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Inspector Erlendur #11
شواطئ غريبة
المحقق إرلندور رجل شرطة من ريكيافيك لديه اهتمام خاص بقصص الناس الذين فُقدوا في البرية وماتوا نتيجة تعرضهم للأخطار، وعلى وجه الخصوص أولئك الذين لم يُعثر لهم على أثر.. يدفعه حنين قديم إلى معرفة مصير أخيه الصغير الذي أفلت من يديه يوماً وسط عاصفة ثلجية وهم يعبرون مع والدهم الجسر فوق النهر... في «شواطئ غريبة» لم يكن إرلندور يبحث عن جريمة بل عثرت عليه الجريمة؛ والسبب هو معرفته بحادثة اختفاء امرأة تدعى ميثلدور عاشت مع زوجها الصياد يعقوب في ثينغفيلير وقيل أنها غادرت منزلها باتجاه رايدارفيديور لزيارة أمها وعلقت في عاصفة ثلجية وانجرفت إلى البحر... يبدأ إرلندور التحقيق في القضية بشكل غير رسمي يقوده الفضول إلى معرفة خفاياها؛ فيعلم أن زوج الضحية غرق في البحر بعد اختفاءها عندم&#
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2010
223 people are currently reading
2444 people want to read
About the author
Arnaldur Indriðason
54 books3,306 followersArnaldur Indriðason has the rare distinction of having won the Nordic Crime Novel Prize two years running. He is also the winner of the highly respected and world famous CWA Gold Dagger Award for the top crime novel of the year in the English language, Silence of the Grave.
Arnaldur’s novels have sold over 14 million copies worldwide, in 40 languages, and have won numerous well-respected prizes and received rave reviews all over the world.
Arnaldur’s novels have sold over 14 million copies worldwide, in 40 languages, and have won numerous well-respected prizes and received rave reviews all over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 609 reviews
October 2, 2013
4.5 stars, rounded up.
I love this author, his characters, especially Erlendur, and this book. Indridason is one of a core group of Scandinavian crime writers whose work I feel is genuinely outstanding. I'm not overly fond of a lot of newer Scandinavian crime authors who seem to want to mix romance,badass chicks, and crime with over-the-top thriller action, all of which seem to quite popular after the advent of the Lisbeth Salander novels. Not my style. That's a whole 'nother discussion though, and I don't have space here to go into it.
Moving right along, you can read the long version of this discussion here or, if you are familiar with my overly wordy style of writing and want the short and sweet, read on.
If you've followed the entire Erlendur saga, the last time anyone in Reykjavik saw him was during the events of Hypothermia, a case that had stirred up Erlendur's memories of his brother's death in the mountains of Eskifjördur, near to where they'd grown up. The end of that novel reveals that Erlendur had returned to the "derelict farm that had once been his home;" as Strange Shores begins, he's still there, camped out comfortably in the old croft at Bakkasel. It's a place where he can relive his memories about the day he lost his brother and the reason for the guilt he's carried with him ever since. As the novel opens, Erlendur is out walking one day and runs into a farmer who's an expert on foxes; as they're talking, the farmer tells Erlendur that he had been part of the search party who'd gone to search for Erlandur's brother, who had gone missing years ago in a blizzard after becoming separated from Erlendur. From him, Erlendur learns of a group of sixty British soldiers had also become caught in a storm on the moors during the war, an event that people still remember. What people don't seem to talk about any longer, however, is the disappearance in the same storm of Matthildur, a young woman who had supposedly gone off on foot across the moors to visit her mother in a neighboring town, and caught in the storm, was never seen nor heard from again. As he gets wrapped up in Matthildur's story, as his curiosity morphs into a private investigation, and as he continues on his quest, he begins to realize that perhaps there are some people who would rather that he stop dredging up the past and leave well alone.
As in many of Indridason's Erlendur novels, Strange Shores dwells largely on the past, and in this book, the Inspector's quest to "track down what was lost" leads him not only to uncover information about Matthildur, but about his brother and himself as well. Even considering the feelings I have about the ending of this book, it is truly one of Indridason's best, a book no crime fiction reader following this series should miss. It is the most poignant of the entire series, the most beautifully written, and trust me, one you will not soon forget.
Do not, under any circumstances, let this be your introduction to Erlendur. Start with Jar City, and make your way through the series slowly, savoring every second. This isn't a series even remotely close to thriller-ville like a lot of crime writing, nor is it filled with fast-paced action or badass women. If that's what you want in your Scandinavian crime, go for it, but you won't get that here. This series is highly intelligent, sophisticated, and is one to be savored.
I love this author, his characters, especially Erlendur, and this book. Indridason is one of a core group of Scandinavian crime writers whose work I feel is genuinely outstanding. I'm not overly fond of a lot of newer Scandinavian crime authors who seem to want to mix romance,badass chicks, and crime with over-the-top thriller action, all of which seem to quite popular after the advent of the Lisbeth Salander novels. Not my style. That's a whole 'nother discussion though, and I don't have space here to go into it.
Moving right along, you can read the long version of this discussion here or, if you are familiar with my overly wordy style of writing and want the short and sweet, read on.
If you've followed the entire Erlendur saga, the last time anyone in Reykjavik saw him was during the events of Hypothermia, a case that had stirred up Erlendur's memories of his brother's death in the mountains of Eskifjördur, near to where they'd grown up. The end of that novel reveals that Erlendur had returned to the "derelict farm that had once been his home;" as Strange Shores begins, he's still there, camped out comfortably in the old croft at Bakkasel. It's a place where he can relive his memories about the day he lost his brother and the reason for the guilt he's carried with him ever since. As the novel opens, Erlendur is out walking one day and runs into a farmer who's an expert on foxes; as they're talking, the farmer tells Erlendur that he had been part of the search party who'd gone to search for Erlandur's brother, who had gone missing years ago in a blizzard after becoming separated from Erlendur. From him, Erlendur learns of a group of sixty British soldiers had also become caught in a storm on the moors during the war, an event that people still remember. What people don't seem to talk about any longer, however, is the disappearance in the same storm of Matthildur, a young woman who had supposedly gone off on foot across the moors to visit her mother in a neighboring town, and caught in the storm, was never seen nor heard from again. As he gets wrapped up in Matthildur's story, as his curiosity morphs into a private investigation, and as he continues on his quest, he begins to realize that perhaps there are some people who would rather that he stop dredging up the past and leave well alone.
As in many of Indridason's Erlendur novels, Strange Shores dwells largely on the past, and in this book, the Inspector's quest to "track down what was lost" leads him not only to uncover information about Matthildur, but about his brother and himself as well. Even considering the feelings I have about the ending of this book, it is truly one of Indridason's best, a book no crime fiction reader following this series should miss. It is the most poignant of the entire series, the most beautifully written, and trust me, one you will not soon forget.
Do not, under any circumstances, let this be your introduction to Erlendur. Start with Jar City, and make your way through the series slowly, savoring every second. This isn't a series even remotely close to thriller-ville like a lot of crime writing, nor is it filled with fast-paced action or badass women. If that's what you want in your Scandinavian crime, go for it, but you won't get that here. This series is highly intelligent, sophisticated, and is one to be savored.
March 4, 2016
You find the oddest things in foxholes.
There’s just something so different about authors from the Nordic climes. It is as if the freezing weather, snow, blizzards, etc. have entered into the recesses of their souls and located all those ideas that the subconscious unleashes in its full poetic velocity.
I really love a detective story from time to time. I guess my main interest is that I enjoy searching for clues within the text. But as for this book? Well I have never come across this writing style before with its metaphysical aspects that marry exceptionally well with the story and Detective Erlendur’s sheer deductive reasoning.
I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what was going to happen next and then finally with the denouement, what to say? The words I read horrified me somewhat and I felt a cold shudder run through me at the time. I reread it and the description here is splendid even though very unsettling to my psyche. It shows what a human being is capable of doing. Was this due to revenge or was this individual looking for some sign that the evil doer had repented. I finally found out.
The plot runs with a sub-plot but the latter proves to be the most important for Erlender, thus leaning very heavily on the metaphysical aspect and the ending left me somewhat perplexed quite frankly in this respect.
Briefly, Detective Erlendur used to live in Eskifjördur with his parents and his brother Bergur (known as Beggi) in the house at Bakkasel. His father Sveinn suffered from severe depression and having a small farm, which didn’t make much money, didn’t help his condition. One evening his father announces that he must go out and look for some lost ewes and wishes Erlendur to accompany him. The young boy, ten at the time said that his eight year old brother Beggi should also go with them. A dreadful blizzard ensued and Beggi, who had been holding hands with his brother, mysteriously disappeared into the gloom, never to be seen again. Many years later, the little car that Beggi had been carrying that night, appears…
He was supposed to stick with me. I was holding his hand all the time but suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. I kept shouting and calling his name but I couldn’t even hear my own voice.
This loss of Bergur had such an effect on the boy’s parents, and also Erlendur, that they moved to Reykjavík. However, after his parents’ death, Erlendur often went and stayed in the old ruined croft at Bakkasel in Eskifjördur. On this particular occasion he met a hunter called Bóas, who had been aware at the time of Beggi’s disappearance but Bóas also mentioned another strange case, that of Matthildur, a local woman, who went missing, during the Second World War at about the same time as some British soldiers in the area, who had got into difficulties. This aroused Erlendur’s curiosity.
Bóas and Hrund had both hinted that perhaps Matthildur had never left home in the first place.
I’ve always… felt Matthildur’s disappearance was a matter for the police.
There are really interesting characters involved such as Hrund, the sister of Matthildur; Jacob, her husband; the child (now grown up of course) Jacob denied as his; and Ezra a man in his nineties who was a good friend of Jacob. Now this latter individual absolutely fascinated me!
Erlendur painstakingly proceeds with his investigation of the case of Matthildur and reaches his own mind-blowing conclusions. This leads to some rather interesting connections with coffins and also what could possibly happen to them. Remarkable…
Slowly, the past begins to surrender its secrets. But as Erlendur uncovers a story about the limits of human endurance, he realises that many people would prefer their crimes to stay buried.
The suspense was kept to the end and that was spell-binding. This is a brilliant book and definitely worth reading and even rereading as I have done.
There’s just something so different about authors from the Nordic climes. It is as if the freezing weather, snow, blizzards, etc. have entered into the recesses of their souls and located all those ideas that the subconscious unleashes in its full poetic velocity.
I really love a detective story from time to time. I guess my main interest is that I enjoy searching for clues within the text. But as for this book? Well I have never come across this writing style before with its metaphysical aspects that marry exceptionally well with the story and Detective Erlendur’s sheer deductive reasoning.
I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what was going to happen next and then finally with the denouement, what to say? The words I read horrified me somewhat and I felt a cold shudder run through me at the time. I reread it and the description here is splendid even though very unsettling to my psyche. It shows what a human being is capable of doing. Was this due to revenge or was this individual looking for some sign that the evil doer had repented. I finally found out.
The plot runs with a sub-plot but the latter proves to be the most important for Erlender, thus leaning very heavily on the metaphysical aspect and the ending left me somewhat perplexed quite frankly in this respect.
Briefly, Detective Erlendur used to live in Eskifjördur with his parents and his brother Bergur (known as Beggi) in the house at Bakkasel. His father Sveinn suffered from severe depression and having a small farm, which didn’t make much money, didn’t help his condition. One evening his father announces that he must go out and look for some lost ewes and wishes Erlendur to accompany him. The young boy, ten at the time said that his eight year old brother Beggi should also go with them. A dreadful blizzard ensued and Beggi, who had been holding hands with his brother, mysteriously disappeared into the gloom, never to be seen again. Many years later, the little car that Beggi had been carrying that night, appears…
He was supposed to stick with me. I was holding his hand all the time but suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. I kept shouting and calling his name but I couldn’t even hear my own voice.
This loss of Bergur had such an effect on the boy’s parents, and also Erlendur, that they moved to Reykjavík. However, after his parents’ death, Erlendur often went and stayed in the old ruined croft at Bakkasel in Eskifjördur. On this particular occasion he met a hunter called Bóas, who had been aware at the time of Beggi’s disappearance but Bóas also mentioned another strange case, that of Matthildur, a local woman, who went missing, during the Second World War at about the same time as some British soldiers in the area, who had got into difficulties. This aroused Erlendur’s curiosity.
Bóas and Hrund had both hinted that perhaps Matthildur had never left home in the first place.
I’ve always… felt Matthildur’s disappearance was a matter for the police.
There are really interesting characters involved such as Hrund, the sister of Matthildur; Jacob, her husband; the child (now grown up of course) Jacob denied as his; and Ezra a man in his nineties who was a good friend of Jacob. Now this latter individual absolutely fascinated me!
Erlendur painstakingly proceeds with his investigation of the case of Matthildur and reaches his own mind-blowing conclusions. This leads to some rather interesting connections with coffins and also what could possibly happen to them. Remarkable…
Slowly, the past begins to surrender its secrets. But as Erlendur uncovers a story about the limits of human endurance, he realises that many people would prefer their crimes to stay buried.
The suspense was kept to the end and that was spell-binding. This is a brilliant book and definitely worth reading and even rereading as I have done.
May 2, 2018
4.5 stars.
A young woman walks into the frozen fjords of Iceland, never to be seen again. But Matthildur leaves in her wake rumours of lies, betrayal and revenge.
Decades later, somewhere in the same wilderness, Detective Erlendur is on the hunt. He is looking for Matthildur but also for a long-lost brother, whose disappearance in a snowstorm when they were children has coloured his entire life. He is looking for answers
Slowly, the past begins to surrender its secrets. But as Erlendur uncovers a story about the limits of human endurance, he realises that many people would prefer their crimes to stay buried.
That was a direct copy from the inside jacket of the book, a little lazy but I thought it summed up the story succinctly. This was my first book by Arnaldur Indriðason and I happen to have read the very last in the Detective Erlendur series first but I don’t think that will really matter too much. Erlendur is on leave and has returned to his hometown and is very persistent and determined to find out what happened to Matthildur all those years ago. He is drip fed titbits of information from each person he interviews until he finally uncovers a tragic love triangle between Matthildur, her husband Jakob and his best friend Ezra. All the while he is investigating Matthildur’s disappearance he is reflecting on and mourning the disappearance and loss of his younger brother Beggi. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and can see why Indridason is such a highly regarded storyteller and am looking forward to my next Erlendur book.
A young woman walks into the frozen fjords of Iceland, never to be seen again. But Matthildur leaves in her wake rumours of lies, betrayal and revenge.
Decades later, somewhere in the same wilderness, Detective Erlendur is on the hunt. He is looking for Matthildur but also for a long-lost brother, whose disappearance in a snowstorm when they were children has coloured his entire life. He is looking for answers
Slowly, the past begins to surrender its secrets. But as Erlendur uncovers a story about the limits of human endurance, he realises that many people would prefer their crimes to stay buried.
That was a direct copy from the inside jacket of the book, a little lazy but I thought it summed up the story succinctly. This was my first book by Arnaldur Indriðason and I happen to have read the very last in the Detective Erlendur series first but I don’t think that will really matter too much. Erlendur is on leave and has returned to his hometown and is very persistent and determined to find out what happened to Matthildur all those years ago. He is drip fed titbits of information from each person he interviews until he finally uncovers a tragic love triangle between Matthildur, her husband Jakob and his best friend Ezra. All the while he is investigating Matthildur’s disappearance he is reflecting on and mourning the disappearance and loss of his younger brother Beggi. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and can see why Indridason is such a highly regarded storyteller and am looking forward to my next Erlendur book.
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March 15, 2022يمكن تصنيف روايات الكاتب الأيسلندي " أرنالدور أندريداسون " على إنها إنسانية في المقام الأول قبل كونها تنتمي إلى أدب الجريمة...
هنا المحقق " أرلندور " لم يصل إلى نهاية إحدى التحقيقات حول حادثة انتحار مزعومة لامرأة وقد تمحورت القضية حول انخفاض درجة حرارة جسدها ، كان ذلك كفيلاً بإستدعاء الذكريات المتعلقة بفقد أخيه الأصغر في عاصفة ثلجية هوجاء ، مازال يتذكر تفاصيل تلك الليلة المشؤومة ، لم يستطع يوماً أن يتحرر من الذكريات..من مرارة الفقد وسطوة الغياب...
على إثر ذلك يتوجه إلى مسقط رأسه ، حيث كان بانتظاره ما يثير فضوله بشان فقد امرأة منذ ستين عاماً في عاصفة ثلجية هى الأخرى دون العثور على جثتها.....
من هنا ينطلق في رحلة من التقصي وراء الحقائق ونبشها بدافع البحث عن إجابات...الهوس بمصير المفقودين الذي بقي مجهولاً ..ويتتبع الحدس العنيد الذي لا يُخطيء أبداً...
عن الخيانة والانتقام ، عن عذابات الفقد والخسارة ، عن تكبيل الحاضر بالماضي تنطلق في رحلة صادمة نهايتها ولكن لطالما كانت كذلك مادام الأمر يتعلق بفقد من نحب....
ومصير جميع أولئك الذين بقوا أحياء ، عندما غادر أحباؤهم هذا العالم ، فجأة ومن دون إنذار ، تركوا الناجيين يصارعون مشاعر الفاجعة والفقد وحتى مشاعر الذنب....
هنا المحقق " أرلندور " لم يصل إلى نهاية إحدى التحقيقات حول حادثة انتحار مزعومة لامرأة وقد تمحورت القضية حول انخفاض درجة حرارة جسدها ، كان ذلك كفيلاً بإستدعاء الذكريات المتعلقة بفقد أخيه الأصغر في عاصفة ثلجية هوجاء ، مازال يتذكر تفاصيل تلك الليلة المشؤومة ، لم يستطع يوماً أن يتحرر من الذكريات..من مرارة الفقد وسطوة الغياب...
على إثر ذلك يتوجه إلى مسقط رأسه ، حيث كان بانتظاره ما يثير فضوله بشان فقد امرأة منذ ستين عاماً في عاصفة ثلجية هى الأخرى دون العثور على جثتها.....
من هنا ينطلق في رحلة من التقصي وراء الحقائق ونبشها بدافع البحث عن إجابات...الهوس بمصير المفقودين الذي بقي مجهولاً ..ويتتبع الحدس العنيد الذي لا يُخطيء أبداً...
عن الخيانة والانتقام ، عن عذابات الفقد والخسارة ، عن تكبيل الحاضر بالماضي تنطلق في رحلة صادمة نهايتها ولكن لطالما كانت كذلك مادام الأمر يتعلق بفقد من نحب....
ومصير جميع أولئك الذين بقوا أحياء ، عندما غادر أحباؤهم هذا العالم ، فجأة ومن دون إنذار ، تركوا الناجيين يصارعون مشاعر الفاجعة والفقد وحتى مشاعر الذنب....
January 24, 2011
Furðustrandir is not an entertaining book. It is somber and slow. The protagonist, the police detective who has been Arnaldur's main character in many of the previous books, goes among old people and tries to figure out the fate of a person who disappeared over half a century ago. Not that he knew this person nor that anyone asks him; he just wants to figure out what happened, who done it, and where the remains of that person are. All the while the policeman's own childhood trauma of loosing his younger brother in a snowstorm intersects the narrative. The little boy's remains had never been found, either, and the sorrow and the search for the remains had always been a huge part of this character's life ever since; it is something the readers of all the books in the series are familiar with.
I felt slightly impatient reading the book. Yet the craft by which Arnaldur Indriðason tells the story kept me reading. When I finished the book, late at night, I startled myself with the sound that escaped from me. It was a deep sob somewhere from the bottom of my soul.
I felt slightly impatient reading the book. Yet the craft by which Arnaldur Indriðason tells the story kept me reading. When I finished the book, late at night, I startled myself with the sound that escaped from me. It was a deep sob somewhere from the bottom of my soul.
July 7, 2025
With an upcoming trip to Iceland in the works, I wanted to tick off two boxes: a better understanding of the country and some crime thrillers to entertain me. I found this series by Arnaldur Indriðason, which has me even more excited. In the English translation’s ninth novel, Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson is back on a case that triggers a number of memories. A local woman went missing years before in a winter storm, much like Erlendur's own brother. As the investigation begins gaining momentum, Erlendur pieces events together, which leads him to ponder if he might have also stumbled upon the truth behind his brother's disappearance. This could be a dangerous case for Inspector Erlendur, both physically and mentally! Indriðason keeps the tension high in this novel that bridges some of the protagonist's backstory.
After some time away, Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson is back leading his team with the Reykjavik Police. He is called out to assist with a cold case (literally) of a woman who is missing. Matthildur went missing years ago during a violent storm. The snow and blowing wind appear to have enveloped the woman and no one has seen her, or heard about what might have happened. Erlendur is particularly curious about the case, as his own brother, Beggi, disappeared in a snowstorm when they were children.
Pushed along by the momentum of his memories, Erlendur pushes to get answers about Matthildur, asking those who might have remembered her. He does catch a lead or two, which helps paint a picture about what Matthildur might have been doing in the days leading up to her disappearance. It was less the snow that pulled her into its grasp, but someone who suffered such jealousy that it could not be ignored. Erlendur cannot turn away, sucked into the middle of the case and searching for shreds of anything that might help him close to loop on Beggi's own disappearance.
While no one has any concrete answers about Beggi's disappearance, Erlendur cannot stop looking and asking questions. Jealousy and rage might have fuelled the disappearance of Matthildur all those years ago. Erlendur cannot help but wonder if the truth might bring him a sliver of peace after all these years, or might it just compound the pain and confusion he has been carrying on for decades? Arnaldur Indriðason sends chills down the spines of the reader with this dark addition to the series.
Arnaldur Indriðason has been someone whose books I wanted to read, but it is only now, with tickets to Reykjavík purchased, that I chose to take the plunge. I love Scandinavian noir thrillers, in which I would label this book. The book explores a long-standing plot point that the author has been crafting throughout the series up to this point. The narrative moves swiftly and keeps the reader wondering if there will finally be some closure for Erlendur Sveinsson and the snowstorm that left a void in his life. As things gain momentum, the characters overtake the story and enrich the themes that emerge. There is the ongoing development of Erlendur, though others also play a decent role in pushing things along. Plot points are both fragile and solid as a rock, keeping things surprising and impactful for the reader. Series fans will likely have been waiting for this novel to make some sense of what happened to Beggi Sveinsson and how his brother has tried to make it right after all these years. I am eager to understand what Arnaldur Indriðason has in store for the series and its themes, as a family's loss has overtaken things for the past few novels.
Kudos, Mr. Indriðason, on a piece that pulls the past into the present.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
After some time away, Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson is back leading his team with the Reykjavik Police. He is called out to assist with a cold case (literally) of a woman who is missing. Matthildur went missing years ago during a violent storm. The snow and blowing wind appear to have enveloped the woman and no one has seen her, or heard about what might have happened. Erlendur is particularly curious about the case, as his own brother, Beggi, disappeared in a snowstorm when they were children.
Pushed along by the momentum of his memories, Erlendur pushes to get answers about Matthildur, asking those who might have remembered her. He does catch a lead or two, which helps paint a picture about what Matthildur might have been doing in the days leading up to her disappearance. It was less the snow that pulled her into its grasp, but someone who suffered such jealousy that it could not be ignored. Erlendur cannot turn away, sucked into the middle of the case and searching for shreds of anything that might help him close to loop on Beggi's own disappearance.
While no one has any concrete answers about Beggi's disappearance, Erlendur cannot stop looking and asking questions. Jealousy and rage might have fuelled the disappearance of Matthildur all those years ago. Erlendur cannot help but wonder if the truth might bring him a sliver of peace after all these years, or might it just compound the pain and confusion he has been carrying on for decades? Arnaldur Indriðason sends chills down the spines of the reader with this dark addition to the series.
Arnaldur Indriðason has been someone whose books I wanted to read, but it is only now, with tickets to Reykjavík purchased, that I chose to take the plunge. I love Scandinavian noir thrillers, in which I would label this book. The book explores a long-standing plot point that the author has been crafting throughout the series up to this point. The narrative moves swiftly and keeps the reader wondering if there will finally be some closure for Erlendur Sveinsson and the snowstorm that left a void in his life. As things gain momentum, the characters overtake the story and enrich the themes that emerge. There is the ongoing development of Erlendur, though others also play a decent role in pushing things along. Plot points are both fragile and solid as a rock, keeping things surprising and impactful for the reader. Series fans will likely have been waiting for this novel to make some sense of what happened to Beggi Sveinsson and how his brother has tried to make it right after all these years. I am eager to understand what Arnaldur Indriðason has in store for the series and its themes, as a family's loss has overtaken things for the past few novels.
Kudos, Mr. Indriðason, on a piece that pulls the past into the present.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
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December 5, 2020
Un thriller sombrío, pausado y muy emotivo.
Me ha gustado mucho.
Me ha gustado mucho.
July 31, 2013
And so the end is near, and Detective Erlendur faces his final curtain. Billed as the last book of the superlative Murder In Reykavik series to feature Erlendur, I will of course endeavour not to give anything away in terms of how likely he is to return or not, not wishing to mar your own journey across the frozen wastes with our long established Icelandic detective…
From the initial epigraph, taken from a poem by Icelandic poet Snorri Hjartarson, the novel carries a strange ethereal air, compounded by Erlendur’s involvement in two missing person cases, firmly rooted in the distant past. Indridason uses the conceit of Erlendur being on vacation to facilitate this, and crucially camping out in the ruins of his childhood home, neatly casting the pall of past events over the novel. From the haunting echoes of his past life that Erlendur experiences, as he revisits his brother’s disappearance when they were young boys, to the case of a missing woman, Matthildur, from many years previously that piques his interest as a detective, the associated guilt and the sense of unfinished business looms large throughout. Erlendur doggedly tracks the course of events leading to the woman’s disappearance, stirring up some uncomfortable truths and uncovering the wounds of the past in a controlled and slow burning, but eminently satisfactory central plot. Indridason employs his characteristic sublime pacing neatly reflecting the slow march of time, but also how incidental this is for those whose lives are so defined by events of the past.
The more elderly and curmudgeonly characters Indridason employs in this storyline are a joy, providing a wonderful mirror image of Erlendur’s own tendencies towards these darker and introspective moods. His interactions with them, seeking to tease out the truth of past events is, at times, so filled with such poignancy that as a reader you will be genuinely moved, as the story of Matthildhur’s disappearance and that of Erlendur’s lost brother Bergur, converge and separate throughout the course of the book. The way that Indridason portrayed the older members of his cast was beautifully done, with some neatly fitting the traditional characteristics of a long hard life lived not without its attendant miseries, and others with a veritable twinkle of mischievousness about them. Erlendur himself pitches between his role as a natural investigator, and yet a man seemingly unable to solve the greatest mystery of his life, leading to his own reference back to and meditation on, his familial relationships. The dark sense of introspection peppered throughout the story makes the tone absolutely fitting to a book billed as a final chapter to the exploits of long standing character. As to the outcome of Erlendur’s personal journey of discovery, I’m giving nothing away…
This was classic Indridason, employing his trademark precision of style and pared down dialogue, all within the arena of a beautifully imagined and flawlessly described Icelandic wilderness. Slow moving, thoughtful and with an almost supernatural feel to the whole book, Indridason continues to adhere to my own belief that he is incapable of letting the reader down, yet again producing a five star read to satisfy any lover of Scandinavian crime fiction.
From the initial epigraph, taken from a poem by Icelandic poet Snorri Hjartarson, the novel carries a strange ethereal air, compounded by Erlendur’s involvement in two missing person cases, firmly rooted in the distant past. Indridason uses the conceit of Erlendur being on vacation to facilitate this, and crucially camping out in the ruins of his childhood home, neatly casting the pall of past events over the novel. From the haunting echoes of his past life that Erlendur experiences, as he revisits his brother’s disappearance when they were young boys, to the case of a missing woman, Matthildur, from many years previously that piques his interest as a detective, the associated guilt and the sense of unfinished business looms large throughout. Erlendur doggedly tracks the course of events leading to the woman’s disappearance, stirring up some uncomfortable truths and uncovering the wounds of the past in a controlled and slow burning, but eminently satisfactory central plot. Indridason employs his characteristic sublime pacing neatly reflecting the slow march of time, but also how incidental this is for those whose lives are so defined by events of the past.
The more elderly and curmudgeonly characters Indridason employs in this storyline are a joy, providing a wonderful mirror image of Erlendur’s own tendencies towards these darker and introspective moods. His interactions with them, seeking to tease out the truth of past events is, at times, so filled with such poignancy that as a reader you will be genuinely moved, as the story of Matthildhur’s disappearance and that of Erlendur’s lost brother Bergur, converge and separate throughout the course of the book. The way that Indridason portrayed the older members of his cast was beautifully done, with some neatly fitting the traditional characteristics of a long hard life lived not without its attendant miseries, and others with a veritable twinkle of mischievousness about them. Erlendur himself pitches between his role as a natural investigator, and yet a man seemingly unable to solve the greatest mystery of his life, leading to his own reference back to and meditation on, his familial relationships. The dark sense of introspection peppered throughout the story makes the tone absolutely fitting to a book billed as a final chapter to the exploits of long standing character. As to the outcome of Erlendur’s personal journey of discovery, I’m giving nothing away…
This was classic Indridason, employing his trademark precision of style and pared down dialogue, all within the arena of a beautifully imagined and flawlessly described Icelandic wilderness. Slow moving, thoughtful and with an almost supernatural feel to the whole book, Indridason continues to adhere to my own belief that he is incapable of letting the reader down, yet again producing a five star read to satisfy any lover of Scandinavian crime fiction.
August 24, 2013
"Then Beggi must come too".
These words, spoken by ten-year old Erlendur to his father before setting out up the mountain to search for some lost ewes, will condemn him to a lifetime of profound, almost debilitating guilt.
This introspective novel offers multiple levels of understanding through its non-linear text. On one hand, we follow Erlendur's investigation into the fate of Matthildur as he gradually gleans the truth from her contemporaries, now in their 80s and 90s, and on the other, is Erlendur's existential quest into the loss of his brother Beggi. All the while, there is an intimate reflection on the process of mourning, the duality of the desire for the discovery of the truth yet the fear of it.
Throughout, the past interfaces with the present, and we are given an insight into the influences which formed Erlendur's character. On his return to Bakkasel on the death of his father, the teenage Erlendur "was convinced there and then that he would never be a happy man." Even earlier, as a young child, he contrasted himself with his sunny-tempered little brother, describing himself as,
"irritable, overbearing and demanding, and like his father in looks and temperament". (The father had also suffered bouts of severe depression). The entire Erlendur saga is as much an examination of family influences as of crime. We see the generational and emotional legacies that have affected Erlendur and his children with such ill-effect. Nightmares recur, mourning and guilt persist, the past is almost a malevolent spirit.
As in all the novels, we see the positive side of Erlendur - the persistent, perceptive and almost intuitive detective, who despite the odds and the passage of years, manages to determine the fate of Matthildur. This is despite the initial reluctance of Ezra, Hrund and the other old people to divulge anything.
But by far the most melancholy and, to this reader, heartbreaking part of the novel was the description of those 'strange shores' between life and death. The three stages of hypothermia are succinctly yet accurately described, and the reader can determine for himself exactly which stage is reached. This was extremely difficult to read, and the reader hovered between absolute despair and the flickering light of a possible peace.
This tragic, poetic and very spiritual book will stay in the heart of the reader for a very long time.
These words, spoken by ten-year old Erlendur to his father before setting out up the mountain to search for some lost ewes, will condemn him to a lifetime of profound, almost debilitating guilt.
This introspective novel offers multiple levels of understanding through its non-linear text. On one hand, we follow Erlendur's investigation into the fate of Matthildur as he gradually gleans the truth from her contemporaries, now in their 80s and 90s, and on the other, is Erlendur's existential quest into the loss of his brother Beggi. All the while, there is an intimate reflection on the process of mourning, the duality of the desire for the discovery of the truth yet the fear of it.
Throughout, the past interfaces with the present, and we are given an insight into the influences which formed Erlendur's character. On his return to Bakkasel on the death of his father, the teenage Erlendur "was convinced there and then that he would never be a happy man." Even earlier, as a young child, he contrasted himself with his sunny-tempered little brother, describing himself as,
"irritable, overbearing and demanding, and like his father in looks and temperament". (The father had also suffered bouts of severe depression). The entire Erlendur saga is as much an examination of family influences as of crime. We see the generational and emotional legacies that have affected Erlendur and his children with such ill-effect. Nightmares recur, mourning and guilt persist, the past is almost a malevolent spirit.
As in all the novels, we see the positive side of Erlendur - the persistent, perceptive and almost intuitive detective, who despite the odds and the passage of years, manages to determine the fate of Matthildur. This is despite the initial reluctance of Ezra, Hrund and the other old people to divulge anything.
But by far the most melancholy and, to this reader, heartbreaking part of the novel was the description of those 'strange shores' between life and death. The three stages of hypothermia are succinctly yet accurately described, and the reader can determine for himself exactly which stage is reached. This was extremely difficult to read, and the reader hovered between absolute despair and the flickering light of a possible peace.
This tragic, poetic and very spiritual book will stay in the heart of the reader for a very long time.
February 14, 2018
The mercury had dropped sharply in the night and the ground was white right down to the shore. It was the first snowfall of autumn and brought with it the customary alien stillness, muffling the houses and landscape in a soft, white quilt.
Strange Shores by Iceland’s master storyteller Arnaldur Indriðason is the last in the series featuring Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson. Erlendur is on leave, returning to his roots in the East fjords where his parents are buried and his brother Bergur perished in a blizzard, aged eight. The death has haunted him for years: survivor guilt that he should not have allowed the youngster to accompany him and his father as they searched the moors for lost sheep. His death sparked a lifelong fascination of missing persons and stories of survival.
While camping out in the ruins of his former home in the moors Erlendur encounters a neighbour, the farmer, Bóas, out hunting an Arctic fox stalking his stock. The farmer is curious as to why Erlendur is there, suspicious of strangers with the building of a dam to supply power to the smelter under construction at Reydarfjȫrdur. As the two men walk together, Erlendur outlines the loss of his brother, but is also intrigued by a story he remembers from his youth of a young woman, Matthildur, who went missing on the moors in a blizzard in 1942, and was never found. Coincidentally, 60 British servicemen billeted in the area at the time were caught in the treacherous conditions, the locals finding and saving 48 and the bodies of the others accounted for. Bóas gives him the name of the woman’s youngest sister, still living in the small town.
Once again Indriðason produces a mystery filled with intrigue as Erlendur meets the elderly residents of the area, opening up old wounds as he pieces together the last days of the missing woman, revealing a tale of love, loss, revenge and ultimately closure. Who is to benefit from knowing?
While Erlendur investigates he reflects on his childhood, his relationship with his parents and why he is drawn back to where his brother died. The story is sad but far from morbid and gently brings the character’s own life to a fitting end.
Strange Shores by Iceland’s master storyteller Arnaldur Indriðason is the last in the series featuring Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson. Erlendur is on leave, returning to his roots in the East fjords where his parents are buried and his brother Bergur perished in a blizzard, aged eight. The death has haunted him for years: survivor guilt that he should not have allowed the youngster to accompany him and his father as they searched the moors for lost sheep. His death sparked a lifelong fascination of missing persons and stories of survival.
While camping out in the ruins of his former home in the moors Erlendur encounters a neighbour, the farmer, Bóas, out hunting an Arctic fox stalking his stock. The farmer is curious as to why Erlendur is there, suspicious of strangers with the building of a dam to supply power to the smelter under construction at Reydarfjȫrdur. As the two men walk together, Erlendur outlines the loss of his brother, but is also intrigued by a story he remembers from his youth of a young woman, Matthildur, who went missing on the moors in a blizzard in 1942, and was never found. Coincidentally, 60 British servicemen billeted in the area at the time were caught in the treacherous conditions, the locals finding and saving 48 and the bodies of the others accounted for. Bóas gives him the name of the woman’s youngest sister, still living in the small town.
Once again Indriðason produces a mystery filled with intrigue as Erlendur meets the elderly residents of the area, opening up old wounds as he pieces together the last days of the missing woman, revealing a tale of love, loss, revenge and ultimately closure. Who is to benefit from knowing?
While Erlendur investigates he reflects on his childhood, his relationship with his parents and why he is drawn back to where his brother died. The story is sad but far from morbid and gently brings the character’s own life to a fitting end.
April 24, 2018
Ne ho letti 7 di romanzi di Indriðason, tutti con Erlendur protagonista. Questo è il migliore che ho letto finora.
C’è qualcosa nell’atmosfera, nel ritorno alle origini dell’ispettore, che cattura fin dalla prima pagina. Forse è la nostalgia, forse è la tenerezza - ma di tenerezza si può parlare quando hai a che fare con morti avvenute in lande gelate?
Erlendur questa volta indaga su un cold case (molto cold, è il caso di dire: una donna scomparsa durante una tempesta di neve negli anni della Guerra), ma che in realtà cerca risposte sulla sua personale tragedia: la scomparsa e morte dichiarata del fratello durante un tempesta di neve quando erano bambini. O forse, Lenni cerca risposte sulle abitudini delle volpi.
Quando le troverà, le risposte, non saranno mai come ce le si aspettava.
Perché le risposte - mai come in questo romanzo- sono risposte che tutti sanno e che nessuno ha voglia di dare a voce alta.
È bellissima l’ambientazione, è perfetto l’utilizzo dei personaggi, è bella questa ricerca intima ambientata in un posto dove anche la neve e le volpi parlano - gli uomini meno, hanno sempre qualcosa da nascondere.
Un giallo costruito con sapienza, equilibrio, sensibilità.
Alla fine Erlendur si ficca un pochino di più nel cuore del lettore.
Davvero bello, bello, bello.
C’è qualcosa nell’atmosfera, nel ritorno alle origini dell’ispettore, che cattura fin dalla prima pagina. Forse è la nostalgia, forse è la tenerezza - ma di tenerezza si può parlare quando hai a che fare con morti avvenute in lande gelate?
Erlendur questa volta indaga su un cold case (molto cold, è il caso di dire: una donna scomparsa durante una tempesta di neve negli anni della Guerra), ma che in realtà cerca risposte sulla sua personale tragedia: la scomparsa e morte dichiarata del fratello durante un tempesta di neve quando erano bambini. O forse, Lenni cerca risposte sulle abitudini delle volpi.
Quando le troverà, le risposte, non saranno mai come ce le si aspettava.
Perché le risposte - mai come in questo romanzo- sono risposte che tutti sanno e che nessuno ha voglia di dare a voce alta.
È bellissima l’ambientazione, è perfetto l’utilizzo dei personaggi, è bella questa ricerca intima ambientata in un posto dove anche la neve e le volpi parlano - gli uomini meno, hanno sempre qualcosa da nascondere.
Un giallo costruito con sapienza, equilibrio, sensibilità.
Alla fine Erlendur si ficca un pochino di più nel cuore del lettore.
Davvero bello, bello, bello.
March 28, 2015
Erlandur, reeling from his last case (Hyperthermia) finds himself in self imposed exile in his run down family home in the the East Fjord region of Iceland. Still haunted by the tragedy of loosing his 8 year old brother in blizzard years before, he becomes obsessed with an eerily similar, 49 year old potential cold case. Matthildur, a young married woman, disappeared one night in a freak blizzard and her body was never found. Erlandur becomes obsessively compelled to conduct a one man, unofficial investigation into her disappearance and in the process, finally find some answers to his brother's disappearance. His task becomes all the more difficult since the few surviving people with connections to Matthildur still harbor secrets they want to remain buried.
This is an original and very poignant story of a good man's desperate attempt in finding the truth of a potential cold case crime, not for legal redress but for clarity and closure for those few people still alive who remembered and loved Matthildur and for his own personal redemption.
This is an original and very poignant story of a good man's desperate attempt in finding the truth of a potential cold case crime, not for legal redress but for clarity and closure for those few people still alive who remembered and loved Matthildur and for his own personal redemption.
July 8, 2015
I am very fond of Arnaldur Indriðason Nordic Noir series (which includes Jar City, a book I particularly enjoyed) with the moody Inspector Erlendur heading a cast of likable police officers. I like the characters and I love the Icelandic setting. I wasn't sure how I felt about Strange Shores, another installment in this series, until I was 3/4 through and couldn't stop reading.
Inspector Erlendur is visiting the small village where he grew up and where he and his father and his little brother got caught in a terrible blizzard when Erlendur was 10. The father and Erlendur survived, little Beggi was never found. His brother's disappearance haunts all of the books in the series and is an ongoing presence in Erlendur's life, a part of who he is and what he does.
Erlendur learns of the disappearance of a woman in a blizzard whose body, like his brother's, was never found. Erlendur doesn't just hunt for missing people as a job, he is compelled to by his early loss to hunt for all the lost people of the earth. His pursuit of the explanation of this woman's disappearance leads him to discover crimes half a century old.
The mystery was not very exciting in this book-it was easy to guess what the crimes were and their perpetrators but the atmosphere of loss and guilt and a vanishing Iceland being torn away for "development" was very powerful. I came to care about the characters and to be immersed in the atmosphere which I loved and found haunting and hypnotic.
So I would only give the book 3 stars for plot but at least 4 for mood and characters. So 3.5 would be fairer but I'm going with 3. If you love this series and/or Nordic Noir ambiance then you should definitely read this book.
Inspector Erlendur is visiting the small village where he grew up and where he and his father and his little brother got caught in a terrible blizzard when Erlendur was 10. The father and Erlendur survived, little Beggi was never found. His brother's disappearance haunts all of the books in the series and is an ongoing presence in Erlendur's life, a part of who he is and what he does.
Erlendur learns of the disappearance of a woman in a blizzard whose body, like his brother's, was never found. Erlendur doesn't just hunt for missing people as a job, he is compelled to by his early loss to hunt for all the lost people of the earth. His pursuit of the explanation of this woman's disappearance leads him to discover crimes half a century old.
The mystery was not very exciting in this book-it was easy to guess what the crimes were and their perpetrators but the atmosphere of loss and guilt and a vanishing Iceland being torn away for "development" was very powerful. I came to care about the characters and to be immersed in the atmosphere which I loved and found haunting and hypnotic.
So I would only give the book 3 stars for plot but at least 4 for mood and characters. So 3.5 would be fairer but I'm going with 3. If you love this series and/or Nordic Noir ambiance then you should definitely read this book.
November 24, 2013
I am reluctant to give two stars to any of Indridason's writing because he is still a beautiful story teller and a smooth writer but this novel sadly disappoints again. Yes, Erlendur has made a return as a detective but the plot of this latest in the detective series is a lacklustre recycling of themes from his best two novels; perhaps not incidentally his first two masterpieces Jar City and Silence of the Grave. The disappearance of a woman, a mystery which brings into play her abusive husband feels revisited and there is no breathless page turning to find out what became of her. The reason for this is that the principal characters remain undeveloped throughout the story, they never come alive, it's as if Indridason is realising he is getting dangerously close to themes he has dealt with so poignantly in the past and for fear of repetition, he stops short and the story stays flat. Even the parallel story of Erlendur's own personal drama, the disappearance of his brother feels quite stilted, such a central story which has been running through all the other books should, I believe, have deserved more attention as the culmination of Erlendur's own tragedy. I have been quietly let down by at least three of latest novels in this series; perhaps it is time for Indridason to abandon Erlendur and start afresh on new material? I hope not because the old detective is a brilliant creation whom I would certainly miss.
May 29, 2018
Strange Shores is book 11 in the Reykjavik Murder Mystery series by Arnaldur Indridason. Detective Erlendur went back to Urdarklettur near the fjords to investigate the disappearance of Matthildur. Also, Detective Erlendur hoping during his investigation into Matthildur disappearance that he will find closure on his missing brother Bergur who disappeared while he was a child. However, he did not realise that the truth will affect so many people and one of them will be him. The readers of Strange Shores will follow the twist and turns in Detective Erlendur investigation to find answers to Matthildur and Bergur's disappearance.
Strange Shores is the first book I have read of Arnaldur Indridason, and I enjoyed it. I love the way Arnaldur Indridason describes his settings and the plot that allows me to be part of the story. I was engaged with Strange Shores from the first page because it was well written and researched by Arnaldur Indridason. I like Arnaldur Indridason portrayal of his characters and the way they interact with each other.
The readers of Strange Shores will learn about law enforcement procedures in Iceland when they investigate cold cases. Also, the readers of Strange Shores will see how dangerous and beautiful East Iceland is for the residents.
I recommend this book.
Strange Shores is the first book I have read of Arnaldur Indridason, and I enjoyed it. I love the way Arnaldur Indridason describes his settings and the plot that allows me to be part of the story. I was engaged with Strange Shores from the first page because it was well written and researched by Arnaldur Indridason. I like Arnaldur Indridason portrayal of his characters and the way they interact with each other.
The readers of Strange Shores will learn about law enforcement procedures in Iceland when they investigate cold cases. Also, the readers of Strange Shores will see how dangerous and beautiful East Iceland is for the residents.
I recommend this book.
April 19, 2020
Genial final de serie!!
No esperaba menos, pero echaré en falta a Erlendur. Una novela que mantiene el suspense, es reposada pero com una gota de agua que no deja de caer, forma un charco cristalino en torno al misterio de los páramos.
Y el drama de Erlendur lo resuelve de la manera más humana posible.
Sensacional.
4,5.
No esperaba menos, pero echaré en falta a Erlendur. Una novela que mantiene el suspense, es reposada pero com una gota de agua que no deja de caer, forma un charco cristalino en torno al misterio de los páramos.
Y el drama de Erlendur lo resuelve de la manera más humana posible.
Sensacional.
4,5.
December 8, 2021
Y hasta aquí ha llegado Erlendur!! Se me ha terminado y no quería!! Me alegro en parte de este final, venimos arrastrando 2 libros sin él y este es suyo, y me alegra. Me falta saber qué ha pasado con sus compañeros y sus hijos. Cómo te voy a echar de menos!! Dentro de unos años nos reencontraremos y aunque te tenga techao' en casa voy a querer leer más sobre ti. Me quedan 3 libros de su juventud, aunque sólo 2 están en inglés... ver veremos.
October 27, 2013
The frustration of the last 2 books being without Erlendur is removed in this latest novel fully given over to him. It tells of his searching in the East Fjords around his old family home. It captures the spirit of all his previous books around disappearances and passed over crimes. The novel brings Iceland alive for me in its stories and representations of a people on the brink of change but who my prefer the former times. It ties up all the lose ends and demonstrates Erlender at his detective best. It showcases Indridason as a wonderful writer and places this set of books as one of the best crime series around.
April 23, 2023
Wow.
I can't say I've ever been so hollowed out by a series-ending book before; never been brought immediately to tears.
Wow.
This book, and the whole melancholy-steeped series, was such a beautiful punch to the gut that I'm left a tad shell shocked....but it truly was the perfect end to the hauntingly bleak yet beautiful saga of Inspector Erlendur.
BRAVO Mr. Indridason. BRA f-ing VO!!!!!!
5 Utterly Masterful Stars
I can't say I've ever been so hollowed out by a series-ending book before; never been brought immediately to tears.
Wow.
This book, and the whole melancholy-steeped series, was such a beautiful punch to the gut that I'm left a tad shell shocked....but it truly was the perfect end to the hauntingly bleak yet beautiful saga of Inspector Erlendur.
BRAVO Mr. Indridason. BRA f-ing VO!!!!!!
5 Utterly Masterful Stars
March 27, 2015
A recurring theme throughout all the previous novels in this series is the haunting feeling Inspector Erlendur has over the disappearance of his younger brother during a blizzard many years before. The boy was never found, and Erlendur and his parents moved away to Reykjavik. From time to time, Erlendur returns to the East Fjord area where he grew up and strides around the moors in an attempt to find some clue to his brother’s assumed demise.
In this novel, we find Erlendur camping out in the derelict building where he grew up. Only this time, through a chance meeting on the moors he finds a clue and becomes involved in a quest not only to discover what happened to his brother, but also as to the disappearance of a young woman in 1942 under similar circumstances. It is apparently pretty common for such occurrences during snowstorms. Around the same tine, a group of British soldiers were lost in the wilderness, some found, others having died because of the severity of the elements.
All the novels in the series are so well-written that it is always a pleasure to read them. And “Strange Shores” is a masterpiece of psychological achievement, providing insight not only into Erlendur’s psyche, but into all the characters playing a part in the plot. Erlendur is in some ways similar to other Scandinavian protagonists: dogged, persistent and unconventional in his approach to solving a mystery. However, he is a much more sympathetic person than others of his type.
Highly recommended.
In this novel, we find Erlendur camping out in the derelict building where he grew up. Only this time, through a chance meeting on the moors he finds a clue and becomes involved in a quest not only to discover what happened to his brother, but also as to the disappearance of a young woman in 1942 under similar circumstances. It is apparently pretty common for such occurrences during snowstorms. Around the same tine, a group of British soldiers were lost in the wilderness, some found, others having died because of the severity of the elements.
All the novels in the series are so well-written that it is always a pleasure to read them. And “Strange Shores” is a masterpiece of psychological achievement, providing insight not only into Erlendur’s psyche, but into all the characters playing a part in the plot. Erlendur is in some ways similar to other Scandinavian protagonists: dogged, persistent and unconventional in his approach to solving a mystery. However, he is a much more sympathetic person than others of his type.
Highly recommended.
January 21, 2022
Erlendur, le retour! Après deux absences dans la série. Mais apparemment le dernier de la boucle. Logique: il clôture sur sa terre natale, dans les fjords brumeux du grand est tourmenté et sauvage de l'île.
Recherche du destin t dupetit frère disparu à 8 ans dans une terrible tempête, soudaine et habituelle dans ce grand nord.
Mais aussi une double enquête, non officielle, comme les savoure l'enquêteur solitaire, tenace et sombre. Deux très anciennes disparitions. Impossibles à résoudre, 60 ans plus tard. Sauf bien sûr pour Erlendur. Nouveau tort de force du talent de Indridason: cet impossible, il parvient à le rendre tout à fait plausible, du grand art. Extrème minutie d'additions de détails, de logique, et de la persévérance outrancière de l'inspecteur hors normes qui agace tous les personnages plantés dans le décor. Remarquablement peints, analysés, décortiqués.
L'intérêt de ces vieilles enquêtes, périmées, prescrites pour les coupables, d'ailleurs le plus souvent eux-mêmes disparus? Découvrir la vérité, obsession de Erlendur, sans chercher à sanctionner.
Recherche du destin t dupetit frère disparu à 8 ans dans une terrible tempête, soudaine et habituelle dans ce grand nord.
Mais aussi une double enquête, non officielle, comme les savoure l'enquêteur solitaire, tenace et sombre. Deux très anciennes disparitions. Impossibles à résoudre, 60 ans plus tard. Sauf bien sûr pour Erlendur. Nouveau tort de force du talent de Indridason: cet impossible, il parvient à le rendre tout à fait plausible, du grand art. Extrème minutie d'additions de détails, de logique, et de la persévérance outrancière de l'inspecteur hors normes qui agace tous les personnages plantés dans le décor. Remarquablement peints, analysés, décortiqués.
L'intérêt de ces vieilles enquêtes, périmées, prescrites pour les coupables, d'ailleurs le plus souvent eux-mêmes disparus? Découvrir la vérité, obsession de Erlendur, sans chercher à sanctionner.
December 22, 2013
When a loved one went missing time changed nothing…
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: his younger brother went missing in the midst of the fierce storm, never to be found. 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 may be, 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 novel of Arnaldur Indridason the most engaging of his books I have read.
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: his younger brother went missing in the midst of the fierce storm, never to be found. 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 may be, 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 novel of Arnaldur Indridason the most engaging of his books I have read.
July 20, 2014
Being a big fan of Arnaldur's Icelandic mysteries, I couldn't wait for it to come out in the US and ordered from the UK. This book is probably the best--and probably the last--in the Erlendur "Murder in Reykjavik" series.
Set in the bleak landscape of the East Fjords, the story moves slowly, but inexorably toward its surreal ending. Not a thriller, the book is something rarer and more absorbing, a deft study of the protagonist and the main characters. The old Icelanders who remember the blizzard in which Erlendur's brother and a local woman disappeared are vividly and sensitively drawn. The mystery of what happened to the boy and the woman four decades ago has preoccupied the thoughts not only the locals who knew them, but of the detective who grew up in the area. Erlendur returns to the remote, derelict farmhouse where he lived with his parents and brother so many years ago, sleeping in the dark and haunted ruin. As his intuition as a detective turns up leads in solving the mystery, Erlendur becomes obsessed, casting aside protocol and legality as he pursues them.
It's been said that the landscape becomes a character, a living thing, in some of Thomas Hardy's novels, and I think the same thing could be said about the Icelandic landscape in Arnaldur's. The stark and desolate volcanic mountains, fjords, and surrounding sea affect just about everything in the lives of the inhabitants. The weather--the snows, the blinding summer sun, the brutal winds, the cold rains--conspire with this landscape to instill in the characters a fatalism and a subtle, grim sense of humor.
Arnaldur Indridason is, for my money, one of the few mystery writers who transcend the genre. If you like happy endings and cheerful tales, Arnaldur's novels are not for you. Also, if you're seeking nonstop action and gratuitous sex and violence, look elsewhere. But if you appreciate a finely-wrought plot and vividly drawn characters, with the weird backdrop of the Icelandic landscape, look no further.
Set in the bleak landscape of the East Fjords, the story moves slowly, but inexorably toward its surreal ending. Not a thriller, the book is something rarer and more absorbing, a deft study of the protagonist and the main characters. The old Icelanders who remember the blizzard in which Erlendur's brother and a local woman disappeared are vividly and sensitively drawn. The mystery of what happened to the boy and the woman four decades ago has preoccupied the thoughts not only the locals who knew them, but of the detective who grew up in the area. Erlendur returns to the remote, derelict farmhouse where he lived with his parents and brother so many years ago, sleeping in the dark and haunted ruin. As his intuition as a detective turns up leads in solving the mystery, Erlendur becomes obsessed, casting aside protocol and legality as he pursues them.
It's been said that the landscape becomes a character, a living thing, in some of Thomas Hardy's novels, and I think the same thing could be said about the Icelandic landscape in Arnaldur's. The stark and desolate volcanic mountains, fjords, and surrounding sea affect just about everything in the lives of the inhabitants. The weather--the snows, the blinding summer sun, the brutal winds, the cold rains--conspire with this landscape to instill in the characters a fatalism and a subtle, grim sense of humor.
Arnaldur Indridason is, for my money, one of the few mystery writers who transcend the genre. If you like happy endings and cheerful tales, Arnaldur's novels are not for you. Also, if you're seeking nonstop action and gratuitous sex and violence, look elsewhere. But if you appreciate a finely-wrought plot and vividly drawn characters, with the weird backdrop of the Icelandic landscape, look no further.
June 17, 2018
''His mind plays odd tricks on him, shuttling back and forth between past and present, through time and space, and there is little he can do to control the shifts''
Το ''Strange Shores''είναι η τελευταία ιστορία του επιθεωρητή Ερλέντουρ, ο οποίος εγκαταλείπει το Ρέικιαβικ και γυρνά στο ερειπωμένο και μισογκρεμισμένο σπίτι του στα ανατολικά φιόρδ της Ισλανδίας, εκεί όπου βασιλεύει το σκότος και τα ανελέητα καιρικά φαινόμενα που έχουν οδηγήσει σε πολλά περιστατικά θανάτων ή εξαφανίσεων των ανθρώπων που τόλμησαν να εκτεθούν σε αυτά. Ο Indridason, ο οποίος σημειωτέον είναι πλέον ο συγγραφέας με τις μεγαλύτερες πωλήσεις στην Ισλανδία- περισσότερες και από του Haldor Laxness-, βάζει την τελευταία ψηφίδα σε μια εξαιρετική από κάθε άποψη σειρά, η οποία προσέφερε και μερικά ''διαμάντια'' της crime fiction, όπως είναι το ''Jar City'' ή το βαθιά μελαγχολικό και τραγικό ''The Silence of the Grave''. Προσωπικά θεωρώ ότι το ,'Strange Shores'' είναι αν όχι το καλύτερο, τότε σίγουρα μέσα στα τρία καλύτερα μυθιστορήματα του Ισλανδού συγγραφέα, καθώς σε αυτό αναδεικνύεται με φωτεινότερο και αρτιότερο τρόπο ο χαρακτήρας του Ερλέντουρ, ο οποίος θα αντιμετωπίσει επιτέλους τους προσωπικούς του δαίμονες που τον καταδιώκουν από την παιδική του ηλικία και βέβαια σχετίζονται με την εξαφάνιση του μικρότερου του αδερφού Bergur σε μια σαρωτική χιονοθύελλα περίπου 40 χρόνια πρίν. Το φινάλε, αν και είναι έντονα συγκινησιακά φορτισμένο, πιστεύω ότι είναι και η πλέον αρμόζουσα κατάληξη για τον χαρακτήρα του Έρλεντουρ και συνεπές με το πορτραίτο που σκιαγραφεί ο Indridason στα προηγούμενα βιβλία της σειράς.
Το γεγονός ότι η συγκεριμένη σειρά λαμβάνει τέλος δεν σημαίνει βέβαια ότι δεν θα έχουμε την ευκαιρία να απολαύσουμε περισσότερο Indridason στο μέλλον αφού ήδη έχει εκδοθεί το πρώτο βιβλίο της νέας του σειράς που τοποθετείται χωροχρονικά στο Ρέικιαβικ κατά την περίοδο του Β' Π.Π. (βλ. ''The Shadow District''), ενώ μέσα στους επόμενους μήνες θα κυκλοφορήσει η αγγλική μετάφραση και του δεύτερου βιβλίου με τίτλο ''The Shadow Killer''.
Το ''Strange Shores''είναι η τελευταία ιστορία του επιθεωρητή Ερλέντουρ, ο οποίος εγκαταλείπει το Ρέικιαβικ και γυρνά στο ερειπωμένο και μισογκρεμισμένο σπίτι του στα ανατολικά φιόρδ της Ισλανδίας, εκεί όπου βασιλεύει το σκότος και τα ανελέητα καιρικά φαινόμενα που έχουν οδηγήσει σε πολλά περιστατικά θανάτων ή εξαφανίσεων των ανθρώπων που τόλμησαν να εκτεθούν σε αυτά. Ο Indridason, ο οποίος σημειωτέον είναι πλέον ο συγγραφέας με τις μεγαλύτερες πωλήσεις στην Ισλανδία- περισσότερες και από του Haldor Laxness-, βάζει την τελευταία ψηφίδα σε μια εξαιρετική από κάθε άποψη σειρά, η οποία προσέφερε και μερικά ''διαμάντια'' της crime fiction, όπως είναι το ''Jar City'' ή το βαθιά μελαγχολικό και τραγικό ''The Silence of the Grave''. Προσωπικά θεωρώ ότι το ,'Strange Shores'' είναι αν όχι το καλύτερο, τότε σίγουρα μέσα στα τρία καλύτερα μυθιστορήματα του Ισλανδού συγγραφέα, καθώς σε αυτό αναδεικνύεται με φωτεινότερο και αρτιότερο τρόπο ο χαρακτήρας του Ερλέντουρ, ο οποίος θα αντιμετωπίσει επιτέλους τους προσωπικούς του δαίμονες που τον καταδιώκουν από την παιδική του ηλικία και βέβαια σχετίζονται με την εξαφάνιση του μικρότερου του αδερφού Bergur σε μια σαρωτική χιονοθύελλα περίπου 40 χρόνια πρίν. Το φινάλε, αν και είναι έντονα συγκινησιακά φορτισμένο, πιστεύω ότι είναι και η πλέον αρμόζουσα κατάληξη για τον χαρακτήρα του Έρλεντουρ και συνεπές με το πορτραίτο που σκιαγραφεί ο Indridason στα προηγούμενα βιβλία της σειράς.
Το γεγονός ότι η συγκεριμένη σειρά λαμβάνει τέλος δεν σημαίνει βέβαια ότι δεν θα έχουμε την ευκαιρία να απολαύσουμε περισσότερο Indridason στο μέλλον αφού ήδη έχει εκδοθεί το πρώτο βιβλίο της νέας του σειράς που τοποθετείται χωροχρονικά στο Ρέικιαβικ κατά την περίοδο του Β' Π.Π. (βλ. ''The Shadow District''), ενώ μέσα στους επόμενους μήνες θα κυκλοφορήσει η αγγλική μετάφραση και του δεύτερου βιβλίου με τίτλο ''The Shadow Killer''.
July 10, 2019
So, to all my reader friends, I am compelled to tell you that if you have not already, you must read this author, especially the Inspector Erlendur series, but DO NOT read this one first, or, in the middle, it must be read last. I want to write more, but I don't want to have to do a spoiler alert. Suffice it to say, it was an excellent read, and it was, well, amazing. A 7/5 stars, in my view, but I don't want to oversell it, only to see that you were let down by my hype. Read the books in order, and even with the Sigurder Oli and Elinborg books in the middle, but save this for last. Next I want to see if any of his earliest books have been translated into English, as I just can't get enough of this author!
December 29, 2019
Atmospheric, reflective, melancholy and shaped by the unmistakably harsh landscape that defines Iceland, this book was a perfect example why I love to read Icelandic crime novels. Even better to have the opportunity to read it whilst travelling around Iceland, which enabled me to visit the locations Indriðason has written about. I loved losing myself in the snow covered fictional landscape, thoroughly intrigued by the mystery Erlendur is determined to solve. Even though this is not a cheerful book, at times questioning the essence of life and death that defines us, I felt an affinity to Erlendur that made me get all the previous books in the series to explore his back story.
October 3, 2021
Questo autore e il protagonista- Erlendur - non mi deludono mai, forse qualche momento leggermente “ macrabo “, per me che preferisco i polizieschi psicologi; per lui faccio un eccezione per quanto mi piacciono le ambientazioni nordiche.
Ovviamente i nomi di località islandesi sono terribili, ma tant’è che non riuscirei a pronunciare neanche il nome dell’autore ….
Ovviamente i nomi di località islandesi sono terribili, ma tant’è che non riuscirei a pronunciare neanche il nome dell’autore ….
January 7, 2019
Cada vez que retomo esta serie no me defrauda. Son investigaciones pausadas y con un inspector que no es la alegría de la huerta, pero que sabe escuchar y comprender la naturaleza humana.
December 23, 2022
📚اقتبس من الرواية📚
" من المسلم به أن الزمن يخفف الألم، و لكن في الوقت نفسه، تصبح الخسارة رفيقاً دائماً للذين نجوا، مما يجعل الحزن أكثر عمقاً بطريقة لم يستطع تفسيرها".
الرواية غريبة، مختلفة، مظلمة و كئيبة كعادة روايات أرنالدور إندريداسون لكنك سترغب في قراءته... السياق البوليسي مختلف، الجريمة ليست جريمة، ذكرتني ببرنامج الجرائم الباردة Cold Cases، و هي بالفعل جريمة باردة.
كما أنها -للأسف- خاتمة قصة و سلسلة المحقق إرلندور، اللذي غاب لمدة روايتين، ليختم بها قصة حياته و مأساته.
النهاية جميلة و مرضية، تفاجأت و حزنت كونها الأخيرة. أشعر كأني فجأة فقدت مجموعة من الأصدقاء بدون وداع. وداعاً أصدقائي إرلندور و إيلينبورغ و سيغوردور أولي.
تقييمي 4.5⭐ و النصف الإضافي لأجل السلسلة ككل، و بالتالي 5⭐.
21 ديسمبر 2022
" من المسلم به أن الزمن يخفف الألم، و لكن في الوقت نفسه، تصبح الخسارة رفيقاً دائماً للذين نجوا، مما يجعل الحزن أكثر عمقاً بطريقة لم يستطع تفسيرها".
الرواية غريبة، مختلفة، مظلمة و كئيبة كعادة روايات أرنالدور إندريداسون لكنك سترغب في قراءته... السياق البوليسي مختلف، الجريمة ليست جريمة، ذكرتني ببرنامج الجرائم الباردة Cold Cases، و هي بالفعل جريمة باردة.
كما أنها -للأسف- خاتمة قصة و سلسلة المحقق إرلندور، اللذي غاب لمدة روايتين، ليختم بها قصة حياته و مأساته.
النهاية جميلة و مرضية، تفاجأت و حزنت كونها الأخيرة. أشعر كأني فجأة فقدت مجموعة من الأصدقاء بدون وداع. وداعاً أصدقائي إرلندور و إيلينبورغ و سيغوردور أولي.
تقييمي 4.5⭐ و النصف الإضافي لأجل السلسلة ككل، و بالتالي 5⭐.
21 ديسمبر 2022
April 6, 2024
Una gran tormenta de nieve ocurrida hace más de 50 años en un pueblo islandés, en donde desapareció una mujer, lleva al inspector Erlendur a investigar las causas de su muerte. Platicando con las personas que aún siguen con vida, todas ellos ancianos, el investigador va armando un rompecabezas profundo. Este pueblo además es el lugar donde creció Erlendur, así que en el libro se enfrenta también a su pasado y a la desaparición de su hermano ocurrido durante su infancia, igualmente en una tormenta de nieve.
Genial como siempre Indridason.
Genial como siempre Indridason.
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