking questions" and "Let's get a warrant".

I'll be checking out Ingolfsson's other work and hoping this develops into a series featuring the same characters.

(I took a star off because as much as I liked it, the lack of women was annoying - there was just Thora (who had a minor role compared to Birkir and Gunnar), the annoying ambassador's wife, and the dead manic-pixie-dream-girl lurking in the backstory. And Gunnar's mom, who was briefly awesome.)

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sun on Fire is an entertaining police procedural. The detectives are a bit quirky - accident-prone Gunnar, chain smoking Anna and runner Birkir, who seem to have a good team working relationship while also following leads independently. Aside from the “hook” in the first chapter, the beginning of the book is a bit slow moving, but once they get to Iceland the pace picks up. This is the first Infolfsson book I have read, and I will read more of them.

I am drawn to Nordic mysteries as I enjoy learning about other countries – the landscape, people, culture, customs... Some authors are especially good at creating an atmosphere with the descriptions of the setting. This book, not so much. The first third of the story takes place at the Nordic Embassies in Berlin (Icelandic Embassy, specifically), the rest of the book in Iceland. While the descriptions of the Embassy are very detailed, I don't get a similar feel for Iceland. Disclosure: I received this book as a Good Reads Giveaway.

[Tony Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still on my European travels and running low on reading this was a random pick on Kindle from Amazon.that said it was a pretty good read which I mostly nailed on the train between Milan and Paris. The starting point is the discovery of a brutally murdered man in Berlin's Icelandic embassy part of the Scandinavian complex. A trio of cops from Reykavik are despatched to Berlin to help avoid a diplomatic scandal. Gunner, one of the trio, apart from being a big guy in constant need of food and drink, is an accident waiting to happen, which frequently is the case. The death occurred during an out of hours shindig hosted by the Ambassador. The party of only seven mean the list of suspects 7 very small, taking into account the serious security present. Gradually the investigating team uncover an historic tragedy that all seven have in common, and which sets the scene for the murder.

[elle wilhelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received my copy of Sun on Fire through Goodreads' Giveaway program.

I would recommend this book if you are a fan of murder mystery novels or Icelandic literature. While I wish there had been a little more character development and at some places the prose was a little stilted or repetitive, the actual story did make me want to continue reading. I did enjoy the descriptions that were given about the Icelandic embassy in Germany as that was new to me. I also loved how the seemingly straight-forward murder mystery turned into a much more involved and intricate plot. While the turns of event may not have been entirely plausible it was entertaining and and an easy read so definitely worth checking out if you have a chance.