Cold Steal

Officer Gunnhildur #4

by Quentin Bates

A successful housebreaker who leaves no traces and no clues as he strips Reykjavík homes of their valuables has been a thorn in the police's side for months. But when one night the thief breaks into the wrong house, he finds himself caught in a trap as the stakes are raised far beyond anything he could have imagined. Gunnhildur Gísladóttir of the Reykjavík police finds herself frustrated at every turn as she searches for a victim who has vanished from the scene of the crime, and wonders if it could be linked to the murders of two businessmen with dubious reputations that her bosses are warning her to keep clear of.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Nordic Noir, Fiction, Procedural, Scandinavian Literature, Ebooks

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[Janet Newport · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series and I like Gunna. Thankfully, she's not "tragically flawed" (and wallowing in it). Nor is she's not "over-the-top quirky and sassy". She's on the leading edge of middle-agedness and a young grandmother trying to balance her home life and job as a police detective. I really like her oh so sneaky dry humor that ambushed me throughout the book.

Cold Steal begins with a murder investigation - crime scene investigation assigned to Gunna's "nemesis", while Gunna is assigned to research the victim's background. She ends up all over the place, solving all sorts of crimes (even some assigned to her nemesis). She's smart and intuitive and not afraid to act on her intuition...nor is she afraid to literally tackle the "bad guys" - and ache later.

Cold Steal is a complicated and "twisty" story with a multitude of characters and bad guys....and "baby mammas". Overall, a fast paced story with great characters and a very satisftory ending with only a little (?) cliff-hanger. Hopefully, Quentin Bates is working on that.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories keep getting better and better. Also liked the story about Gunna's son Gisli and his now three women. But the main story was good as always. A little sorry for the thief,

[Graham Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent yarn from Quentin Bates, multiple murders, abduction and intrigue around property and burglary! You'll love getting your teeth into this one!

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Gunnhilder series is pretty much a standard police procedural, albeit set in a remote and cold part of the world, namely Iceland. There is little of the usual psychological drama associated with Nordic Noir and the motivation for the crimes was for personal gain rather than emotionally driven.

The story went at a good pace, had interesting characters and was an easy read. I found it enjoyable, always looked forward to picking it up to see where it was going next and found I’d read it quite quickly.

There were relatively few twists in the story and the ending was ok but not edge of the seat stuff. All in all a steady 3 stars.

[sslyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I <3 Gunna.

[Marc Aspeslagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a great piece of Nordic Noir From Quentin Bates.

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series set in and around Re...Rej.... Reykjavík, Iceland. The main character, Sgt. Gunnhildur Gísladóttir, now works for the major crimes unit in the city but still lives in her rural village an hour away. One of the reasons I enjoy this is the well-balanced approach with character development and inclusion of the protagonist's personal life interspersed with the mystery. Gunna is experiencing some stress in her life as she has recently become a grandmother--not normally a bad thing, but the two boys arrived within weeks of each other, one produced by her son's steady girlfriend and the other the result of his one-time fling. Normally fairly close to him, they've been on the outs and she wishes he would choose one of the girls and get on with things.

There are a couple of different cases the team is working on that, as always, seem to intersect. Although it's Iceland's largest city, Reykjavik isn't that large (about 125,000 people) so the big time criminals often have their fingers in several pies at once. The case begins with the execution style murder of a businessman who had been living mostly in Copenhagen for several years and ends up going in all different directions with financial crimes, possible drug and smuggling connections. Well-written, excellently narrated, easy to follow and read style.

I don't know why this series isn't more popular. It was only available on Kindle and audio, and my library didn't carry either one, so I ended up buying it from audible. Well worth the credit! And I've purchased the next one too, always happy to support what I call "undervalued and underrated" authors...many of my favorites seem to fall in this category as I don't tend to go in for the usual best-selling baloney. LOL

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has several parts to it that all eventually come together in the end but at times you aren't sure how they are connected. It keeps switching back and forth between scenes involving different characters. Officer Gunnhilder (Gunna) is called to assist at a crime scene where a man has been murdered. A colleague who has been promoted over her is in charge and she enjoys it when he is having difficulties. As the story progresses she gets involved in several other crimes with her team. There is a guy who is burglarizing houses all over the city and one of the guys on her team thinks he can figure out who the guy is before the boss does. The murder victim is not a very nice person and while looking into his life they encounter several of his business partners who are also a bit unsavory. They can't seem to find several of them and the ones they do find are not very cooperative.
Gunna is also dealing with her son and the fact that he has 2 girlfriends which he has children with. Gunna is helping take care of one of the girlfriends and her grandchild and she is not happy with her son. She is working a lot of long hours and her partner helps out a lot at home.
The lives of the various criminals are depicted in parts of the story as it switches back and forth and several other people are killed. It is a bit of a convoluted story but I enjoyed it. Set in Iceland there is talk about what happened during the financial crisis and how it has effected people and continues to do so. Many lost their jobs and now to menial work as highlighted by the house cleaners in the story. Also talks about some of the problems Iceland suffers from such as the influx of drugs.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleased to catch up with this - I like Gunna and her dry humour, and Iike the Icelandic setting. I missed this one originally because I don't do that gadget, and it seemed this story was not going to appear in hard copy, but it showed up in large print so :) Lots of gritty eastern European criminality, plus a rather likeable home-grown rogue who cones off rather badly from his various contacts with the underworld. There is some good description of the unforgiving Icelandic landscape when one of the characters (a city dweller) is dumped in a remote location and survives on what turns out to be several-years-old dried fish. Splendid, except for the fate of the rogue (and there's a bit of a personal cliffhanger for Gunna at the end too).

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was interesting, but there were too many characters to keep track of and there was too much personal drama. Parts of the story dealt with three women who worked for a housecleaning service, and there was too much space devoted to their personal lives. The book could have been trimmed a bit. I liked Gunna, the main character. She’s an emotionally strong woman, and that was the main reason I kept reading. Might read another in the series, but not too soon.

[Bud Mallar · Rating 4 out of 5]

these are good and yes I think you need to read in order.

they are a character (yes, a female, but older, who knows what she's doing and has little outside issues) driven, police procedural.

A lot of intertwining plots in this one, and a lot of switches between characters/activities with just a change to a new paragraph, but I managed to hold it together and even sensed correctly whodunit.

Enjoying this new one as I'm finishing up several other series.

Here comes #5

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done addition to this Icelandic police-procedural series. A number of characters are profiled -- both police and criminals. We see their stories as they progress to a head-on collision, and I found myself rooting for some of the criminals as well as the police.
A bit of a surprise ending that sets us up for the next book.

[Pat Ojanen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Icelandic mystery, Gunnhilder Gisladottir is another favorite character of mine. This story was more complex with several angles. Even though one can predict it will all come together in the end, I enjoy the journey.

[Dav Hair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good swedish mystery! This is a good one!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is excellent and very well written.

[MaryJo Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

Sense of Iceland is perfect and Gunna is a wonderful character. I look forward to reading more in this series.

[Maria T. Weinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it love it

I am from Iceland and this author has got us . Great descriptions and very much like real life. Well worth reading all the series.

[A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have decided that Bates' novels are not good enough to finish reading. :-/ Too much sex, and just not clever enough.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time I’ve read this author series. It’s entertaining and I like the detective. Plot is good but not great, translation okay but not great. I’ll read others in series.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complex. Not as smooth as the previous ones. Like the series and will continue to read them.

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Minus one star for annoying Britishisms.

[Lee-Anne Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another tangle for Gunna to unravel

Another outing for Gunna, with a stealthy catburglar out of his depth. I really enjoy the Gunna series and Bates brings us something new, different and interesting each time, set against the bleak but beautiful backdrop of Iceland. This time a cat burglar unwittingly stumbles upon operators well beyond his pay grade and finds himself in too deep. As the story progresses you find yourself almost rooting for him against the bad guys, even tho from Gunna's perspective he IS one of the bad guys! Sufficiently convoluted to keep you guessing right up to the end, highly recommended.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iceland Iceland crime!

I recently spent a week in Iceland, and was amazed at the literary presence there. When I spotted this book, I was thrilled to make the armchair journey. Gunna and family, Gunna and coworkers, all well written characters. Book set in Reykjavik. It took a bit to follow the characters, but this is a well written police procedural

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Officer Gunnhilder Gisladottir, or Gunna as she is affectionately known, finds herself in the midst of yet another murder mystery. A businessman has been shot dead, and Gunna must investigate his affairs. In doing that she also has to track down a very successful and as yet, unidentified housebreaker who has been on the Police radar for some time now.

Quentin Bates has yet again delivered a complex, well-written story that is as intriguing as it is exciting. Gunna's character develops more with each new episode of her story, and the reader learns more about her and her family, as well as following her through an incredibly difficult case. I like Gunna as a heroine. She's down-to-earth, sometimes very funny, intelligent and witty. She has a family problems and she has a difficult job, but she's always real.

I was particularly interested in the inclusion of characters from Iceland's immigrant population, giving a different take on life in the country as they have to deal with language and culture that is not their own.

This is an intelligently written, complex thriller. Gritty and violent at times and of course those almost impossible to read and pronounce Icelandic names that have become a trademark of this series.

[george burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Success

Another Success

Bizarre family problems, problems with colleagues not to mention a plethora of related (perhaps) crimes that include murder, assault, abduction and shady financial operations. The redoubtable Gunna has plenty to keep her busy and awake at night in her most recent outing. This is her most complex investigation to date and there are missteps along the way, but her persistence and occasional flashes of insight bring the investigation to a successful (for most of those involved) conclusion. This is the best entry so far in this fine series of police procedurals.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A businessman is murdered and his girlfriend left alive as a witness. A thief who has been burglarizing Reykjavík homes for months breaks into the wrong house. A trio of immigrant women cleaners find blood stains in the basement of an unoccupied rental house. The plot is satisfyingly complex as the seemingly unrelated threads become increasingly tangled. Gunnhildur Gísladóttir of the Reykjavík police is consigned to investigate the background of the murdered man and sorts out a complicated criminal conspiracy. Gunna is a terrific character, intelligent and intuitive, but also down-to-earth and believable.

[Gretel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely the fastest paced novel of the series so far. Bates' writing provides a view of a contemporary Iceland and the social problems the country faces. Gunna, a police officer and the crux of the series, is still as likeable as ever. One complaint I do have about the book is there's definitely some unnecessary details hanging around, which made me skim read sometimes.

Oh, and this book has one hell of an ending. I want the next one asap!

[Kathryn P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* Another great book

Long may Gunnhildur keep detecting. A really good plot with interesting characters and lots of financial underhandedness. Quentin Bates knows Iceland like the back of his hand, and because he's a Brit, we don't have to put up with dodgy translations. I have Thin Ice ready to read, and can't wait until the 6th book in the series is out.

[Marina Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Gunna and her complex but nevertheless quite happy family life. The multiple story lines had me a little confused at first, but then the links between the various protagonists became clear. A good picture I would imagine of contemporary state of affairs in Iceland, post-crash.