La Pierre du Remords

Konráð #3

by Arnaldur Indriðason, Éric Boury (Translator)

Une vieille femme est assassinée chez elle. Sur son bureau, on découvre le numéro de téléphone de Konrad, ancien policier. Elle l’avait récemment contacté en le suppliant de retrouver l’enfant qu’elle avait abandonné à la naissance cinquante ans plus tôt. Accablé de remords pour lui avoir refusé son aide, Konrad va s’employer à réparer son erreur. Alors qu’il enquête, se dessine peu à peu l’ampleur d’une tragédie insoupçonnée…

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Nordic Noir, Crime, Fiction, Ebooks, Detective

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2019

About the author

Arnaldur 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.

Reviews

[Berengaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Tregasteinn is the 3rd installment of the Konráð series, translated literally into French as "La Pierre du Remords," (The Stone of Regret) which is the version I read.

There is, as of yet, no English translation, but the working title is "The Quiet Mother".

I believe with this one, Arnaldur ran out of steam a little in addition to wobbling on the unique storytelling direction he had been taking the series in up till that point.

He seems to be trying to make the style more accessible for people who don't like non-traditional narratives, but the method he's chosen makes this installment far less breathtaking and far more conventional than "The Girl by the Bridge".

Which, wow. That one. Masterpiece territory.

Tregasteinn, for all its standardness, is still an engaging mystery that digs deep into the status quo of Iceland in the 1970s, turning a searchlight on mistakes self-righteous people make in service to their cause...only to painfully regret them years later (and there we'd have the title!).

Of course, the series mystery of who killed Konráð's father is still slowly making progress, but far from solved. Just like with what really happened to Erlendur's little brother, I don't think we'll find out who stabbed dear old daddy until the very last moment of the series.

And if I've said it before, I'll say it again: the Konráð series beats Erlendur any day!

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Dark, Complex, Uneven, Depressing *

THE QUIET MOTHER is #3 in the Detective Konrad series by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason. I thought that I could read it as a standalone but, from the beginning, the story jumps back and forth between story threads, with no explanatory narration, making it extremely difficult to follow. I did sort out the two main themes at about the 20% point, but this required considerable perseverance.

One story thread, ongoing from the previous books in the series, was Konrad's search for the murderer of his father, a search conducted in conjunction with Eygló. Konrad's father, in partnership with Eygló's father, were spiritual scammers, who possibly scammed the wrong person, because both died in 1963.

The primary story thread in this novel involved Konrad's search for the murderer of an older woman, Valborg, who had asked Konrad to help find the child she had given up for adoption in the early 1970s. Konrad had refused to help her and now feels guilty. Consequently, he decides to conduct the search he had initially turned down in hopes of discovering Valborg's killer.

Two distinct storylines, and both connected to events that happened in the distant past. The narrative jumps from one story thread to the other, and from one timeline to another, without warning. Just a jarring leap from one time period to another, and from one setting to another. Consequently, it is challenging puzzle.

I like puzzles, and I found parts of the narrative intriguing, and so I was about to give THE QUIET MOTHER a 3.75 rating in spite of its perplexing style. It did keep me reading throughout the night. Then, near the end, the Valborg murder was solved using a deus ex machina plot device to bring about a surprise. A killer we knew nothing about, but one whose behaviour gave the novel a very depressing ending. A twist that was not needed.

Thus, my overall rating of 2.75, upped to 3 stars. But this 3 star rating does not mean that the novel was "average". It represents the fact that segments of the book were worth only 1.5 stars, and other segments were worth 4 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.

[Linden · Rating 1 out of 5]

An older woman who had once asked Konrad to help trace the child she gave up for adoption (TW: sexual assault) is found murdered. Since he refused to help her, he now feels he should look into her death, and also into the murder of his abusive father. He’s also looking into some of his late father’s shady dealings involving cheating vulnerable people, and the chapters jump around in a somewhat confusing way. There are also a lot of characters (and I didn’t care about any of them) from both the past and the present, and it was hard to keep them all straight. The pacing is extremely slow, and it was an ordeal for me to finish reading it. I was very disappointed, since Nordic Noir is one of my favorite genres. I received an advance copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Icelandic noir novel that links a current murder to an old unsolved mystery.

Favourite quote:

Former colleague and current detective Marta asks the retired Konrád:
'Why are you always bothering me?' and adds, 'Why aren't you at home playing Solitaire or something?'

[Jöran · Rating 3 out of 5]

English below ->

Sambærileg annarri bókinni í seríunni um Konráð, "Stúlkan hjá brúnni". Eins og með aðra bókin, fannst mér að sagan byrjaði svolítið hægt. Þó var siðasti hlutinn bókarinnar mjög spennandi. Hvað ég helt að var merkilegt um þessa bók var að morðið var ekki mikilvægasta en þessi var leitin að barninu. Mér líkaði það! Sagan veitir einnig meiri upplýsingar um andlát föðurins Kónráðs. Ég vil gefa bókinni 2,5 eða 3 stjörnur.

This book is comparable to the second book in the series about Konráð, "The Girl on the Bridge". Just like in the second book, I found the story to start off a little too slow for my liking. However, I enjoyed the last part a lot, maybe because the pace of the story was a little faster at the end. What I found the most interesting about this third book about Konráð, was the fact that the murder wasn't the most important aspect of this story (at least, that was what I thought). The search for the child was actually the most prominent. I liked that very much! Furthermore, the story tells a bit more about the death of Konráð's father. I want to give this book 2.5 or 3 stars (Can't really decide).

[Alessia Scurati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allora, premesso che è un tantino sventato mettere un voto così alto a quello che potrebbe essere un giallo commerciale. Tuttavia, pur con le sue pecche, che sono quelle tipiche di una trama di questo tipo (piccolo spoiler: ma davvero anche se siete pochi in Islanda doveva essere proprio quello/a l'assassino/a?) noto in Arnaldur Indriðason una maturazione stilistica, che onestamente non pensavo nemmeno arrivasse visto che già con la serie di Erlendur era riuscito a tenere un certo livello. Mi ha sorpresa, davvero. Quindi sono stata generosa, ma vi dirò, se siete amanti del genere, tre stelle almeno le vale tutte, a mio modesto (molto e anche non richiesto, va detto) parere.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detective Konrad, #3

This mystery is a gripping noir novel that follows retired detective Konrad as he seeks redemption after failing to help Valborg, a woman who was later found murdered. The investigation draws him into a web of lies and betrayals. The story is about the heavy toll of keeping secrets.

The slow pace facilitates the chance to get to know the characters, how they think and react even if their names are hard to pronounce, try to remember them they often pop up in this police procedural saga.

Following Konrad, the tension gradually rises and I soon found myself deep into a difficult story to follow and even harder to stay with. Although, I like how Konrad ferrets out leads and information into Valborg’s past, each revelation pointing to a hidden life that connected her death to a decade old murder and eventually having Konrad solving the murder. It was an intense read.

No doubts about it, the story is a slow burn and jumps timeline quite often, so again be present. It a bit complicated and puzzling at time but it does come together and it all make sense by the end, if you stay with it.

If you like puzzles, intriguing narrative and baffling style you will surely be contented.

I love this author I have him on my watch list but admit that “The Quiet Mother” was not my favourite books by him.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC

[Buchdoktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Als Valborg in ihrer verwüsteten Wohnung ermordet wird, hatte sie wegen einer unheilbaren Krankheit bereits nicht mehr lange zu leben. Während sich Marta, die Ermittlerin der Kriminalpolizei Reykjavik, noch fragt, was in der Wohnung einer betagten Frau für Einbrecher interessant gewesen sein könnte, zeigt sich der pensionierte Kommissar Konrað tief beschämt. Da sein geduldiger Ermittlungsstil im Fall des Toten aus dem Langjökull-Gletscher (aus Band 1 der Serie) ihm offenbar einen erstklassigen Ruf im Land verschafft hatte, wollte Valborg Konrað kurz vor ihrem Tod privat mit einer Ermittlung beauftragen. Nun hadert Konrad damit, dass ausgerechnet die totkranke Frau ermordet wurde, die er kurz zuvor abgewiesen hatte. Obwohl er längst pensioniert ist, nimmt Konrað die Spur von Valborgs Kind auf – nicht immer zur Freude seiner Nachfolgerin bei der Kripo … Valborg wollte unbedingt das Kind wiederfinden, das sie Anfang der 70er nach einer Vergewaltigung geboren und zur Adoption frei gegeben hatte. Dass in einem dünn besiedelten Land ein Kind ohne Papiere einfach so verschwinden kann, hätte der Pensionär nicht für möglich gehalten.

Als seine Ermittlungen Konrað mit einer „Spiritistischen Gesellschaft“ konfrontieren, die in den 70ern In Reykjavik aktiv war, rührt das an den noch immer ungeklärten Mord an seinem Vater, der mit einem anderen Ganoven in genau dieser Szene gutgläubige Menschen ausgenommen hatte. Eine Zeugin wundert sich, warum Konrað die kriminelle Karriere seines Vaters nicht schon längst untersucht hat, obwohl es im „Schattenviertel“ genug Zeugen gibt, die ihn und seinen Vater damals kannten. In einem Land, in dem sich nahezu alle kennen oder miteinander verwandt sind, wundert es daher nicht, dass die Handlungsfäden um die lange verjährte Vergewaltigung, das verschwundene Kind und Konraðs Vater aufeinander treffen. Ohne Konraðs Kontakte aus der Zeit der US-Militärbasis und ohne Kommissar Zufall hätte die offizielle Ermittlerin Marta die Zusammenhänge sicher nicht so bequem auf dem Tablett serviert bekommen.

Arnaldur Indriðasons pensionierten Ermittler Konrað mag ich ebenso gern wie seinen Erlendur Sveinsson. Wie 1971 im gut organisierten Island ein ungeplantes Kind ohne Geburtsurkunde einfach verschwinden kann, finde ich im 3. Band der Konrað-Serie spannend und nachvollziehbar dargestellt.

[David Hallstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arnaldur Indriðason is the best Icelandic crime writer I have read.

I was introduced to his work by staff at The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, as I had read Hakan Nesser's Van Veeteren series and was looking for a comparable author.

The Quiet Mother picks up where The Girl by the Bridge leaves off. Konrad, the retired detective, keeps getting pulled into cold cases when the only cold case he wants to solve is the murder of his father.

The Quiet Mother has all of the elements that make Indriðason a strong author. Well-developed characters, super plotting and a genuine sense of where you are. The books are dark but they are dealing with dark subjects.

The first book in the Kondrad series, The Darkness Knows, was translated by Victoria Cribb. The Girl by the Bridge and The Quiet Mother were translated by Philip Roughton. I prefer Cribb's translations as the writing flows more naturally.

This is an all around great read.

There are three more Konrad books waiting to be translated. I plan on sticking around to discover is he one day does find the killer of his father.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Konrad is contacted by a woman named Valborg, who hoped that he would help her find the child she had given up for fostering some time in the early 1970's. Konrad declined, as there was very little information for him to work from, and he didn't feel that he could help. Some weeks later, Valborg is found dead in her apartment. She had been murdered. Feeling bad about how he left things with her, Konrad vows to do all he can to find Valborg's child.
The Quiet Mother, book 3 in the Konrad series, is a bit of a slow burn, but it is worth sticking with it. As is often the case, the story of Valborg's child has links to that of Konrad's friend Eygló, and her psychic gifts.
Konrad's investigation into his father's murder continues, though he is no closer to an answer. Eygló too, continues to seek answers, and does not always like what she inevitably learns about her father.
Although quite dark, this was an engaging and enjoyable read.

[Mario · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this the best of the Detective Konrad series so far and the first to reach the high standards of the largely excellent Erlendur stories.

Indridason has a slightly unusual style which takes a little getting used to. Quite often, but not always, conversations and dialogue are described rather than written as verbatim. I like this as it pushes the story along quickly when it needs to.

I very much liked the premise of this story which was moving, sad and gripping at times. The only downer was the final conclusion which pushed the coincidence button just that bit too hard.

Solid 7 or 8 out of 10

[Delfi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lettura scorrevole, poco coinvolgente, infatti non è che non vedessi l’ora di essere a casa per poter riavere il libro sotto gli occhi.
Ormai definitivamente tramontati - temo, anzi sono abbastanza sicura sia così- i tempi del tormentato commissario Erlendur, con le sue storie intrise di atmosfere nordiche in cui il gelo esterno è tutt’uno con il gelo nell’anima. Oserei dire che la maggiore distensione dei nuovi protagonisti, la cui vita presenta pure zone d’ombra per questioni familiari tragiche, ma non si caratterizza per la cupezza totale che invece è il marchio dei succitato commissario, in parte nuoce all’attrattiva esercitata dai libri dello scrittore.
Quindi tre stelle dettate più dall’affetto per Indriðason che dal reale valore, per me ovviamente, del giallo che ho appena finito di leggere.

[Sara Hlín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vel skrifuð og skemmtileg. Yrsa og Arnaldur oft skemmtilega samstillt - í fyrra voru það dúkkur og núna eru það týnd börn. Fyrir utan það að fjalla áfram um morðið á pabba Konráðs og brask hans með "eterheiminn" sem ég trúi ekki öðru en að allir séu komnir með hundleið á tekur Arnaldur hér á morðmáli konu sem var að leita að syni sem hún gaf frá sér við fæðingu. Bókin byrjar á einstaklega skemmtilegan hátt þegar við fáum að horfa með kíki gluggagægis inn í blokk þar sem morðið er framið. Mér finnst Tregasteinn vera besta bók Arnaldar um Konráð og hún hélt mér vel við efnið.

[Kristín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Þetta var sennilega besta bókin um Konráð en þótt hann sé viðkunnanlegur náungi finnst mér hann ekki alveg ná mér. En kannski sakna ég bara Erlends svona mikið að ég gef engum öðrum séns.

[Carlo Hublet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le vieux ronchon attachant Konrad, l'ex-flic, aux commandes quasi seul de bout en bout. Comme toujours avec Indridason, mélange de présent (le crime d'une vieille dame solitaire) sans doute conséquence d'un passé assez lointain. Le dosage est bien réussi, surtout quand on est habitué à ces flash backs de l'auteur islandais.
Qui ne se contente pas de ces télescopages dans le temps. Il ne peut s'empêcher de faire rechercher à nouveau les causes de l'assassinat -ou meurtre?- de son crapuleux père, tué quand Konrad avait environ 18 ans. Et elle devient lassante, cette quête répétitive à propos d'un personnage qui ne peut que générer mépris et, au mieux, indifférence. D'autant plus lassant que son amie, fille de l'ami de son père, sans doute (presque, le grand débat entre les deux amis) aussi méprisable, cette Eyglo donc continue à y lire des messages de l'au-delà. Lassant, je me répète, comme Indridason sur le sujet.
Sinon, l'intrigue du moment est fort prenante, bien conduite, personnages nombreux et variés. Et toujours les commentaires passionnants d'Indradason sur son Reykjavik défiguré par les promoteurs et l'argent roi.
La dernière phrase du bouquin: certain, Indridason a décidé de revenir sous peu avec le vieux Konrad!

[Ria Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wat je van een goede scandinavische thrillerreeks verwacht: de gekende melancholie en levensvragen, goede spanningsboog, onverwachte kijk op de dingen en vooral die Ijslandse namen die je maar met moeite kunt spellen. Prachtig lectuur van een bekende schrijver van het eiland waar mystiek en 'leven aan de overzijde' als normaal worden ervaren.....

[La revue nordique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dans La pierre du remords, une vieille femme est retrouvée assassinée chez elle. Sur son bureau, le numéro de Konrad. Ayant accouché d’un enfant qu’elle avait abandonné 50 ans plus tôt, elle avait fait appel au flic retraité afin de l’aider à le retrouver. Mais son entêtement l’avait poussé à refuser. Plein de regrets et de culpabilité, il décide alors de réparer son erreur en enquêtant de façon informelle sur cet enfant et la mort de sa mère. Et toujours, en parallèle, il cherche à savoir ce qui est arrivé à son père devant ces fameux abattoirs il y a de ça bien longtemps.

Konrad est un personnage trèèès attachant. Je crois que ça y est, il arrive presque au même niveau qu’Erlendur dans mon coeur. Sa sensibilité est touchante et il est présenté avec beaucoup d’humanité. Il traîne toujours sa mélancolie, ses casseroles derrière lui, mais ne désespère pas enfin connaître la vérité sur la mort de l’escroc qui lui servait de père.
Remords, tourments, thèmes lourds… Assombrissent un peu plus ce roman qui se déploie lentement et qui serre le cœur.

Par manque de temps, je l’ai lu en 3 semaines. Mais en fait je ne regrette pas, ça m’aura permis de le savourer, un petit peu plus chaque soir, jusqu’à finir complètement absorbée dans cette intrigue. Une intrigue toujours aussi bien construite et écrite (ces descriptions quoi!), qui t’attrape insidieusement et ne te lâche pas. Des histoires et des vies qui s’entremêlent, avec une fin que j’avais cru deviner, mais en fait ben non. Je me suis bien faite avoir.

En bref, j’aime toujours autant Indriðason. Et j’ai l’impression que vu la fin, je peux me permettre de dire vivement la suite .

(Superbe traduction du master Eric Boury)

[Andra Petrucianu · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai terminé ce roman hier soir.
Je suis une grande fan des romans scandinaves, j'adore l'ambiance dark, la façon qu'ils nous tiennent en haleine.

Celui-ci ne fait pas exception. Un polar de 345 pages avec un mélange de spiritisme. La façon que l'auteur nous raconte cette histoire, on se plonge dans un roman noir. On effleure le sujet du remords.

J'ai terminé les 120 pages qui restaient en 1h à peine. J'étais essoufflée, je courais avec le personnage principal.

On suit Konrad, un policier à la retraite qui enquête sur Valborg, une dame récemment retraitée, assassinée chez elle. Konrad refuse de l'aider et s'en veut éperdument.

On voyage à travers l'Islande à la quête de réponses.
Les personnages secondaires sont puissants et viennent s'installer dans l'histoire d'une façon intense.

[Kristinn Logi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hæg. Ef ég verð einhvern tímann sá seki í bók hjá Arnaldi þá ætla ég að tjá mig sem minnst vitandi það að lítið sem ekkert liggur fyrir af sönnunargögnum. Annars er þetta góð bók. harmsaga úr fortíðinni. Innbyrgður biturleiki og samviskubit treðst fram á yfirborðið. Allir frekar þjakaðir. Minnir á Ragnar J í ár. Ég hef gaman af lýsingu Arnalds af 1960-80. Hann nefnir trésmiðjuna Völund sem kölluðu fram minningar en það er önnur saga.

Þráðurinn í bókinni myndi ég segja að væri ofbeldi gegnum konum og þöggun.

[skattkatten_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hur gör man för att hitta ett barn som man varken vet är en pojke eller flicka, var och när det föddes, vem som är fadern o.s.v.? Konráđs metod är att gräva djupt, väldigt djupt, i det förflutna och fråga ut diverse människor, ibland ganska våldsamt, men det ger resultat. Några meningar från ett av de sista kapitlen beskriver den sorgliga historien väldigt väl: "Konráđ tänkte på ödets ironi. På Islands lilla befolkning. På tillfälligheter som styrde folks liv. Hur de skapade liv. Hur de förintade dem.

[Magnús · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bölvað klúður hjá mér, en ég las fjórðu bókina um Konráð (Þagnarmúr) á undan þessari sem spillti sögðuþræðinum aðeins og gerði mig óþolinmóðari fyrir lestrinum á öllu sem tengist föður Konráðs. Verð þó að segja að hvernig allir atburðir í þessum bókum tengjast er virkilega vel gert hjá höfundi. Eins og áður þá nýtur Arnaldur sín best þegar hann lýsir Reykjavík fyrri tíma.

[Tony da Napoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read virtually all English versions of Arnaldur's books. I found this to be the most boring, dragged out, uninteresting story of the lot. Quite a disappointment when at 50% into it you are considering shelving it... especially if it is one of your fav writers. Needs to get back in the groove.
See story synopsis/detail in others' reviews.

[Valérie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je ne suis pas une fan de spiritisme mais cet aspect est « marginal «  dans ce polar. Je n’ai pas lu les deux premiers de ce triptyque mais ce n’ai pas gênant.
Que dire : un héros intéressant entouré de personnages secondaires bien campés. Cela parle certes de remords mais pas tant que cela.
Encore un livre sur l’Islande qui décrit cette île comme un endroit où je n’aimerais vraiment pas vivre…
Par contre une véritable atmosphère. Le parallèle avec Simenon me semble juste.

[Anna Hardardottir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mjög róleg bók, hélt manni ekki alveg nógu spenntum fyrr en í lokinn þá var hún góð og ég táraðist meira að segja sm�� .....
galli að vera velta sér svona mikið upp úr gömlum tímum, komin með nóg af því
Engu að síður vel skrifuð bók með spennandi endi

[Jean-paul Audouy · Rating 4 out of 5]

God, that was dark! A exact counterpoint to the pleasant image the touristic propaganda want us to believe about Iceland. And a kaleidoscope of intertwined damaged lives comes untangled in the end in dramatic circumstances. We still don’t know who killed Konrad’s father but we’re getting closer. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

[Árdís Indriðadóttir Stefáns · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frekar leiðinleg bók. Og undarlega sem persónur eru dónalegar í tilsvörum.

[Henneke Wateringen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Ásgeir Sigurðsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Þetta er orðið ansi þreytt

[Thordur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Allt í lagi sem afþreying, ekki mikið meira en það.

[Electra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billet à venir.