Operation Napoleon

by Arnaldur Indriðason, Victoria Cribb (Translator)

From the CWA Gold Dagger-winning author of the Reykjavík Murder Mystery series comes an international thriller sweeping from modern Iceland to America and Nazi Germany at the end of World War II. 1945: A German bomber flies over Iceland in a blizzard; the crew have lost their way and eventually crash on the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest in Europe. Puzzlingly, there are both German and American officers on board. One of the senior German officers claims that their best chance of survival is to try to walk to the nearest farm and sets off, a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist. He soon disappears into the white vastness. 1999, mid-winter, and the US Army is secretively trying to remove an aeroplane from the Vatnajökull glacier. By coincidence two young Icelanders become involved--but will pay with their lives. Before they are captured, one of the two contacts his sister, Kristin, who will not rest until she discovers the truth of her brother's fate. Her pursuit puts her in great danger, leading her, finally, to a remote island off Argentina in search of the key to the riddle about Operation Napoleon.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Scandinavian Literature

327 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

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

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this from Goodreads First Reads, and was quite excited, as I never win anything. Then I received my copy of Operation Napoleon, a glossy soft-cover with sharp cover art, and flipped it over and saw the dreaded kiss-of-death on the back cover — it was compared to Clive Cussler. Noooo!

However, there was still some hope, as it said it was "in the vein of Clive Cussler and Alistair MacLean." And since, unlike Cussler, Alistair MacLean is an excellent writer (even if he only wrote military "genre" fiction), I decided to ignore the comparisons and judge it on its own merit.

I enjoyed it a great deal. It had an interesting plot, hinting at long-lost WWII secrets buried in a German plane wreck on an Icelandic iceberg, while keeping the current-day action moving with the protagonist being hunted by those wanting to keep the plane and its secrets hidden. The writing was much better than any Clive Cussler yarn, with more realistic characters and action, and no absurd deus ex machina moments. It also had a great ending, the importance of which cannot be understated.

Also of note was the U.S. government's role in this novel — as the antagonist. We Americans usually reserve that role for Nazis, Communists, or, more recently, Middle Eastern terrorists. So it was interesting, and refreshing, to see a foreign writer write the U.S. government into that role. An ultra-patriotic, flag-waving American may be bothered by this, but I certainly was not.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt a great surge of relief when I read that this book was actually written a decade or so ago and was translated because of the popularity of Arnaldur Indriðason’s Inspector Erlendur series, of which I’m a devoted fan. If so, how much he has improved as writer since this turkey was produced. Operation Napoleon is a fever dream of anti-American Icelanders encountering a posse of (totally dethpicable) comic-opera American villains as the latter try to secure and remove from an Icelandic glacier a World War II airplane carrying information about a (totally dethpicable) secret plan that must never be revealed to the world or people everywhere will really, really hate America even more than they already do. (This secret is so totally dethpicable that the actual airplane has to be cut in half and secretly flown out of Iceland and taken to Argentina (I’m not making this up) rather than just being torched in situ (or, even simpler, emptied of its contents and left where it is on a glacier in the middle of nowhere). I call the book a “fever dream” because it starts off making no sense whatsoever and goes from there to an ending which is so stupidly awful that I can’t reveal it, but it made feel I’d been sucker punched. Okay, I can reveal it. (Stop reading now if you’re planning to read the book and like being made a total fool of.) Operation Napoleon, it turns out, was an agreement that the American government made with the Nazis to join forces and chase the Russians back to Russia, in return for spiriting away Hitler and his loyal German Shepherd to a deserted island off the coast of South America, and then giving the National Examiner the exclusive: HITLER ALIVE AND WELL AND HIDING IN ARGENTINA!!! In short, Jesus wept.

[Cynnamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

English version below

************

Leider muss ich – wie so viele andere – auch auf Indridasons Erledur-Romane Bezug nehmen.
Ich habe die Erlendur-Reihe mit großer Begeisterung gelesen und hier etwas Ähnliches erwartet.

Im ersten Viertel des Buches habe ich mich auch schnell eingefunden und wohlgefühlt, bis sich der Krimi in einen ziemlich brutalen Agententhriller mit einem Geheimnis aus dem zweiten Weltkrieg wandelte. Für Leser, die dieses Genre mögen, war das sicher spanndend, für mich leider nicht so.

Das Buch wird also mit einer 2 Sterne-Bewertung in den öffentlichen Bücherschrank gehen.

----------------

Unfortunately, like so many others, I have to refer to Indridason's Erledur novels.
I read the Erlendur series with great enthusiasm and expected something similar here.

In the first quarter of the book, I quickly settled in and felt comfortable, until the thriller turned into a rather brutal spy thriller with a secret from the Second World War. It was certainly exciting for readers who like this genre, but unfortunately not so for me.

So the book will go on the public bookshelf with a 2 star rating.

[Carlo Hublet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Indridason dans un exercice totalement différent de ses inspecteurs taciturnes et minutieux, Erlendur et Kónrad (à la retraite). Beaucoup plus proche des deux derniers épisodes de la saga de Rouletabille (Gaston Leroux), quand le journaliste-enquêteur défie une garnison ottomane de 500 soldats et s'échappe d'une prison aux murailles colossales infranchissables.
Une paisible avocate un peu craintive, la trentaine, décide de s'attaquer à rien moins qu'à l'armée américaine stationnée en Islande. Des centaines de soldats surarmés, disposant de la technologie dernier cri, avec ses espions, ses tueurs et sans scrupules. Dans un cadre évidemment totalement inhospitalier, le plus grand glacier du monde, le Vatnajökul, et bien sûr au coeur de l'hiver arctique. Du jour au lendemain, elle se métamorphose en la plus phénoménale aventurière.
Totalement irréaliste et impossible, mais c'est bien délassant, ça ne manque pas de mouvements, ça ne dort jamais, ça mange un biscuit toutes les 24 heures pour tenir le coup. Indridason (il a raison) a dû se donner un plaisir fou à inventer cette énigme. Et le coeur de l'énigme, c'est quoi? Là, petite constante de l'auteur: un avion nazi disparu vers la fin de la guerre 40-45, crashé sur le fameux glacier et aussitôt englouti dans les glaces sans laisser (quasi) la moindre trace. Qui refait surface juste avant le début du XXIe siècle. Et mobilise illico des centaines de militaires US avec leur matériel le plus lourd! Quel redoutable secret renferme la carcasse de ce vieux zinc?
Bien ficelé mais, comme le matériel des militaires, un peu lourd quand même, je me suis amusé à lire ce facile faux roman d'espionnage-aventure, mais sans doute moins qu'Indridason à l'écrire.
L'ultime clin d'oeil de fin est fort amusant!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page-turner, by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indrioason. A German plane crashes onto an Icelandic glacier at the end of WWII. What was it carrying? Whatever it was, the US Army is determined to keep it a secret....

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

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. After reading all his thoroughly compelling investigation thriller series, I found a standalone by Arnaldur Indriðason, which has me even more excited for my upcoming trip. In a story that tackles wartime Iceland, a German military plane crashes on a glacier during a blizzard, with both Nazi and American troops on board. Panic ensues and the troops begin a plan to find safety before they all die from cold exposure. In 1999, the Americans locate and try to extricate the plane for reasons they refuse to reveal. The mission is fraught with risk, but there's something they need that the rest of the world cannot discover. What follows is a dual timeline story that keeps the reader in the middle of the action. Arnaldur Indriðason impresses with this wonderful standalone thriller.

In 1945, a German bomber was travelling over Iceland during a blinding blizzard. Aboard were both American and German troops, a mixed crew that were not able to handle the weather conditions, which led to the plane crashing onto a large Icelandic glacier. One of the senior Germans mentioned that the best chance for success would be to seek out a local residence for food and shelter. He disappears into the wall of white with a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist, never to be heard from again.

By 1999, the American military has kept the crash under wraps for decades, but feels the need to find it and extract what was inside. They begin a secret mission in the middle of winter to locate and repatriate the plane without tipping anyone off. This proves to be harder than it seems and lies soon pile up, though the Americans refuse to admit what they are doing. While politicians wrangle for answers and banter, two local Icelanders find the plane and investigate on their own, with dire consequences.

Before the two locals find themselves captured, one is able to reach out to his sister. Now, Kristin will not rest until she has answers for why her brother was shot by the Americans and what secrets they were so adamant to protect. There are a number of secrets that Kristin will discover, taking her to the far reaches of the world. All this, in an effort to discover the truth behind Operation Napoleon. Arnaldur Indriðason keeps spinning tales I cannot help but enjoy. I am kicking myself for waiting this long to discover his work.

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, though this is more a fast-paced mystery with historical flavouring. The narrative is strong from the opening pages, combining history and a mystery for the reader to devour. Characters are both impactful and help push things along, adding some context surrounding Iceland's place in wartime Europe. Plot points surprise where needed and complement the strong writing, helping me to push onwards in order to discover all that is laid out for me. I am eager to see what's next for Arnaldur Indriðason, as I appear to have read all his English translations to date!

Kudos, Mr. Indriðason, for another gripping thriller.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: 
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Jim Coughenour · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, a small alert: Indridason fans should know that this is not the latest Erlendur tale, but a translation of a book originally published in 1999 (judging from the copyright page). Spare yourself that bit of disappointment.

If anything, Operation Napoleon is evidence of how Indridason has matured as a writer: it's a serviceable thriller with an improbably plucky heroine and an even more improbable plot, centered on a World War II conspiracy, a German plane buried in a glacier, and the machinations of villainous Americans in noble little Iceland. At that level it's almost anti-American propaganda. (Unhappily, in the wake of our "war on terror" and our apparent acceptance of torture, targeted assassination and extra-judicial imprisonment, Indridason's cartoon Special Ops villains are now completely believable.)

The plot hums along like the latest multiplex action flick and kept me turning the pages — but the deeply dumb "surprise" ending cost this review another star. Some books, even by excellent authors, should stay untranslated.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Description: An international thriller sweeping from modern Iceland to America and Nazi Germany at the end of World War II. 1945: A German bomber flies over Iceland in a blizzard; the crew have lost their way and eventually crash on the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest in Europe. Puzzlingly, there are both German and American officers on board. One of the senior German officers claims that their best chance of survival is to try to walk to the nearest farm and sets off, a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist. He soon disappears into the white vastness. 1999, mid-winter, and the US Army is secretively trying to remove an aeroplane from the Vatnajökull glacier. By coincidence two young Icelanders become involved--but will pay with their lives. Before they are captured, one of the two contacts his sister, Kristin, who will not rest until she discovers the truth of her brother's fate. Her pursuit puts her in great danger, leading her, finally, to a remote island off Argentina in search of the key to the riddle about Operation Napoleon.

An early Indriðason, which kept me interested enough as a bedside read

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I don’t like thrillers very much. I can just hear people saying, “well, you’re a yank. You don’t like it when the Americans are the bad guys”.
Um, I’m a Yank; we always think the government is the bad guy.
And the Americans don’t really feel like Americans.
Typical book designed for a movie – (1) only one female character (the heroine) knows how to do anything; other female characters are bad (which isn’t saying much) (2) the bad guys take stupid pills when meeting the heroine (3) tortured relationship (which has no chemistry) (4) a night of passion (with no sparks) and (5) a rather silly plot that's been done before in some way.
The only interesting bit is the Icelandic view about American servicemen.
I love the Erlander novels. Didn’t like this. If you are looking for a book by this author, do not start with this one.

[Yv · Rating 4 out of 5]

De afstandelijke schrijfstijl past echt perfect bij het soort boek. Heel interessant en als er in het voorwoord niet duidelijk had gestaan dat het om een verzonnen verhaal ging, was ik er zeker van overtuigd geraakt dat ik een historische roman aan het lezen was. Tikkeltje mannelijk, alle ranken van het leger komen voorbij en maakt het af en toe wat verwarrend, maar de klopjacht en het ontrafelen van het geheim wat zich afspeelde in de laatste weken van de tweede wereldoorlog voerden gelukkig de boventoon. Ik ga binnenkort eens een boek van zijn reeks oppakken, kijken of die ook zo goed bevalt.

[Martijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

De geheimen uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog zijn op veel plekken in de wereld te vinden. Ook in IJsland, op een gletsjer. Een goed geschreven thriller, die in een hoog tempo je meeneemt naar IJsland, met een plot met voldoende wendingen en snelle actie.
De climax was geen vernieuwend concept, maar wel goed genoeg uitgewerkt om na het lezen even over te blijven nadenken.

[خالد المخضب · Rating 4 out of 5]

رواية "عملية نابليون" تجري في فضاء بوليسي، تمتزج فيه الإثارة بالتشويق، من خلال واقعة تاريخية مهمة، تدور أحداثها بين واشنطن وأيسلندا والأرجنتين ودول أخرى، وتنخرط فيها شخوص كثيرة متعددة الجنسيات. وبذلك يشكل التاريخ منطلقاً لأحداث معاصرة. يوضح فيها أندريداسون آليات عمل أجهزة الاستخبارات، والأساليب التي تستخدمها لتحقيق أهدافها، وما يترتب عليها من نتائج وخيمة. ويفعل ذلك من خلال رصد اقتفاء منظمة سرية أميركية أثر طائرة ألمانية، سقطت في نهر فاتنويوكل الجليدي الأيسلندي، نهاية الحرب العالمية الثانية في العام 1945م، في محاولة للعثور على سر خطير على متنها يتعلق بعملية سرية نظمتها المنظمة قبل 54 عاماً.
ترتكز الرواية حول شخصيتين رئيسيتين، يلعبان دوراً محورياً فيها، بحيث يمثل كل منهما سردياً يرمز إلى منظور روائي معين، مختلف عن الآخر. وهما: "راتوف" رجل الاستخبارات الأميركي ومدير العملية، و"كريستين" المستشارة في وزارة الخارجية الأيسلندية والمتضررة من العملية. وكل منهما له مجموعة من الشخوص التي تتفاعل مع معها، سواءً من موقع الرئيس أو المرؤوس، كما في حالة راتوف، أو من موقع المساعد، كما في حالة كريستين. وفي كل مرة تتقاطع فيها الشخصيتين المحوريتين، يكون ثمة ضحايا لهذا التقاطع.
تبدأ الرواية عندما يكتشف مدير المنظمة الجنرال "فيتاوتاس كار " من خلال مراقبته صور الأقمار الصناعية، في غرفة التحكم في واشنطن، علامة سوداء، في إحدى الصور العائدة لقسم صغير من نهر فاتنويوكل الجليدي الأيسلندي، لتعود إليه واقعة اختفاء طائرة ألمانية تحمل سراً خطيراً في النهر، فشلت المنظمة في محاولتين سابقتين في العثور عليها، فيستدعي رجله راتوف المعروف بقسوته ووحشيته وعزلته، ليسند إليه مهمة الانطلاق في إطار من السرية التامة، إلى قاعدة كيفلافيك الأميركية في أيسلندا، للعودة بالطائرة وما تحمله من أسرار.
من خلال وقائع الرواية، يعرض لنا الكاتب من جهة، آليات عمل أجهزة الاستخبارات، وأساليبها القذرة في تحقيق أهدافها. فهي لا تتورّع عن التضليل، والتزوير، والتهديد، والوعيد، والتعذيب، والقتل، والإخفاء، والتخلّص من عملائها السريين بعد انتهاء صلاحيتهم، فالغاية عندها تبرر الوسيلة. ومن جهة أخرى فيعرض آليات الدفاع، سواء على مستوى "كريستين" أم أصدقائها، ويميط اللثام عن شجاعة "كريستين" وجرأتها ووطنيتها وذهابها إلى الحدود القصوى لتحقيق أهدافها.
في النهاية نجد أن الكاتب قد تعمد أن يحيط حمولة الطائرة المحطمة بالغموض، والتي تتعلق بمجموعة من المستندات الخاصة بمصير الزعيم الألماني أدولف هتلر، الذي يطلق عليه اسم نابليون للتعمية والتشابه بين مصيري القائدين، في محاولة منه لإضفاء الإثارة والتشويق والدرامية على نصه، وقد نجح في ذلك بالفعل.
أجاد الروائي في رسم تحركات أبطالها داخل النص من خلال شخصيات جذابة تبين قدرته على الغوص أكثر في عالم الغموض والإثارة.

[Fatma📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

رواية عملية نابليون هي عملٌ أدبيّ مشحون بالتشويق البارد، يُقحم قارئه في عمق النهر الجليدي ليجعله يحترق بأسئلته. هنا، لا تُبنى القصة فقط على الحكاية، بل على ما لا يُقال. على الصمت، والغموض، وتاريخ مدفون تحت جبل جليديّ، مثل ضمير العالم.

الرواية لا تنتمي إلى نمط الجريمة التقليدي، بل تتقاطع فيها خيوط السياسة، والتاريخ، والاستخبارات، في حبكة مشبعة بالتوتر الجيوسياسي. تبدأ من حادثة صغيرة: اختفاء طائرة ألمانية فوق نهر جليدي في آيسلندا عام 1945، وتستيقظ ظلالها فجأة بعد نصف قرن، عندما يُعثر على حطام الطائرة من جديد. لكن الطائرة ليست إلا قشرةً تحجب ما هو أفظع: سرّ كان يمكنه أن يُشعل العالم من جديد.

في قلب الجليد الآيسلندي، تتشابك الخيوط بين الماضي والحاضر، حين تتسبب طائرة ألمانية مدفونة منذ الحرب العالمية الثانية في سلسلة من الأحداث المتسارعة. تبدأ الرواية من لحظة انكشاف هذا الحطام، لكن ما يتداعى بعدها يتجاوز حدود الصدفة. أحداث الرواية تمضي في إيقاع متصاعد، حيث نجد أنفسنا أمام مطاردات، استجوابات، وتحقيقات عسكرية واستخباراتية تتداخل فيها المصالح السياسية مع مصائر الأفراد. تتبع الرواية رحلة شخصية تتورط في مؤامرة أكبر منها، وتُجبر على الفرار، لا بحثًا عن مجد، بل عن حقيقة قد تكلّفها كل شيء. وتُشكّل الطبيعة القاسية – الجليد، العواصف، والعزلة – خلفية حية لصراعٍ داخلي وخارجي لا يهدأ، وكأن المكان نفسه يشارك في تعقيد الأسرار التي لا تزال تُدفن مع الثلج.

الشخصيات مرسومة بخيوط دقيقة، تنبض بالواقعية والشك، خصوصًا البطلة “كريستين”، التي تتحول من امرأة عادية إلى امرأة في مواجهة دولة. لا تمتلك سلطة، لكنها تمتلك سؤالًا: “أين أخي؟”. ومن هذا السؤال تتفجّر الرواية بأكملها، لتأخذنا في مطاردة بين الثلج والمخابرات، بين رعب الأسلحة البيولوجية، والأسرار النووية، والهويات المزيفة، والخرائط الأخلاقية التي يُعاد تشكيلها.

المكان في الرواية ليس مجرد خلفية، بل بطل قائم بذاته: آيسلندا، هذه الجزيرة الجليدية التي تصبح مسرحًا لصراع لم يختره أهلها. الجبال، الجليد، الظلام، القواعد العسكرية الأميركية، كلها تصبح رموزًا للخوف والاختراق والهيمنة، بينما يظهر التباين العنيف بين البرودة الطبيعية والحرارة الأخلاقية للأحداث.

أما الزمن، فهو يتلاعب بالقارئ. من الحرب العالمية الثانية، إلى نهاية التسعينات، إلى لحظات الحاضر السردي، حيث الماضي لا يموت بل يتجمّد، حتى يُعاد إذابته على يد من يجرؤ على السؤال.

لغة الرواية في الترجمة العربية قوية، واضحة، تُمسك بخيط الإثارة دون أن تفرّط بجماليات التعبير، ولا تقترب من الافتعال. الترجمة حاذقة، تراعي توتر الجملة وخطورتها، وتمنح النص عمقه دون أن تُثقل عليه.

أدبيًا، يمكن تصنيف العمل كـ”ثريلر سياسي استخباراتي” يلامس حدود الديستوبيا، يطرح أسئلة وجودية عن الحقيقة، السلطة، العدالة، والهوية الوطنية. كما يتشابك مع قضايا نقدية تتعلق بالقوة الأميركية، وتمددها، واستخدام السلاح كوسيلة للإسكات لا للحماية.

ليس ما في الطائرة هو المهم، بل كل ما تقرره الدول ألا يُقال عنها. وهنا تكمن عبقرية العنوان: “عملية نابليون” ليست فقط إشارة إلى اسمٍ حربي، بل إلى تكتيك تضليليّ قديم، يستخدم المجهول ليبني جدارًا من الصمت.

الرواية تُقرأ بشغف، لكن تظلّ تنبض في ذهنك بعد الانتهاء منها، لأن الجليد الذي تُدفن تحته الحقيقة، يشبه تمامًا جليد الذاكرة الجمعية للعالم.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece novel of World War II events that I’d never encountered before. A conspiracy, coverup, lies or facts of history whitewashed by the government and the military? Could it be true?

It certainly reinforced my belief to not trust our current Dictator or to accept anything he says as true. “Truth and lies are nothing but a means to an end. I make no distinction between them.” Sounds like something the deranged president might spout!!

Lots of fun Googling - a similar plane was found under the same circumstances in Greenland, which led me to believe that there may be some truth to this story. Also, learned more about glaciers and made a side trip to Patagonia. Broadened my horizons with this book.

Borne does not exist. Kristín found it, but I couldn’t!!

[Mike Cuthbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not exactly “Nordic Noir” even though it is set in Iceland. It is more “Nordic Cold.” A mysterious fuselage is discovered on a glacier in southeastern Iceland and suddenly a large group of Americans, all military, is interested in finding out all about it. It is particularly intriguing because the fuselage—wings are missing—is that of a Junkers bomber with Nazi markings, but underneath it appears to have American camouflage. A curious group of Icelanders starts out to find out what it is. There are rumors around the glacier that it contains a hydrogen bomb, or tons of gold or who knows what. Kristin, a lawyer in one of Iceland’s many bureaucracies, is curious because her brother, Elias, is on a snowmobile with a colleague, traversing the glacier for information about the missing bomber. Ratoff, an American go-to guy for the military, is set on the two and the colleague, Johann, is killed. Kristin finds assassins in her flat and flees, after a friend is killed in front of her, settling for a helper on Steve, an old boyfriend. Together, they flee the assassins and find several unusual hiding places. All this time, Kirstin is assembling bits of evidence as to what possibly could be contained in the old Junkers, now split in two and ready for shipment to the US in two sections. All this is accomplished in the worst possible conditions, with the temperature never rising above freezing and amidst several blizzards. The plot may sound complex, and it is, though it can be boiled down to a great chase plot. The action is continuous, the principals appealing, the atmosphere threatening and the whole book resonates with a kind of cinematic intensity that keeps it rolling even through its most unlikely chapters. There are horrible US villains in addition to Ratoff, there are shots and tortuous treatment of innocents, there is the eternal mystery of what the plane contained and it all mixes together into a cohesive and highly enjoyable tale. The solution to many of the mysteries is contained in the last two words in the book, but don’t you dare jump to the end to find out what they are. This is one of the most enjoyable of my recent forays into Nordic Noir and it is highly recommended, if you want a taste of the cold that makes your 45º Decembers seem like a day at the beach.

[Bill Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway on Goodreads. If I had been browsing a bookstore or library I probably would have purchased it just based on the description. There is a mystery from WWII and secrert agencies willing to kill to protect a buried secret. Just what is usually needed to keep my interest and make for a goodread.
Unfortunately this did not happen.
I found that I was never able to connect with the people n the novel. They were one sided and drew little sympathy. The villans were evl but it seemed that they were just colored that way to make them the bad guys.
Also, the plot called for the suspension of belief at the way the main charecter was able to evade delta forces and assasins fairly easily, which wasn't bad for an Icelandic city girl who did not like the outdoors. The Icelandic government seems to be the meekist group of people who let the US walk all over them.
My final issue was with the translations at times. The US Seceret Service protects the president and is not a spy agency.
I would give this novel a 2.5 on the 5 point scale.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Operation Napoleon reads like a fast paced adventure movie script--in the style of a Clive Cussler book.. That is, just how much can be accomplished in 24 hours or so. There is too much going on, too many characters, too many back stories, too many possible explanations for the plane, and too much flitting back and forth in time. Even allowing for the usual suspension of disbelief that is required for thrillers, this one strains credibility at many turns, particularly with the ending. The plot is a bit tired and over used; the characters flat and not well developed.

It would probably make a decent movie--if more depth could be worked into it.

I would have liked more courage from some of the characters and more compassion from others. I think that could have helped create "depth.”

You could take this book on an airplane ride, finish it before you land and be happy with it.

This author's Inspector Erlender series are much, much better than this early novel.

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Operation Napoleon keeps a tight focus on a story of a top secret WWII operation’s tentacles reaching into our own time. The author specializes in these long/span stories. However, Operation Napoleon features the most American-style dangers and shooting of his books. A clash between US Special Forces and Icelandic people brings out a harsh view of US militarism as opposed to Icelandic peace.

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I'm starting to wonder if Arnaldur's books are meant to be listened to, at least by me. With so many characters (good vs bad), difficult names, jumps in time etc. it was hard to keep track of what was going on. High paced and thrilling, it was an enjoyable story nonetheless.

Characters 7
Atmosphere 7
Writing Style 7
Setup 7
Plot 6
Intrigue 6
Logic 6
Enjoyment 6
Narration 5

[Arjan Beens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spannend boek dat regelmatig voor de handliggende eindes weet te vermijden.

[Gloria Feit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long before there were Erlender and Sigurdur Oll, Arnaldur Indridason wrote this imaginative novel. In fact, it was copyrighted a decade ago, and only now has been published in Great Britain and Canada. [The next Reykjavic Murder Mystery, “Outrage,” was recently published in the UK) It is a pity we have had to wait this long for an English translation of this work, but all the more reason to be grateful that that has now been done.

Just before the end of World War II a German bomber crashes on a large Icelandic glacier with American and German officers aboard. One of the senior German officers attempts to reach a nearby farm, while the others remain on the plane only to be buried by a blizzard and ice; then he disappears as well.

Over 50 years later, after a few failed attempts to find the plane by U.S. intelligence, they are finally successful, and a secret mission is undertaken to remove the plane and its contents.. Coincidentally, two young Icelanders on the glacier in a training mission spot the Americans and are captured, one killed and the other seriously injured. Before the capture, one of the men had contacted his sister, Kristin. She undertakes to discover the truth of her brother’s fate, placing herself in danger in the process.

The tense plot follows Kristin as she challenges the Americans in an effort to find out what happened to her brother, leading her on an arduous journey to learn the facts of Operation Napoleon. The descriptions of the various elements of the story are overwhelming: the freezing weather, the subterfuge of the Americans, the divergent views of Icelanders vis-à-vis relations with United States authorities, and other conflicts. Written with a sharpness to which we have become accustomed from this author, the novel is highly recommended.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author and wish I could read Icelandic so I could read them before they are translated. It takes years to get one of his books because of the speed of the translation. My husband discovered this author before our trip to visit my parents in Iceland a few years back. They were serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Selfoss Iceland and we took our two oldest with us to visit them.

We read Jar City and Secrets of the Grave before going and it gave you a view of Iceland that most tourists are not going to see, including us. We stayed with some friends my parents had made and found Iceland to be a spectacular place to visit and even somewhere we could consider retiring to. The landscape is beautiful and rough, the people are sweet and welcoming. We had a wonderful two week trip that I will remember fondly forever.

Back to the book. This is a stand alone book not related to this author’s series. It is a thriller that keeps you turning the pages late into the night. A crashed plane carries a secret that could destroy US relations with the world. The plane is lost in a glacier in 1945 only to resurfaces in 1967 and again in 2000. The glaciers in Iceland take things an then years later give them back, causing the US to mount a group to find and recover the airplane at last…hiding the secret forever.

Lots of things happen that were not in the plans and that add to the suspense and wonder. Many deaths and questions hang in the air and even the last two words at the end of the book still make you wonder. What really happened and who knew about it all?

If you like mystery/thriller you will enjoy this book. It moves fast and keeps you reading. This is an author not to miss if you love a good mystery…his series is fabulous also.

[Jo-Ann Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through the Goodreads giveaways. Boy, am I glad! This book was fantastic! I could barely put it down.

It was wonderful to see a strong woman lead with a brain who knew how to use it! I would love to see this made into a movie.

There was a quick pace with lots of action and an unpredictable storyline. There was a little violence but was mainly at the beginning and end. The first violence really turned me off and I was not sure I wanted to continue reading. Again, I am glad I did because as brutal as that was, we did not have brutality again until the end of the book. Many stories can follow a certain formula that with this event, you can predict this outcome. All my guesses as to outcome were entirely wrong. A very refreshing result.

In many ways, it reminded me of the Clive Cussler books I have read. We begin with an event from the past that has a hint of mystery then switch to today and a discovery of that event with a deepening of the mystery and a hunt for some type of treasure. However, this book is much more unpredictable.

The characters were well developed and interesting. I am very unfamiliar with Iceland and it was a little unsettling but understandable to see that Americans are not held in the most favorable light.

My one suggestion would be a glossary that give the pronunciation of the Icelandic names used in the book since I have never heard of most of them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a fast paced adventure.

[Laila · Rating 5 out of 5]

richtig, richtig spannend vo afang bis endi!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arnaldur Indridason is a superb writer of mysteries set in Iceland. He is not, however, Alistair MacLean. In Operation Napoleon he att6empted to write an action novel featuring a plucky Reykjavik attorney who is shocked when her brother is injured by American intelligence operatives looking for a German plane that crashed in the waning days of World War Two atop the huge Vatnajokull glacier. The plane contained something important: Was it gold? Was it incriminating documents? Was it the body of Adolph Hitler?

We don't find out until the very end. Until we get there, we see the Americans (with one lone exception) as the enemy intent on riding roughshod over a tiny North Atlantic country. Our sympathies are with Kristin all the way, though not so much as with the Inspector Erlendur stories by the same author.

[Julien-colin Bougie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emballe-toi dans le papier d'alu et achète-toi un billet pour Reykjavík. Lance-toi à bras ouverts dans le précipice de la conspiration.

Rencontre des personnages qui agissent selon des motivations inexplicables, au mieux invraisemblables. Découvre une héroïne sans aucun instinct de survie. Partage un doux moment avec des agents secrets psychopathes qui sont incapables de préserver un seul secret. Délecte-toi de puissants oxymores et antithèses, comme celui-ci : "Le ministre soupesa toutes ses options, inexistantes." Ou encore celle-là : "Ils auraient pu être jumeaux si leurs visages n'avaient pas été aussi différents."

Un drôle d'éloge aux théories du complot, drôle jusqu'à temps qu'on gratte la surface et qu'on découvre les secrets enfouis au coeur de ce polaire polar (ba-dum-tss). Drôle jusqu'à temps qu'on découvre qu'on a là une critique du mode de pensée psychotique qui donne lieu aux théories du complot.

J'ai bien aimé.

[Jean-Paul Adriaansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of Arnaldur Indridason that I read. What a nice surprise it was.
When a German plane, crashed on an Iceland glacier during WW II emerges 50 years later from the ice an American secret service organizes a massive search in secret, mercilessly killing anyone who gets in the way. Kristin, an Icelandic woman, gets involuntarily involved when she receives a phone call from her brother who sees abnormal things on that glacier. And then all hell breaks loose.
Marvellous action thriller! Perfect pastime on a cold winterevening.

[Guðrún Gunnarsdóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okei, ég er mjög spennt að sjá myndina! Mér þótti söguþráðurinn ótrúlega spennandi og var ritstillinn mjög myndrænn, fullkominn í að gera að kvikmynd. Mér þótti lika fyndið að sjá hvað tímar hafa breyst. Árið 1999 var greinilega ótrúlegt að einn sími hafi kostað 70.000kr hahahaha. Persónurnar voru einnig skemmtilegar og þetta var yfirhöfuð skemmtilegur lestur. Þetta er alls ekkert frumlegasta eða stórmerkilegasta bók í heimi en ég skemmti mér:)

[Roni Nainiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not often give a 5 star rating....I thought this book was amazing! I love Arnaldur Indridason. And I have read everything of his that I can get my hands on. This story kept me so engaged and excited to turn the next page. The ending...no spoilers...except to say that I LOVED it!! I highly recommend this book.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly not a detective Erlendur book. Written in 1999 and translated into English in 2010. Suspenseful yarn with WWII historical references. A real page turner.