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Young Inspector Erlendur #2
ليالي ريكيافيك
نبذة الناشر:
يرصد أرنالدور أندريداسون ليلة من "ليالي ريكيافيك" لبطل رواياته أرلندور حين يكتشف أن رجلاً بلا مأوى يعرفه قد مات، وأن امرأة شابة في طريقها إلى منزلها قد اختفت؛ وبحدس رجل الشرطة الذي لا يخطأ يكتشف أن رابطاً يجمع الضحيتين.
بالنسبة إلى الشرطي الشاب أرلندور لم تكن ليالي ريكيافيك ليالي أنس كليالي فيينا، فقد أمضى مناوباته الليلية في تعقب المجرمين، ولكن فطرة الشرطي السليمة جعلته ومن خارج المهمات الموكلة إليه يشك بموت أحد المتشردين، فقادته تحقيقاته الخاصة إلى حقائق مذهلة تعود إلى ماضي المتشرد المتوفى، وهذا شرَّع الأبواب على أسئلة عديدة عن علاقة غرق زوجته في مياه المحيط بموته غرقاً في مياه بركة؟ وماعلاقة جاريه الأخوين بالحريق الذي حصل في القبو الذي يقيم فيه؟ وما هي الأسرار التي كشفها بشأنهما وجعلتهما يرغبان بالتخلص منه؟ وهل من علاقة بين موته وفقدان إحدى النساء أثناء عودتهما من إحدى السهرات؟ وهل للأمر علاقة بخيانة زوجية؟ والأهم ما علاقة المتشرد والزوج والعشيق في اختفائها؟
يرصد أرنالدور أندريداسون ليلة من "ليالي ريكيافيك" لبطل رواياته أرلندور حين يكتشف أن رجلاً بلا مأوى يعرفه قد مات، وأن امرأة شابة في طريقها إلى منزلها قد اختفت؛ وبحدس رجل الشرطة الذي لا يخطأ يكتشف أن رابطاً يجمع الضحيتين.
بالنسبة إلى الشرطي الشاب أرلندور لم تكن ليالي ريكيافيك ليالي أنس كليالي فيينا، فقد أمضى مناوباته الليلية في تعقب المجرمين، ولكن فطرة الشرطي السليمة جعلته ومن خارج المهمات الموكلة إليه يشك بموت أحد المتشردين، فقادته تحقيقاته الخاصة إلى حقائق مذهلة تعود إلى ماضي المتشرد المتوفى، وهذا شرَّع الأبواب على أسئلة عديدة عن علاقة غرق زوجته في مياه المحيط بموته غرقاً في مياه بركة؟ وماعلاقة جاريه الأخوين بالحريق الذي حصل في القبو الذي يقيم فيه؟ وما هي الأسرار التي كشفها بشأنهما وجعلتهما يرغبان بالتخلص منه؟ وهل من علاقة بين موته وفقدان إحدى النساء أثناء عودتهما من إحدى السهرات؟ وهل للأمر علاقة بخيانة زوجية؟ والأهم ما علاقة المتشرد والزوج والعشيق في اختفائها؟
359 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
228 people are currently reading
3516 people want to read
About the author
Arnaldur Indriðason
53 books3,293 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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September 10, 2022
لم تكن ليالي " ريكيافيك " هادئة أو آمنة أبداً...
فالشاب " أرلندور " شرطي دورية ليلية يلقي القبض على السائقين مدمني الشراب الذين يتسببون في حوادث الطرق المريعة ، هؤلاء الذين يثيرون أعمال الشغب بالحفلات من مدمني المخدرات والشراب ، ويستجيب لنداءات استغاثة من اجل إنقاذ زوجة تتعرض للعنف الجسدي من قِبل زوجها....
ها هو يهتم بمصير متشردٍ يدعى " هانيبال " بعد العثور على جثته غريقاً ، وبالرغم إنه لم يلتق به سوى عدة مرات لكن لم يستطع أن يتوقف عن البحث عن كل ما يتعلق بهذا الرجل في الوقت الذي أُغلق فيه ملف القضية ، فمن يأبه بمصير متشرد مدمن على الكحول كان يمشي متجولاً في شوارع المدينة بائساً وحيداً...
يتزامن ذلك بحادثة اختفاء امرأة في طريق عودتها لمنزلها...فهل ثمة علاقة تربط الحادثتين معاً..؟!...
سأدعك أنت تتابع مجريات الأحداث وتداعياتها...خاصة وإن ذلك في غياب علم دائرة البحث الجنائي الذي لم يكن " أرلندور " قد انضم إليها بعد ، ودعك من أن تكتشف حل اللغزين ، هل لك أن تتأمل الجانب الإنساني الرائع الذي يتحلى به الشرطي في التعامل مع المشردين...
هؤلاء الذين يعوزهم ملجأ يأويهم ، فراش دافيء في الليالي الباردة المتجمدة ، ولكن ليس ذلك كل شيء بل يعوزهم من ينصت إلى حكايتهم قبل أي شيء....
يشهد على نزاعهم اليومي للبقاء على قيد الحياة، وجوههم الشاحبة ، التجاعيد القاسية التي حفرها الزمن ، وأعينهم كالحجر الصلد فقدت بريق كان يلتمع بها يوماً ما...
تتداعى أجسادهم تحت ثقل الوحدة وتتعذب أرواحهم من العجز عن القبض عن أحلامهم التائهة في الزحام...
علينا أن نتذكر بأن هؤلاء أناس مثلنا كان لهم حياة يوماً ما فيما مضى، واليوم غدوا غرباء عن ذواتهم ومنبوذين من الآخرين....
رواية إنسانية في المقام الأول قبل أن تصنف على إنها رواية جريمة....لقد أحببتها جداً 💕
فالشاب " أرلندور " شرطي دورية ليلية يلقي القبض على السائقين مدمني الشراب الذين يتسببون في حوادث الطرق المريعة ، هؤلاء الذين يثيرون أعمال الشغب بالحفلات من مدمني المخدرات والشراب ، ويستجيب لنداءات استغاثة من اجل إنقاذ زوجة تتعرض للعنف الجسدي من قِبل زوجها....
ها هو يهتم بمصير متشردٍ يدعى " هانيبال " بعد العثور على جثته غريقاً ، وبالرغم إنه لم يلتق به سوى عدة مرات لكن لم يستطع أن يتوقف عن البحث عن كل ما يتعلق بهذا الرجل في الوقت الذي أُغلق فيه ملف القضية ، فمن يأبه بمصير متشرد مدمن على الكحول كان يمشي متجولاً في شوارع المدينة بائساً وحيداً...
يتزامن ذلك بحادثة اختفاء امرأة في طريق عودتها لمنزلها...فهل ثمة علاقة تربط الحادثتين معاً..؟!...
سأدعك أنت تتابع مجريات الأحداث وتداعياتها...خاصة وإن ذلك في غياب علم دائرة البحث الجنائي الذي لم يكن " أرلندور " قد انضم إليها بعد ، ودعك من أن تكتشف حل اللغزين ، هل لك أن تتأمل الجانب الإنساني الرائع الذي يتحلى به الشرطي في التعامل مع المشردين...
هؤلاء الذين يعوزهم ملجأ يأويهم ، فراش دافيء في الليالي الباردة المتجمدة ، ولكن ليس ذلك كل شيء بل يعوزهم من ينصت إلى حكايتهم قبل أي شيء....
يشهد على نزاعهم اليومي للبقاء على قيد الحياة، وجوههم الشاحبة ، التجاعيد القاسية التي حفرها الزمن ، وأعينهم كالحجر الصلد فقدت بريق كان يلتمع بها يوماً ما...
تتداعى أجسادهم تحت ثقل الوحدة وتتعذب أرواحهم من العجز عن القبض عن أحلامهم التائهة في الزحام...
علينا أن نتذكر بأن هؤلاء أناس مثلنا كان لهم حياة يوماً ما فيما مضى، واليوم غدوا غرباء عن ذواتهم ومنبوذين من الآخرين....
رواية إنسانية في المقام الأول قبل أن تصنف على إنها رواية جريمة....لقد أحببتها جداً 💕
May 15, 2018
I purchased several books by Arnaldur Indriðason at our library book sale this winter, but rather than read them out of order, I decided to start with the prequel, Reykjavík Nights: Murder in Reykjavík. This full-length novel, which is translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, features traffic patrolman Erlendur Sveinsson.
Having just finished a five-book series filled with switchblade-wielding murderesses, rapists, and anarchist, this book was almost boring – or highly refreshing – take your pick. I choose the latter. The pace is slow, but steady. Erlendur is a young policeman who works the night shift, where he deals with drunk drivers, domestic disturbances, loiterers, and traffic accidents. The story opens with Erlendur being first officer on the scene when a pair of boys come upon the body of a vagrant in a pool of water. He recognizes the man, Hannibal, as someone he has spoken with on a number of occasions. After a time, he can’t get the man out of his mind, and he begins investigating on his own time.
Eventually, he links the case of a missing woman to Hannibal’s death, since they both occurred about the same time. Could both have been murdered? Erlendur goes about making inquiries with those who knew both of the deceased. He talks to street people and to the sister of Hannibal. This quiet, private man who shares so little of his personal feelings with his girlfriend is extremely charitable toward the down-trodden acquaintances of Hannibal, a man he knew so little about. Now, that man is dead, and he cares deeply about what happened to him. This speaks volumes about who Erlendur is as a man. Those whom others disregard as unworthy vagrants, Erlendur treat as human beings.
The plot is not especially complex, but there were enough suspects to hold my interest. I wanted to see if Hannibal’s death and Oddný’s disappearance were truly related. I found it curious that Erlendur was able to conduct his own private investigation for so long; that seemed a bit unrealistic to me, especially since he often did not identify himself as a cop. It works as a prequel, however, because we see how his determination and persistence pay off. He has intelligence, good instincts, and compassion. I look forward to seeing him at work as an inspector in future books.
4 stars
Having just finished a five-book series filled with switchblade-wielding murderesses, rapists, and anarchist, this book was almost boring – or highly refreshing – take your pick. I choose the latter. The pace is slow, but steady. Erlendur is a young policeman who works the night shift, where he deals with drunk drivers, domestic disturbances, loiterers, and traffic accidents. The story opens with Erlendur being first officer on the scene when a pair of boys come upon the body of a vagrant in a pool of water. He recognizes the man, Hannibal, as someone he has spoken with on a number of occasions. After a time, he can’t get the man out of his mind, and he begins investigating on his own time.
Eventually, he links the case of a missing woman to Hannibal’s death, since they both occurred about the same time. Could both have been murdered? Erlendur goes about making inquiries with those who knew both of the deceased. He talks to street people and to the sister of Hannibal. This quiet, private man who shares so little of his personal feelings with his girlfriend is extremely charitable toward the down-trodden acquaintances of Hannibal, a man he knew so little about. Now, that man is dead, and he cares deeply about what happened to him. This speaks volumes about who Erlendur is as a man. Those whom others disregard as unworthy vagrants, Erlendur treat as human beings.
The plot is not especially complex, but there were enough suspects to hold my interest. I wanted to see if Hannibal’s death and Oddný’s disappearance were truly related. I found it curious that Erlendur was able to conduct his own private investigation for so long; that seemed a bit unrealistic to me, especially since he often did not identify himself as a cop. It works as a prequel, however, because we see how his determination and persistence pay off. He has intelligence, good instincts, and compassion. I look forward to seeing him at work as an inspector in future books.
4 stars
January 20, 2016
The proliferation of Scandinavian/Nordic crime fiction is fascinating to me. At first, I thought it was just a fad that would die out eventually, but no, it's still a big deal more than a decade later. And it should be too, because all the ones I have read have been great!
This book is by an author from Iceland and,naturally enough, is set in Iceland. It is actually a prequel to the main series which features Detective Erlendur. In this book, Erlendur is still a young traffic officer.
At the very beginning of the book, an alcoholic tramp is found drowned in a pond. A year later, Erlendur is still thinking about this case, which was pretty much immediately closed. And it turns out that on the same weekend as that drowning, a woman went missing on her way home from a club. Even though he is a traffic cop, Erlandur starts looking into both these cases. Maybe they are related? In order to find out, you'll have to read the book.
This book has all the elements I like in a crime novel. Interesting characters, good suspense, quite a few false leads, and the crimes aren't solved until the very end of the book. What more could you ask for? And to top it all off, Erlendur collects books!
Luckily for me, I haven't read any of the main series, so I will shortly be reading the first one (to be translated into English anyway). It's called Jar City.
The only slight problem I had was trying to pronounce some of the place names (Skolavordustigur and Hverfisgata for instance).
This book is by an author from Iceland and,naturally enough, is set in Iceland. It is actually a prequel to the main series which features Detective Erlendur. In this book, Erlendur is still a young traffic officer.
At the very beginning of the book, an alcoholic tramp is found drowned in a pond. A year later, Erlendur is still thinking about this case, which was pretty much immediately closed. And it turns out that on the same weekend as that drowning, a woman went missing on her way home from a club. Even though he is a traffic cop, Erlandur starts looking into both these cases. Maybe they are related? In order to find out, you'll have to read the book.
This book has all the elements I like in a crime novel. Interesting characters, good suspense, quite a few false leads, and the crimes aren't solved until the very end of the book. What more could you ask for? And to top it all off, Erlendur collects books!
Luckily for me, I haven't read any of the main series, so I will shortly be reading the first one (to be translated into English anyway). It's called Jar City.
The only slight problem I had was trying to pronounce some of the place names (Skolavordustigur and Hverfisgata for instance).
October 16, 2014
I'm still playing catch up here -- I actually finished this book about a week ago.
As usual, you can certainly feel free to choose between the longer, more detailed review at my online reading journal or the shorter version here.
To my intense delight, Erlendur is back -- albeit as a young patrolman on the night shift -- in a prequel to the entire series. On his regular shift one night, young patrolman Erlendur receives a report that takes him to the scene of the drowning of a homeless man who went by the name Hannibal. Since it didn't seem to investigators that there had been any foul play, CID assumed that Hannibal's death was an accident, and the case goes cold. After all, the man was known to be a tramp, CID "had other fish to fry," and basically "no one seemed interested." Erlendur, however, had known Hannibal prior to his death, having crossed paths with him now and then, and just shortly before Hannibal's death, had listened to Hannibal when he'd claimed that someone had set fire to the cellar where he was living. Like everyone else, Erlendur didn't believe him. Now, a year later, while Hannibal is just a name on a file tucked away somewhere in police archives Erlendur can't forget him. Flying under the radar of his superiors, he decides he has to find out what really happened to this lost soul that night. But Hannibal's case is just one of two cold cases Erlendur can't forget. The case of a missing wife from the proverbial other side of the tracks in one of Iceland's better neighborhoods haunts him as well.
For people who have given this book less than a good rating because they found the crimes uninteresting or even boring, well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, and it's certainly true that people approach books differently -- but if you're judging this book on the basis of the crimes and crime-solving, in my opinion, you may have missed the point.
The very best element of Reykjavik Nights (imho) is not found in the crimes, in the idea that true evil doesn't discriminate between the best and worst neighborhoods in any city, in the social issues, or even in Erlendur's clandestine investigations. It lies with Erlendur Sveinsson himself. Even though he's very young and hasn't yet started on the career path as a detective where he ends up with the dream team of colleagues Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg, the Erlendur whom readers know from the regular series novels is all anchored right here -- the loner, the traditionalist, the seeker of lost souls. Since I know how things are going to turn out for him later, I found myself, for example, actually upset when he started dating future ex-wife Halldora, because well, as everyone knows, that's just not going to turn out well. It hit me while reading this book just how very much I've ended up investing in Erlendur over several years -- that may sound kind of stupid since he's a fictional character, but I suppose it means that Indridason has created a character whose life I actually cared about. To be very blunt, I can't honestly say that about most the characters in most crime fiction novels I read.
I think this book works best for people who've already read the entire series. It's much more simplistic than the other novels, and I'm inclined to believe that the author did that on purpose to keep the focus on Erlendur himself, rather than on the crimes. I appreciated the obviously slower pace for that very reason.
As usual, you can certainly feel free to choose between the longer, more detailed review at my online reading journal or the shorter version here.
To my intense delight, Erlendur is back -- albeit as a young patrolman on the night shift -- in a prequel to the entire series. On his regular shift one night, young patrolman Erlendur receives a report that takes him to the scene of the drowning of a homeless man who went by the name Hannibal. Since it didn't seem to investigators that there had been any foul play, CID assumed that Hannibal's death was an accident, and the case goes cold. After all, the man was known to be a tramp, CID "had other fish to fry," and basically "no one seemed interested." Erlendur, however, had known Hannibal prior to his death, having crossed paths with him now and then, and just shortly before Hannibal's death, had listened to Hannibal when he'd claimed that someone had set fire to the cellar where he was living. Like everyone else, Erlendur didn't believe him. Now, a year later, while Hannibal is just a name on a file tucked away somewhere in police archives Erlendur can't forget him. Flying under the radar of his superiors, he decides he has to find out what really happened to this lost soul that night. But Hannibal's case is just one of two cold cases Erlendur can't forget. The case of a missing wife from the proverbial other side of the tracks in one of Iceland's better neighborhoods haunts him as well.
For people who have given this book less than a good rating because they found the crimes uninteresting or even boring, well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, and it's certainly true that people approach books differently -- but if you're judging this book on the basis of the crimes and crime-solving, in my opinion, you may have missed the point.
The very best element of Reykjavik Nights (imho) is not found in the crimes, in the idea that true evil doesn't discriminate between the best and worst neighborhoods in any city, in the social issues, or even in Erlendur's clandestine investigations. It lies with Erlendur Sveinsson himself. Even though he's very young and hasn't yet started on the career path as a detective where he ends up with the dream team of colleagues Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg, the Erlendur whom readers know from the regular series novels is all anchored right here -- the loner, the traditionalist, the seeker of lost souls. Since I know how things are going to turn out for him later, I found myself, for example, actually upset when he started dating future ex-wife Halldora, because well, as everyone knows, that's just not going to turn out well. It hit me while reading this book just how very much I've ended up investing in Erlendur over several years -- that may sound kind of stupid since he's a fictional character, but I suppose it means that Indridason has created a character whose life I actually cared about. To be very blunt, I can't honestly say that about most the characters in most crime fiction novels I read.
I think this book works best for people who've already read the entire series. It's much more simplistic than the other novels, and I'm inclined to believe that the author did that on purpose to keep the focus on Erlendur himself, rather than on the crimes. I appreciated the obviously slower pace for that very reason.
January 1, 2024
This is a prequel to the well-written Icelandic noir series featuring Inspector Erlandur, and it reminded me of why I’ve always enjoyed these books so much. Erlandur, a lowly traffic cop at this point in his career, becomes obsessed with the death of a homeless man he’s occasionally encountered on his beat. He can’t shake the feeling that although it certainly looks like an accidental drowning, it might not be.
As always, it’s told in an uncomplicated way, with the plot elements emerging organically. One fun feature in this is the reflections on the incursions of American and English culture on Iceland in 1968. Two of Erlandur’s colleagues argue over the lasting power of various rock groups, for instance. One of them announces that The Rolling Stones are so good they could be rocking into their 50’s ( or 60’s or 70’s, as it happens).
I don’t know how this would work as stand alone, but anyone who is already a fan of the series will definitely enjoy this early look at Erlandur and the things that haunt his later life.
As always, it’s told in an uncomplicated way, with the plot elements emerging organically. One fun feature in this is the reflections on the incursions of American and English culture on Iceland in 1968. Two of Erlandur’s colleagues argue over the lasting power of various rock groups, for instance. One of them announces that The Rolling Stones are so good they could be rocking into their 50’s ( or 60’s or 70’s, as it happens).
I don’t know how this would work as stand alone, but anyone who is already a fan of the series will definitely enjoy this early look at Erlandur and the things that haunt his later life.
February 13, 2025
5 stars
short review for busy readers:
Erlendur's origin story as a detective. Excellent case and a delight for Erlendur fans.
in detail:
I think I enjoyed this one a lot more than other Erlendur's due to three factors.
1. I actually enjoyed watching Erlendur, the traffic cop, pursue the case on his off time. That works so much better than when he's an investigator because he's clearly motivated by his own curiosity and past than by his job. (Which is always a problem with police procedurals)
2. the feel of summer 1974 Reykjavik is done so very well. The little details were delightful, as were seeing how much drunk driving, crime, homelessness and social problems there were at the time and how little was being done about them.
3. We almost got away without encountering Marian Briem. IMHO, Arnaldur's worse ever character. Lovely to have an early Erlendur without...him/her/it/them.
One thing that was an annoyance, however, was how often characters say "that's none of your business". Every single last character says that to Erlendur multiple times and I had to wonder, why that particular phrase? Was that very common then? *head scratch*
"None of your business" is almost as annoying as when witnesses say "I don't know how I can help you" or "why are you asking me these questions?" or even stupider, "Am I suspect? That's absurd!!!" It should be obvious why a police officer is asking you odd/detailed/probing questions. Keep yer shirt on.
I'm not sure if it's Arnaldur's much developed writing skills that it is easy to spot the killer, or if he fumbled it. In any case, the non-reveal reveal is a grand example of people giving themselves away through what they choose to say, or not to say. This time, I'm not holding that against the author. It's very realistic. (But that's none of your biz wax!)
short review for busy readers:
Erlendur's origin story as a detective. Excellent case and a delight for Erlendur fans.
in detail:
I think I enjoyed this one a lot more than other Erlendur's due to three factors.
1. I actually enjoyed watching Erlendur, the traffic cop, pursue the case on his off time. That works so much better than when he's an investigator because he's clearly motivated by his own curiosity and past than by his job. (Which is always a problem with police procedurals)
2. the feel of summer 1974 Reykjavik is done so very well. The little details were delightful, as were seeing how much drunk driving, crime, homelessness and social problems there were at the time and how little was being done about them.
3. We almost got away without encountering Marian Briem. IMHO, Arnaldur's worse ever character. Lovely to have an early Erlendur without...him/her/it/them.
One thing that was an annoyance, however, was how often characters say "that's none of your business". Every single last character says that to Erlendur multiple times and I had to wonder, why that particular phrase? Was that very common then? *head scratch*
"None of your business" is almost as annoying as when witnesses say "I don't know how I can help you" or "why are you asking me these questions?" or even stupider, "Am I suspect? That's absurd!!!" It should be obvious why a police officer is asking you odd/detailed/probing questions. Keep yer shirt on.
I'm not sure if it's Arnaldur's much developed writing skills that it is easy to spot the killer, or if he fumbled it. In any case, the non-reveal reveal is a grand example of people giving themselves away through what they choose to say, or not to say. This time, I'm not holding that against the author. It's very realistic. (But that's none of your biz wax!)
June 28, 2015
In Reykjavik nights, we are re-introduced to Inspector Erlendur, here a new, young policeman, on traffic detail, busting up small time crime--burglaries, drunken house parties, fisticuffs, the sort of crime that happens on his frequent night shifts. He also is coming to know the city better and the denizens of the night.
As in the later stories, Erlendur is different from his fellow officers and here we get a picture of both cause and effect---what drives him to seek answers and just how relentless he can be. He chooses to take on an unofficial investigation of the death of a tramp, a year after the incident, alone, as a private citizen.
Iceland itself is always a character in these novels. Erlendur feels the differences between the city and the country side deeply though his parents brought him to Reykjavik when he was 12. Part of him is still wandering out in the fields and mountains, not on the rough city streets.
While the mystery itself was not terribly complex, the steps to its solution were certainly labored and an interesting step in Erlendur's character development. I enjoyed seeing the way he attempts to relate to others, never easy for him.
I do find this a good addition to the series for these reasons and have rated it 3.5*, rounded to 4*
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
As in the later stories, Erlendur is different from his fellow officers and here we get a picture of both cause and effect---what drives him to seek answers and just how relentless he can be. He chooses to take on an unofficial investigation of the death of a tramp, a year after the incident, alone, as a private citizen.
Iceland itself is always a character in these novels. Erlendur feels the differences between the city and the country side deeply though his parents brought him to Reykjavik when he was 12. Part of him is still wandering out in the fields and mountains, not on the rough city streets.
While the mystery itself was not terribly complex, the steps to its solution were certainly labored and an interesting step in Erlendur's character development. I enjoyed seeing the way he attempts to relate to others, never easy for him.
I do find this a good addition to the series for these reasons and have rated it 3.5*, rounded to 4*
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 13, 2015
This is a prequel to the Erlunder series, which has remained one of my favorite Nordic series. Was wonderful seeing the young Erlunder in the role of a traffic cop but how he still managed to put together things that had escaped others. The bones of the later Erlunder already in place. Not able to let go of something until it is solved to his satisfaction.
This plot revolved around a missing woman and a group of street people. Loved to see the compassion he had for these people, unable to stop drinking and so down on their luck. Loved the character of Hannibal and glad we got to see his back story, one that is tragic and brought him to the street.
A very good series with a remarkable character.
This plot revolved around a missing woman and a group of street people. Loved to see the compassion he had for these people, unable to stop drinking and so down on their luck. Loved the character of Hannibal and glad we got to see his back story, one that is tragic and brought him to the street.
A very good series with a remarkable character.
December 19, 2016
I found this a bit disappointing. I've read several other Erlendur novels and have always found them extremely atmospheric. I found this one rather matter of fact. It was interesting to read this prequel, and find out how Erlendur started as a detective. However, if this had been the first of the books that I read, I doubt if I would have read further.
March 15, 2022
احب قراءة اعمال ارنالدور حتي بالنسبة لي من أهم كتاب عالم الجريمة الحديث
لكن مع كثرة القراءة له أصبحت أشعر بتكرار الحبكة مع اختلاف القصة والتفاصيل الزائدة التي تجعلني اشعر بالملل وعدم رغبتي في معرفة حل الجريمة وسعي بإنهاء الصفحات بلا أي تشويق ..
لكن مع كثرة القراءة له أصبحت أشعر بتكرار الحبكة مع اختلاف القصة والتفاصيل الزائدة التي تجعلني اشعر بالملل وعدم رغبتي في معرفة حل الجريمة وسعي بإنهاء الصفحات بلا أي تشويق ..
October 22, 2017
I ended up enjoying this story.
Erlendur is a young cop going about his own business. In the course of his duties, he befriends a homeless man and, when he dies in a drowning, begins to investigate.
This book starts slow but as the story moves along, I realized that the reader is slowly getting to know how this man thinks and works. We're being introduced to a young man who hasn't quite found his path in life.
This appears to be a character-driven series. This sort of series gets better as it goes on. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series. This story may have been a bit slow but it was a good mystery, the people grew and the ending was satisfactory. A good start for a new series.
There is a lot of drinking and drunkenness in Reykjavik, if one is to believe this book. LOL!
Erlendur is a young cop going about his own business. In the course of his duties, he befriends a homeless man and, when he dies in a drowning, begins to investigate.
This book starts slow but as the story moves along, I realized that the reader is slowly getting to know how this man thinks and works. We're being introduced to a young man who hasn't quite found his path in life.
This appears to be a character-driven series. This sort of series gets better as it goes on. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series. This story may have been a bit slow but it was a good mystery, the people grew and the ending was satisfactory. A good start for a new series.
There is a lot of drinking and drunkenness in Reykjavik, if one is to believe this book. LOL!
January 18, 2019
I'm thoroughly enjoying the many Icelandic and Scandinavian noir writers I've been reading, but oh my! trying to pronounce people and place names in my head as I read is a puzzle. That said, this little peccadillo is nothing to keep away readers.
Reykjavik Nights introduces Inspector Erlendur during his earliest days on the police force. As readers, we get to watch as Erlendur develops as a young man and as an investigator, albeit an unofficial investigation.
Moderately-paced plot with a number of twists, the investigation is intriguing but it is the fully-fleshed out characters who carry the story and add the details that make it all seem so real.
Reykjavik Nights introduces Inspector Erlendur during his earliest days on the police force. As readers, we get to watch as Erlendur develops as a young man and as an investigator, albeit an unofficial investigation.
Moderately-paced plot with a number of twists, the investigation is intriguing but it is the fully-fleshed out characters who carry the story and add the details that make it all seem so real.
June 27, 2024
Erlendur alighanem a legempatikusabb nyomozó a krimiirodalomban. Mondjuk a felületes szemlélő számára simán antiszociálisnak tűnik, de ez csak azért van így, mert igazából jól elvan a saját belvilágával, amit eltűnt emberek népesítenek be. Mert Erlendurnak fura hobbija van: szinte kényszeresen érdeklik azok, akik elvesztek. Kár, hogy szimpla mezei közrendőrként - mert ebben a regényben Erlendur még tejfölös szájú újonc - kevés ilyen eset adódik, helyette családi perpatvarokkal és részeg garázdákkal bíbelődik a reykjavíki éjszakában. Aztán szöget üt a fejébe valami egy hajléktalan halála kapcsán, amit a kollégák szívfájdalom nélkül ad acta tették. Mert ugye mi egy hajléktalan halála? Maga az érdektelenség. Hisz ha valaki kiírta magát a társadalomból, ha valaki az utcára került, az voltaképp társadalmi értelemben tetemnek tekinthető - amikor biológiai értelemben is azzá válik, az csak ennek a folyamatnak a hivatalossá válása. De Erlendur nem így látja a dolgot. Meglátja a halottban az áldozatot, az áldozatban pedig azt, amit a többiek nem: az embert. És ha egyszer áldozat van, akkor kell találni hozzá elkövetőt is. Ezt diktálja hősünk belső morális kódexe. Úgyhogy a munkaidőn kívül nyakába veszi a várost, hogy választ kapjon a motoszkáló kérdésekre.
Kényelmes tempójú skandináv krimi - néha olyan lassan csordogál, mint amilyennek az izlandi hétfő estéket képzelem. Ahogy azt már a szerzőtől megszokhattuk, nem "vér és bél"-krimit ír, hanem inkább a múltban gyökerező bűnök érdeklik. Számára a bűncselekmény nem látványos, a valóságot felforgató anomália, hanem valami, ami szükségszerűen következik a rendszer működési zavaraiból - azokból a zavarokból, amiket a legtöbbet ignorálunk, és aminek kiküszöböléséhez igazából édeskevés egyetlen rendőr kitartása. Erlendur erkölcsi nagyságát pedig az bizonyítja, hogy mégsem azt kérdezi: "Van-e értelme ennek?" Hanem nekifeszül, nyomoz, kutakodik, egyszerűen azért, mert jó ember, és egy jó ember mást nem tehet.
Kényelmes tempójú skandináv krimi - néha olyan lassan csordogál, mint amilyennek az izlandi hétfő estéket képzelem. Ahogy azt már a szerzőtől megszokhattuk, nem "vér és bél"-krimit ír, hanem inkább a múltban gyökerező bűnök érdeklik. Számára a bűncselekmény nem látványos, a valóságot felforgató anomália, hanem valami, ami szükségszerűen következik a rendszer működési zavaraiból - azokból a zavarokból, amiket a legtöbbet ignorálunk, és aminek kiküszöböléséhez igazából édeskevés egyetlen rendőr kitartása. Erlendur erkölcsi nagyságát pedig az bizonyítja, hogy mégsem azt kérdezi: "Van-e értelme ennek?" Hanem nekifeszül, nyomoz, kutakodik, egyszerűen azért, mert jó ember, és egy jó ember mást nem tehet.
January 25, 2013
Chronologically, the last we knew of Erlendur, the police detective of Arnaldur's series, he was (perhaps forever) searching for the remains of his younger brother. ( As young boys they got lost in a wilderness snowstorm and inadvertently separated, Erlendur has never given up the search for his lost brother.) This (chronological) last sighting of Erlendur was in Furðustrandir (Strange Shores). The next to last book in the series, The Chess Match, instead featured a young Erlendur back in the beginning of his career. This latest book goes even further back in time, to 1974. While the Chess Match is set during the Fisher-Spasski duel, Reykjavíkurnætur( Reykjavik Nights) concerns itself with missing people and anchors Erlendur's obsession, almost his reason for being: finding the missing.
Yet here is another sense in which Arnaldur, the author, has his main character search for the missing: the body of one of the persons he concerns himself with is not missing in the sense of it having disappeared; his body was quickly found. Rather, his searchlight is on after a man who most had forgotten and was too insignificant for anyone to look closely into why he drowned. Erlendur, in his free time, wonders, and discovers this homeless drunkard's fate and who he was. So along with Reykjavik in all its drunken modality (in those days it was not fashionable or for tourists) we see how the homeless, men and women, survive (or not).
(I was a student in Reykjavik those days, how well the localities are described! The gray cement hot water tank featured in the book; I so often used to take a walks on it. Is it still there?)
We get to know Erlendur better. He gets along with his fellow cops; their nightshift cruising is often a source of hilarity (some just to the reader given the changing times and attitudes-towards such strange things as pizza), sometimes as its shows up the delusional notions of the petty criminal. But Erlendur is a loner. He saw how "it was not for him to travel with relentlessly merry people. The merriment could be oppressive." He has met the woman who we happen to know will become his wife, but she is not important to him, work is, his obsessions are. He excuses himself with his work, his schedule etc. When she tells him she is pregnant, we never see him concern himself with that. He daydreams of going to school again, then to the university, to study, guess what, Icelandic history.
Arnaldur himself studied history at the University of Iceland. Interestingly, as history weaves itself through his books, one makes these observations. Also, one current event looms, and then it is a setting: the 1974 National Celebration, in Þingvellir, of Iceland's 1100 years' birthday. Arnaldur would have been 13 at this time, but his father was the national chairman of the event (and even wrote a book about it) Surely the son would have been at Þingvellir on that 17th of June.
And now his character is there! "The command post of the police was a short distance from the tent of the directors of the festival." Later, surprising the police, were protesters against Iceland in Nato! (Ha ha, I was visiting my brother who was studying in Germany, or else we might have been there, protesting like good leftwing students. But our dad was also in an organizing committee for this event, so we'd have behaved, I hope) Wonder what Arnaldur and his dad thought of the unexpected hoo-ha, but here Erlendur does not take part in the arrests.
"Barefoot children played at the water's edge". Did Arnaldur do that, and did he then, like Erlendur, inch closer to the stage when Tómas Guðmundsson, the poet, read his commemorative poem? At any rate, the description in the book of that beautiful day is excellent; even the appearance of what his fellow policeman calls´the bloody communists´ completes the picture.
This next to last chapter really sits outside the main story line and the only connection with the oeuvre in general is that it is made the setting of Erlendur literally being tapped to join Iceland's new and tiny detective squad. I think it celebrates a special memory.
What a sweep in one book, the down and out at their most pathetic, huddling for warmth in the winter dark; the nation reveling in its survival in the bright summer glory. It is something few foreigners realize unless they live in Iceland: how happily one turns one's face to the sun in lee from the wind. Also the drunkards and the homeless relish that moment- and Arnaldur has gotten that scene too.
Yet here is another sense in which Arnaldur, the author, has his main character search for the missing: the body of one of the persons he concerns himself with is not missing in the sense of it having disappeared; his body was quickly found. Rather, his searchlight is on after a man who most had forgotten and was too insignificant for anyone to look closely into why he drowned. Erlendur, in his free time, wonders, and discovers this homeless drunkard's fate and who he was. So along with Reykjavik in all its drunken modality (in those days it was not fashionable or for tourists) we see how the homeless, men and women, survive (or not).
(I was a student in Reykjavik those days, how well the localities are described! The gray cement hot water tank featured in the book; I so often used to take a walks on it. Is it still there?)
We get to know Erlendur better. He gets along with his fellow cops; their nightshift cruising is often a source of hilarity (some just to the reader given the changing times and attitudes-towards such strange things as pizza), sometimes as its shows up the delusional notions of the petty criminal. But Erlendur is a loner. He saw how "it was not for him to travel with relentlessly merry people. The merriment could be oppressive." He has met the woman who we happen to know will become his wife, but she is not important to him, work is, his obsessions are. He excuses himself with his work, his schedule etc. When she tells him she is pregnant, we never see him concern himself with that. He daydreams of going to school again, then to the university, to study, guess what, Icelandic history.
Arnaldur himself studied history at the University of Iceland. Interestingly, as history weaves itself through his books, one makes these observations. Also, one current event looms, and then it is a setting: the 1974 National Celebration, in Þingvellir, of Iceland's 1100 years' birthday. Arnaldur would have been 13 at this time, but his father was the national chairman of the event (and even wrote a book about it) Surely the son would have been at Þingvellir on that 17th of June.
And now his character is there! "The command post of the police was a short distance from the tent of the directors of the festival." Later, surprising the police, were protesters against Iceland in Nato! (Ha ha, I was visiting my brother who was studying in Germany, or else we might have been there, protesting like good leftwing students. But our dad was also in an organizing committee for this event, so we'd have behaved, I hope) Wonder what Arnaldur and his dad thought of the unexpected hoo-ha, but here Erlendur does not take part in the arrests.
"Barefoot children played at the water's edge". Did Arnaldur do that, and did he then, like Erlendur, inch closer to the stage when Tómas Guðmundsson, the poet, read his commemorative poem? At any rate, the description in the book of that beautiful day is excellent; even the appearance of what his fellow policeman calls´the bloody communists´ completes the picture.
This next to last chapter really sits outside the main story line and the only connection with the oeuvre in general is that it is made the setting of Erlendur literally being tapped to join Iceland's new and tiny detective squad. I think it celebrates a special memory.
What a sweep in one book, the down and out at their most pathetic, huddling for warmth in the winter dark; the nation reveling in its survival in the bright summer glory. It is something few foreigners realize unless they live in Iceland: how happily one turns one's face to the sun in lee from the wind. Also the drunkards and the homeless relish that moment- and Arnaldur has gotten that scene too.
February 20, 2025
After a while a bus arrived and Thuri stood up, saying a curt goodbye as if she wanted nothing more to do with Erlendur. The sky was leaden and it was raining again. He watched her climb aboard and select a window seat, ready to carry on circling the city with no destination, never leaving the vehicle, not caring where it went: her life a journey without purpose. As Erlendur followed the departing bus with his eyes, he pictured himself in her shoes, forever circling around life, alone, with no destination.
Erlendur Sveinsson is a traffic cop, patrolling the streets of Reykjavík in the 1970’s, dealing with drink and drug offences, traffic incidents, responding to the occasional burglary. A year earlier three boys, floating a homemade raft on water-filled pools at the old peat diggings, found the body of a tramp, known to Erlendur as Hannibal. At the time the death was dismissed as an accidental drowning, with detectives focussing on a missing woman who failed to return home after an office party.
Erlendur has been in a relationship with a woman for over two years, without feeling the need to settle down, and lives a simple life in a small apartment, no TV, eating traditional Icelandic food and reading books on missing persons.
This fixation of his on disappearances – with the phenomenon itself, the fates of those who were never heard of again and the sufferings of those left behind to mourn.
Something about Hannibal’s death perplexes him... Dwelling on his knowledge of the man when they had spoken together he seeks out the sister, Rebekka, to find out how and why he become an alcoholic.
I found Reykjavík Nights an engaging read at many levels. Within the first few pages I reached for GoogleMaps to get a visual on the main streets, landmarks and the locales of Reykjavík to follow the storyline, and it was well worth the effort. Here is a country celebrating its 900 year history, while elements are uncomfortable with its minor role in WWII.
Indriðason paints a sympathetic picture of those who fall outside the social order whether through misfortune, grief or survivor guilt, building into a story of two apparently unrelated events. From here on I won’t be able to pass a homeless person without wondering why.
Lastly, I love the way the Icelandic alphabet (28 letters) has retained the Latin ǣ and eth (ð); used in Old English, Middle English and Faroese, and in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, giving it a Viking feel.
Erlendur Sveinsson is a traffic cop, patrolling the streets of Reykjavík in the 1970’s, dealing with drink and drug offences, traffic incidents, responding to the occasional burglary. A year earlier three boys, floating a homemade raft on water-filled pools at the old peat diggings, found the body of a tramp, known to Erlendur as Hannibal. At the time the death was dismissed as an accidental drowning, with detectives focussing on a missing woman who failed to return home after an office party.
Erlendur has been in a relationship with a woman for over two years, without feeling the need to settle down, and lives a simple life in a small apartment, no TV, eating traditional Icelandic food and reading books on missing persons.
This fixation of his on disappearances – with the phenomenon itself, the fates of those who were never heard of again and the sufferings of those left behind to mourn.
Something about Hannibal’s death perplexes him... Dwelling on his knowledge of the man when they had spoken together he seeks out the sister, Rebekka, to find out how and why he become an alcoholic.
I found Reykjavík Nights an engaging read at many levels. Within the first few pages I reached for GoogleMaps to get a visual on the main streets, landmarks and the locales of Reykjavík to follow the storyline, and it was well worth the effort. Here is a country celebrating its 900 year history, while elements are uncomfortable with its minor role in WWII.
Indriðason paints a sympathetic picture of those who fall outside the social order whether through misfortune, grief or survivor guilt, building into a story of two apparently unrelated events. From here on I won’t be able to pass a homeless person without wondering why.
Lastly, I love the way the Icelandic alphabet (28 letters) has retained the Latin ǣ and eth (ð); used in Old English, Middle English and Faroese, and in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, giving it a Viking feel.
November 23, 2022
Erlendur on the Night Shift
Review of the Harvill Secker paperback (2014) translated by Victoria Cribb from the Icelandic language original Reykjavíkurnætur (2012)
I have been enjoying a recent reintroduction to Arnaldur's Icelandic noir in the Flovent & Thorson (2013-16) and the Konráð (2017-20) series. I thought that I'd give some of the last Inspector Erlendurs a try as well and it turns out that they are actually prequels from a Young Erlendur (2011-14) series.
Number 1 in the Young Erlendur series Einvígið (The Duel) (2011) is actually not available in English translation. From reading reviews it seems that its protagonist is mostly the senior Icelandic CID detective Marion Briem. So making a start with Reykjavík Nights is quite reasonable as it has the young Erlendur as a traffic cop only shortly after joining the police force. The bulk of the novel follows Erlendur and two summer temp policeman [a note of surprise here that you can be a policeman in Iceland as a summer job?] on the night shift in 1974, mostly dealing with traffic accidents, drunk drivers and domestic assaults.
Reykjavík in 1970. Image sourced from Icelandic Grapevine's Flickr.
Unofficially and in his spare time, Erlendur begins a dual investigation of the death of a homeless tramp named Hannibal and the disappearance of a housewife named Oddny. He knew Hannibal from occasional encounters on the night shift and the cold case of Oddny intrigues him because of his own background due to having lost his brother due to a snowstorm in his younger days. The two cases merge in the end and after several red-herring suspects the solution becomes clear and Erlendur brings his findings to the CID in the person of Marion Briem, who is impressed with the young patrolman's initiative and offers him a possible future job in the CID.
Reykjavik Nights was a quick read, although it seems for the longest time that nothing is happening while we go through the various night shift incidents and then Erlendur re-interviewing the same witnesses and suspects to his two cold cases again and again. Things don't really kick off until the final 20% of the book when the two cases come together at last. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book was that young Erlendur's investigations were unofficial and in that, they were a precedent for Arnaldur's later books with the retired Inspector Konráð.
Other Reviews
Reykjavik Nights by Raven at Crime Fiction Lover, September 17, 2014.
Reykjavik Nights at Kirkus Reviews, April 21, 2015.
Reykjavik Nights by Anna Creer at Sydney Morning Herald, January 2, 2015 .
Trivia and Links
You can read more about translator Victoria Cribb at The Loneliness of the Icelandic Translator, Publishing Perspectives, January 6, 2012 and at One of These Eccentrics Who Came to Iceland and Fell in Love with the Language, Icelandic Literature Centre, October 30, 2018.
Review of the Harvill Secker paperback (2014) translated by Victoria Cribb from the Icelandic language original Reykjavíkurnætur (2012)
I have been enjoying a recent reintroduction to Arnaldur's Icelandic noir in the Flovent & Thorson (2013-16) and the Konráð (2017-20) series. I thought that I'd give some of the last Inspector Erlendurs a try as well and it turns out that they are actually prequels from a Young Erlendur (2011-14) series.
Number 1 in the Young Erlendur series Einvígið (The Duel) (2011) is actually not available in English translation. From reading reviews it seems that its protagonist is mostly the senior Icelandic CID detective Marion Briem. So making a start with Reykjavík Nights is quite reasonable as it has the young Erlendur as a traffic cop only shortly after joining the police force. The bulk of the novel follows Erlendur and two summer temp policeman [a note of surprise here that you can be a policeman in Iceland as a summer job?] on the night shift in 1974, mostly dealing with traffic accidents, drunk drivers and domestic assaults.
Reykjavík in 1970. Image sourced from Icelandic Grapevine's Flickr.
Unofficially and in his spare time, Erlendur begins a dual investigation of the death of a homeless tramp named Hannibal and the disappearance of a housewife named Oddny. He knew Hannibal from occasional encounters on the night shift and the cold case of Oddny intrigues him because of his own background due to having lost his brother due to a snowstorm in his younger days. The two cases merge in the end and after several red-herring suspects the solution becomes clear and Erlendur brings his findings to the CID in the person of Marion Briem, who is impressed with the young patrolman's initiative and offers him a possible future job in the CID.
Reykjavik Nights was a quick read, although it seems for the longest time that nothing is happening while we go through the various night shift incidents and then Erlendur re-interviewing the same witnesses and suspects to his two cold cases again and again. Things don't really kick off until the final 20% of the book when the two cases come together at last. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book was that young Erlendur's investigations were unofficial and in that, they were a precedent for Arnaldur's later books with the retired Inspector Konráð.
Other Reviews
Reykjavik Nights by Raven at Crime Fiction Lover, September 17, 2014.
Reykjavik Nights at Kirkus Reviews, April 21, 2015.
Reykjavik Nights by Anna Creer at Sydney Morning Herald, January 2, 2015 .
Trivia and Links
You can read more about translator Victoria Cribb at The Loneliness of the Icelandic Translator, Publishing Perspectives, January 6, 2012 and at One of These Eccentrics Who Came to Iceland and Fell in Love with the Language, Icelandic Literature Centre, October 30, 2018.
April 22, 2015
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read a copy of Reykjavik Nights. 3 1/2 stars. I've been meaning to read Indridason's series for a long time, so when an opportunity to read his newest book came up, I was delighted. But I was a bit apprehensive because I tend to be a bit obsessive about reading mystery series in order. I thought this book could be an exception because it's a prequel. It takes place in the early years of Erlendur's career. So I read it without having a sense of what the depiction of Erlendur's personality and life as a young cop is meant to suggest about the older Erlendur. In the early part of the book I was distracted by this, and was finding the plot a bit thin and Erlendur not particularly interesting. But as I kept reading, I found myself having trouble turning my Kindle off so I was clearly enjoying something about the book. It’s a fairly simple detective story. Erlendur as a young traffic cop sets out to figure out who killed a “tramp” named Hannibal. Erlendur does this on his own time – which seems a bit unrealistic but I suppose is a necessary device to have a young traffic cop get involved in a murder investigation. The setting is Reykjavik in the 1970s, and Indridason does a good job of giving us a feel for that time and place. It’s a fairly bleak depiction with lots of drunkenness, and domestic violence that goes unreported and unpunished. But it’s done with a lot of empathy. And the story, although not particularly complex, kept me reading and wanting to find out how all of the strands Erlendur was uncovering fit together. And the translation is very good. Which all leads me to say that this was worth the read, but mostly because it makes me feel like reading Indradison’s previous books set later in Erlendur’s career, in which I gather this detective is a more complex character and the plots have more meat. I am happy I read this, but I think that I will generally stick to my habit of reading mystery series in the order in which they’re published – even where there’s an opportunity to read a prequel.
July 8, 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 tenth novel, Officer Erlendur Sveinsson is new to the Reykjavik Police Force. Working the night shift, Erlendur discovers that the city streets are dark. Crimes fill his shift and death is anything but uncommon. Erlendur befriends a homeless man on his beat, only to find him drowned in a body of water one night. In another incident, a woman vanishes on her way home from a club. No one cares and their cases go cold. While Erlendur is only a beat cop, his passion for answers helps hone his investigative skills. This is early Erlendur and the spark that created the great Reykjavik investigator. Arnaldur Indriðason provides this backstory to plant the seeds for the protagonist who has captivated series fans for years.
Erlendur Sveinsson is new to the police force in Reykjavik with bright eyes and an eagerness to make a difference. He is assigned to the night shift and begins working to better the city, one shift at a time. It is during this time that Erlendur discovers the darkness of Reykjavik, with its robberies and beatings on every shift, as people work their trades with little notice of the police. This is not the city that Erlendur knows, or feels he recognises. However, he hopes to make a difference if he works his beat and connects with the people he encounters.
After Erlendur befriends a homeless man, their interactions at night develop into a lose friendship. Helping Hannibal as best he can, Erlendur wonders if he is making a real difference. One night, Erlendur discovers Hannibal having drowned in a body of water, and wants to solve the case. Hannibal has had a tough life and Erlendur knows he may have made enemies. No one seems to have answers about the drowning, but everyone has something to say about Hannibal. Erlendur pushes for more, but finds only a brick wall when he asks. A woman also goes missing while walking home from the clubs one night, never to be seen again. Erlendur cannot simply forget and pushes to get answers, if only to put the cases to rest.
While Erlendur seeks answers, everyone wants him to forget it, remembering only that this is Reykjavik at night, where things happen and people mind their own business. Erlendur cannot let these loose ends dangle and pushes for answers. His spark to investigate helps sharpen his skills and pushes for answers. While still a young officer, Erlendur shows how he found a passion for investigating and a desire to find solutions to every case he encounters. This is Young Erlendur Sveinsson, a beat cop with a great history to come, once he can discover his footing. Indriðason plants some great seeds in this prequel novel that sets the scene for a powerful 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 younger Erlendur and his life as a newly minted cop. The narrative sets the scene for a keener Erlendur, whose interest in solving crimes helps create the passion that this series has presented. While I missed out on the opening two novels of the series, never having been translated into English, I have a better feel for Erlendur and his early days. The characters in the book provide a strong foundation for the series and leaves the reader with a better idea of how he became an exquisite investigator. Plot points provide twists to keep the reader eager to learn more, as surprises provide entertainment for all who have made it this far in the series. I am eager to see what Arnaldur Indriðason has next, which is supposed to be another prequel novel and, to date, the last book in the collection.
Kudos, Mr. Indriðason, for a darker look into the series that has me captivated!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Erlendur Sveinsson is new to the police force in Reykjavik with bright eyes and an eagerness to make a difference. He is assigned to the night shift and begins working to better the city, one shift at a time. It is during this time that Erlendur discovers the darkness of Reykjavik, with its robberies and beatings on every shift, as people work their trades with little notice of the police. This is not the city that Erlendur knows, or feels he recognises. However, he hopes to make a difference if he works his beat and connects with the people he encounters.
After Erlendur befriends a homeless man, their interactions at night develop into a lose friendship. Helping Hannibal as best he can, Erlendur wonders if he is making a real difference. One night, Erlendur discovers Hannibal having drowned in a body of water, and wants to solve the case. Hannibal has had a tough life and Erlendur knows he may have made enemies. No one seems to have answers about the drowning, but everyone has something to say about Hannibal. Erlendur pushes for more, but finds only a brick wall when he asks. A woman also goes missing while walking home from the clubs one night, never to be seen again. Erlendur cannot simply forget and pushes to get answers, if only to put the cases to rest.
While Erlendur seeks answers, everyone wants him to forget it, remembering only that this is Reykjavik at night, where things happen and people mind their own business. Erlendur cannot let these loose ends dangle and pushes for answers. His spark to investigate helps sharpen his skills and pushes for answers. While still a young officer, Erlendur shows how he found a passion for investigating and a desire to find solutions to every case he encounters. This is Young Erlendur Sveinsson, a beat cop with a great history to come, once he can discover his footing. Indriðason plants some great seeds in this prequel novel that sets the scene for a powerful 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 younger Erlendur and his life as a newly minted cop. The narrative sets the scene for a keener Erlendur, whose interest in solving crimes helps create the passion that this series has presented. While I missed out on the opening two novels of the series, never having been translated into English, I have a better feel for Erlendur and his early days. The characters in the book provide a strong foundation for the series and leaves the reader with a better idea of how he became an exquisite investigator. Plot points provide twists to keep the reader eager to learn more, as surprises provide entertainment for all who have made it this far in the series. I am eager to see what Arnaldur Indriðason has next, which is supposed to be another prequel novel and, to date, the last book in the collection.
Kudos, Mr. Indriðason, for a darker look into the series that has me captivated!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
July 24, 2019
A sort of origin tale for Inspector Erlender. At this point he's a traffic cop, obsessed with tales of weird disappearances, when a homeless man he knows is drowned. Erlender puts these two interests together, and starts poking around.
Not bad. Shows the Nordic countries aren't the heavens on earth we get told about in the news.
Not bad. Shows the Nordic countries aren't the heavens on earth we get told about in the news.
June 3, 2016
Reykjavik Nights by Arnaldur Indridason.
I've read 9 of the books in the Inspector Erlendur series when he was already a first rate detective. The author brings us, the reader, back to Erlendur's beginnings as a traffic officer. We first learn of Erlendur's fascination with missing people. His relentless search for the truth.
Erlendur along with two other night officers have the worst of the worst to deal with each night on their patrol. One of the homeless men he's dealt with was found drowned and at about the same time a woman goes missing. The police give little notice to the homeless man and do a slip shot search for the woman. A year goes by with no results and that's when Erlendur begins.
This was another outstanding book that brings the young Inspector into full view. although it took me a while to become engrossed in this story once I was I couldn't put the book down. I do appreciate the fact that this series does not need to dwell on blood & guts or explicit sex.
I've read 9 of the books in the Inspector Erlendur series when he was already a first rate detective. The author brings us, the reader, back to Erlendur's beginnings as a traffic officer. We first learn of Erlendur's fascination with missing people. His relentless search for the truth.
Erlendur along with two other night officers have the worst of the worst to deal with each night on their patrol. One of the homeless men he's dealt with was found drowned and at about the same time a woman goes missing. The police give little notice to the homeless man and do a slip shot search for the woman. A year goes by with no results and that's when Erlendur begins.
This was another outstanding book that brings the young Inspector into full view. although it took me a while to become engrossed in this story once I was I couldn't put the book down. I do appreciate the fact that this series does not need to dwell on blood & guts or explicit sex.
April 24, 2020
La gente se ne fregava, quando un emarginato con un piede nella fossa tirava le cuoia. Una preoccupazione in meno.
Non Erlendur, no, lui no; lui prova compassione per quel poveretto. E non demorde, vuole sapere come mai lo ha ripescato nelle acque melmose della torbiera, morto. E vuole sapere anche che fine ha fatto la donna scomparsa la stessa notte in cui il senzatetto è annegato.
Pensò alle notti di Reykjavík, così stranamente limpide e luminose, così stranamente buie e fredde.
Una storia discreta che vede indagare il giovane ma caparbio e sensibile agente di polizia Erlendur.
Ben definito l’ambiente in cui si muove, molto triste e degradato, popolato da una umanità relegata ai margini o in ambiti violenti.
Trama leggermente diluita e con fasi che si ripetono, ma tutto sommato una storia che mi è piaciuta, anche se preferisco la serie di Erlendur adulto, ormai ispettore di una certa esperienza.
#iorestoacasaeleggo
⛓ RC 2020 - Catena apr/20 (2)
🔠 RC 2020 - Alphabet Autori: I
🌍 EU/Islanda 🇮🇸
Non Erlendur, no, lui no; lui prova compassione per quel poveretto. E non demorde, vuole sapere come mai lo ha ripescato nelle acque melmose della torbiera, morto. E vuole sapere anche che fine ha fatto la donna scomparsa la stessa notte in cui il senzatetto è annegato.
Pensò alle notti di Reykjavík, così stranamente limpide e luminose, così stranamente buie e fredde.
Una storia discreta che vede indagare il giovane ma caparbio e sensibile agente di polizia Erlendur.
Ben definito l’ambiente in cui si muove, molto triste e degradato, popolato da una umanità relegata ai margini o in ambiti violenti.
Trama leggermente diluita e con fasi che si ripetono, ma tutto sommato una storia che mi è piaciuta, anche se preferisco la serie di Erlendur adulto, ormai ispettore di una certa esperienza.
#iorestoacasaeleggo
⛓ RC 2020 - Catena apr/20 (2)
🔠 RC 2020 - Alphabet Autori: I
🌍 EU/Islanda 🇮🇸
March 9, 2019
Enfin ! Mon premier Erlendur ! Mon premier Indridason ! Et je crois que je comprends qu'on puisse s'attacher à ce personnage et l'univers de l'auteur. C'est tranquille mais il y a un certain charme malgré tout, une intrigue qui se tient, et surtout une atmosphère, on se sent plongé dans la ville, les personnages sont assez convaincants dans leur côté assez ordinaire sans fanfare. J'ai assez hâte de découvrir son vrai premier de la série, celui-ci, si j'ai bien compris, étant une sorte de préquel mettant en scène l'inspecteur encore jeunot.
Plus un 3,5/5 qu'un 3. J'ai même hésité avec 4 mais je pense que ça aurait surtout été le reflet de mon coup de coeur récent pour l'Islande que j'ai visité il y a quelques semaines.
Plus un 3,5/5 qu'un 3. J'ai même hésité avec 4 mais je pense que ça aurait surtout été le reflet de mon coup de coeur récent pour l'Islande que j'ai visité il y a quelques semaines.
January 25, 2022
Indridason à la mode du temps: après moult enquêtes d'Erlendur, il raconte sa première enquête. Et c'est très plaisant de suivre ce jeu flic de la circulation mal à l'aise dans l'uniforme, qui est dès le départ hors piste. Séduit par ces ambiances lourdes des nuits de Reykjavik. Je sais que mes notes des romans de cet auteur sont sans doute un tantinet trop chargées d'étoiles, mais l'Islande, que j'ai sillonnée, est le pays de la planète qui m'a flanqué le plus grand coup de foudre, donc étoiles sous influence... Et Indridason, au travers de ses personnages originaux, sombres, parfois déprimants, raconte si merveilleusement son île...
January 14, 2020
"His thoughts shifted to the Reykjavik nights, so strangely sunny and bright, yet in another sense so dark and desperate (...) Some the night provoked and seduced; others it wounded and terrified" (p. 59)
I am a loyal fan of Arnaldur Indridason's work and I've devoured all his novels, either in the Inspector Erlendur series or standalones, except "Operation Napoleon". The Erlendur series is one of my all-time favorites as through the course of 11 books in total, from "Jar City" to the brilliant "Strange Shores", I came to love the grumpy, mercurial Reykjavik CID detective who seems to feel constantly disconnected from his fellow human beings, even if they are his own wife and kids. So, I couldn't wait to read "Reykjavik Nights" as it is a novel that is set in Reykjavik circa 1970, with Erlendur being a rookie traffic police officer working most of the night shifts. Erlendur is just 28 years old, a young man who still bears the childhood scars caused by his brother's disappearance during a blizzard, a decisive event in Erlendur's life that shaped his adult character and behavior. It is due to this terrible event that Erlendur is fascinated with cases of disappearance or cases that went "cold", thus unsolved and archived.
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/reykja...
I am a loyal fan of Arnaldur Indridason's work and I've devoured all his novels, either in the Inspector Erlendur series or standalones, except "Operation Napoleon". The Erlendur series is one of my all-time favorites as through the course of 11 books in total, from "Jar City" to the brilliant "Strange Shores", I came to love the grumpy, mercurial Reykjavik CID detective who seems to feel constantly disconnected from his fellow human beings, even if they are his own wife and kids. So, I couldn't wait to read "Reykjavik Nights" as it is a novel that is set in Reykjavik circa 1970, with Erlendur being a rookie traffic police officer working most of the night shifts. Erlendur is just 28 years old, a young man who still bears the childhood scars caused by his brother's disappearance during a blizzard, a decisive event in Erlendur's life that shaped his adult character and behavior. It is due to this terrible event that Erlendur is fascinated with cases of disappearance or cases that went "cold", thus unsolved and archived.
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/reykja...
July 3, 2018
The Erlendur series consists of 14 books now, I believe. This prequel was published in 2012 whereas the one book I had previously read, Jar City, was published in 2000. Apparently a movie was made out of that book, one I have not seen.
Had the prequel started off the series I do believe it would have fallen off a very steep hill into oblivion. Reading the book was a chore. I am one who does not like thrillers, but now I know the exact opposite having read this slow-motion novel. Drip, drip, drip. Erlendur, a uniformed junior beat cop, follows leads, clues, people like a determined bear looking for any crumb after the death of a man on the street he had befriended and tried to help by the name of Hannibal.
There are some rays of deeply buried emotions brought to the surface in several characters due to Erlendur's dogged persistence and refusal to think badly of Hannibal. In the end he succeeds in finding the truth about the deaths of two people, although outside the bounds of his duties and against normal police procedure.
The title refers to the fact that he was assigned night duty in Reykjavik.
Had the prequel started off the series I do believe it would have fallen off a very steep hill into oblivion. Reading the book was a chore. I am one who does not like thrillers, but now I know the exact opposite having read this slow-motion novel. Drip, drip, drip. Erlendur, a uniformed junior beat cop, follows leads, clues, people like a determined bear looking for any crumb after the death of a man on the street he had befriended and tried to help by the name of Hannibal.
There are some rays of deeply buried emotions brought to the surface in several characters due to Erlendur's dogged persistence and refusal to think badly of Hannibal. In the end he succeeds in finding the truth about the deaths of two people, although outside the bounds of his duties and against normal police procedure.
The title refers to the fact that he was assigned night duty in Reykjavik.
December 3, 2024
أرنالدور أندريداسون... أيها المبدع!
الرواية الثانية في سلسلة "المحقق إرلندور الشاب"، و تحكي عن بدايته مع عالم الجريمة و التحقيقات، و التي كانت مع هذه الجريمة الغامضة التي لولا ذكاء الضابط الشاب إرلندور و اهتمامه و فضوله لكانت مرت دون كشفها.
منذ بداية الرواية إلى نهايتها و الكاتب يوهمك بحل اللغز، و من حل إلى اخر، إلى أن تنكشف الحقيقة قبل نهاية الرواية.
أرشحها لمحبي الروايات البوليسية، مع العلم بأن الرواية الأولى في السلسلة هي: "الجولة الحاسمة".
14 اكتوبر 2022
الرواية الثانية في سلسلة "المحقق إرلندور الشاب"، و تحكي عن بدايته مع عالم الجريمة و التحقيقات، و التي كانت مع هذه الجريمة الغامضة التي لولا ذكاء الضابط الشاب إرلندور و اهتمامه و فضوله لكانت مرت دون كشفها.
منذ بداية الرواية إلى نهايتها و الكاتب يوهمك بحل اللغز، و من حل إلى اخر، إلى أن تنكشف الحقيقة قبل نهاية الرواية.
أرشحها لمحبي الروايات البوليسية، مع العلم بأن الرواية الأولى في السلسلة هي: "الجولة الحاسمة".
14 اكتوبر 2022
November 1, 2014
I enjoyed the book but not as much as his others when Erlander was a bit more complete a person. It was an ok crime but unsatisfactory resolution. Erlander is too sharp for such a new cop and his obsession to find the killer seemed a bit unnatural for such a junior officer. But I love him anyhow and will read anything he is in
September 3, 2023
A solid launch for this prequel series centered around the beginnings of a young Inspector Erlendur.
3 1/2 Sensible Stars
3 1/2 Sensible Stars
September 16, 2015
One of my favourite detective series are the Inspector Erlendur novels by Arnaldur Indriðason. I was delighted therefore to learn of a prequel set in Reykjavík in the late 1960s.
I was equally keen to read it and having done so was so pleased to see the same methodical detective but now only partially formed, just a young cop learning his way on the night shifts. In uniform chasing down speeding motorists, responding to domestics and break-ins, even escorting the odd drunk to a place of refuge or a night in the cells for safety to sleep it off.
It is such a joy to meet Erlendur as a cautious and unsocial young man but a determined police officer we find in all the books set later in his life and career. Here we see his fascination with missing persons; that rich empathy for others, especially the less fortunate and that questioning spirit that keeps asking questions and logically following up all leads in a focus solely on the truth.
He is also that outsider from the countryside; not unduly bothered he is different. Savouring the delights of simple Icelandic cuisine and its culture with a joy in traditional poets and writers.
Where others pass off the death of a homeless man, (Erlendur knew facts about because he talked to him on the beat), as an accident under the influence of alcohol. He wants to learn more about the incident especially as it was not investigated too closely at the time as a tragic missing person case happened that same weekend. It is sad that it wasn't just a lack of resources but an acceptance in other police officers and CID that the facts were simple and no suspcious circumstances, another hobo passes away almost a lifestyle choice. This plays into the missing person case as well as initial investigations find no evidence of foul play. While it remains an open case the consensus remains she took her own life. That there is no body is not surprising as the sea seldom quickly gives up its dead.
So when Erlendur starts his unofficial enquiries in his own time he is unconvinced it was just a drunken accident since a good deal was happening in the homeless man's life. When he thinks the woman's disappearance might have a link with the drowning he continues to press for answers trying to piece it all together before handing the case over to the detective squad.
A wonderful book, beautifully written full of violence and its aftermath but never over described or dwelled upon. Like Erlendur the author asks the reader to see the stories of the people; those that overcome such events whilst remaining full of compassion. Real to the time the book was set, and not like the thrillers of today's age. A more sedate period, getting ideas for crimes from Ironside TV plots and it will be familiar to lovers of Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo.
Indeed a gentle nod to that remarkable Martin Beck series and where modern day police proceedures perhaps began.
I was equally keen to read it and having done so was so pleased to see the same methodical detective but now only partially formed, just a young cop learning his way on the night shifts. In uniform chasing down speeding motorists, responding to domestics and break-ins, even escorting the odd drunk to a place of refuge or a night in the cells for safety to sleep it off.
It is such a joy to meet Erlendur as a cautious and unsocial young man but a determined police officer we find in all the books set later in his life and career. Here we see his fascination with missing persons; that rich empathy for others, especially the less fortunate and that questioning spirit that keeps asking questions and logically following up all leads in a focus solely on the truth.
He is also that outsider from the countryside; not unduly bothered he is different. Savouring the delights of simple Icelandic cuisine and its culture with a joy in traditional poets and writers.
Where others pass off the death of a homeless man, (Erlendur knew facts about because he talked to him on the beat), as an accident under the influence of alcohol. He wants to learn more about the incident especially as it was not investigated too closely at the time as a tragic missing person case happened that same weekend. It is sad that it wasn't just a lack of resources but an acceptance in other police officers and CID that the facts were simple and no suspcious circumstances, another hobo passes away almost a lifestyle choice. This plays into the missing person case as well as initial investigations find no evidence of foul play. While it remains an open case the consensus remains she took her own life. That there is no body is not surprising as the sea seldom quickly gives up its dead.
So when Erlendur starts his unofficial enquiries in his own time he is unconvinced it was just a drunken accident since a good deal was happening in the homeless man's life. When he thinks the woman's disappearance might have a link with the drowning he continues to press for answers trying to piece it all together before handing the case over to the detective squad.
A wonderful book, beautifully written full of violence and its aftermath but never over described or dwelled upon. Like Erlendur the author asks the reader to see the stories of the people; those that overcome such events whilst remaining full of compassion. Real to the time the book was set, and not like the thrillers of today's age. A more sedate period, getting ideas for crimes from Ironside TV plots and it will be familiar to lovers of Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo.
Indeed a gentle nod to that remarkable Martin Beck series and where modern day police proceedures perhaps began.
April 5, 2015
Although this is the latest novel featuring Erlunder Sveinsson, it is also the earliest – taking Erlunder back to his days as a young junior officer on the beat. The novel begins with three boys finding a body in the water, which turns out to be a tramp, called Hannibal. Erlunder had come across Hannibal during his time on the streets, but, it seems, that only he thought there was something curious about his death. It was chalked down to drowning while drunk – and, knowing how the homeless man was often inebriated, you would imagine that Erlunder would accept this. However, moving on to a year after Hannibal’s death and the events are still nagging at the young rookie. Of course, anyone familiar with the character of Erlunder will be familiar with his fascination – almost obsession – of stories of people going missing, which stems back to losing his young brother during a blizzard. When we discover that a young woman disappeared only days before the body of Hannibal was found, possible links between the cases help us understand why Erlunder is so keen to get to the bottom of the mystery.
I have always enjoyed the Erlunder novels and this one is no exception. Of course, Erlunder is hampered by his inexperience and lack of official backing. Nobody linked to the case is keen to talk to him at first – from the husband of the missing woman to Hannibal’s siblings. It is also unclear why a young officer, with a constant stream of robberies, domestic violence and accidents to deal with, with really be so eager to investigate Hannibal’s death on his own time. Yes, he spoke to the homeless man more than once and may have felt some guilt about not offering more help, but in reality his skin probably would have been tougher and his eagerness to get involved outside of his long work hours limited. Although there are some oddities about Hannibal’s death, it is likely that a young officer would have accepted the official version of events. Still, it is interesting to see how the young Erlunder might have reacted and how he dealt with both the case and his personal life. It would be interesting to begin at the beginning again and work up to the first novel and I enjoyed visiting this fledgling detective. Lastly, I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
I have always enjoyed the Erlunder novels and this one is no exception. Of course, Erlunder is hampered by his inexperience and lack of official backing. Nobody linked to the case is keen to talk to him at first – from the husband of the missing woman to Hannibal’s siblings. It is also unclear why a young officer, with a constant stream of robberies, domestic violence and accidents to deal with, with really be so eager to investigate Hannibal’s death on his own time. Yes, he spoke to the homeless man more than once and may have felt some guilt about not offering more help, but in reality his skin probably would have been tougher and his eagerness to get involved outside of his long work hours limited. Although there are some oddities about Hannibal’s death, it is likely that a young officer would have accepted the official version of events. Still, it is interesting to see how the young Erlunder might have reacted and how he dealt with both the case and his personal life. It would be interesting to begin at the beginning again and work up to the first novel and I enjoyed visiting this fledgling detective. Lastly, I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 720 reviews