Publishers Weekly
★ 02/02/2015
In this riveting prequel set in late-1960s Reykjavík, Indridason plumbs the backstory of his series lead, somber Insp. Erlendur Sveinsson. As a young cop, Erlendur patrols at night, writes speeding tickets, and escorts drunks to the station house. When Hannibal, a tramp he’s acquainted with, dies of apparently natural causes, Erlendur starts to investigate on his own time. In the process, he learns about Reykjavík’s down-and-out population—which Indridason presents humanely and without sentimentality—and about becoming a detective. His obsession with Hannibal and what happened to him foreshadows the concerns of the more mature Erlendur in books set years later, such as 2014’s Strange Shores. Erlendur connects Hannibal’s case to that of a missing woman and a criminal enterprise that may strike readers as amateurish (one tactic is stolen from the then-new TV detective show Ironside). The investigation slowly but surely gathers powerful, page-turning momentum. This installment stands on its own, but it’s all the more impressive for giving new insight into Erlendur. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Arnaldur Indridason
"In this riveting prequel set in late-1960s Reykjavík, Indridason plumbs the backstory of his series lead, somber Insp. Erlendur Sveinsson. As a young cop, Erlendur patrols at night, writes speeding tickets, and escorts drunks to the station house. When Hannibal, a tramp he’s acquainted with, dies of apparently natural causes, Erlendur starts to investigate on his own time. In the process, he learns about Reykjavík’s down-and-out population—which Indridason presents humanely and without sentimentality—and about becoming a detective. His obsession with Hannibal and what happened to him foreshadows the concerns of the more mature Erlendur in books set years later, such as 2014’s Strange Shores. Erlendur connects Hannibal’s case to that of a missing woman and a criminal enterprise that may strike readers as amateurish (one tactic is stolen from the then-new TV detective show Ironside). The investigation slowly but surely gathers powerful, page-turning momentum. This installment stands on its own, but it’s all the more impressive for giving new insight into Erlendur." —Publishers Weekly (starred) on Reykjavik Nights
"Indridason's prequel unfolds with the same precision, economically depicted characters and authenticity as his Inspector Erlendur novels, but a livelier energy replaces the middle-aged Erlendur's noir melancholy." —Kirkus Reviews
"Will thrill fans." —Library Journal
“What’s Icelandic for ‘we have ourselves a winner?"—Newsday
"Puts Iceland on the map as a major destination for enthusiasts of Nordic crime fiction."—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
"Keeps readers guessing until the very last pages." —Washington Post Book World
"Indridason and Stieg Larsson have produced two of the best crime novels of the year." —The Independent (UK)
"Every one of these writers is good [Hakan Nesser, Kjell Eriksson, Karin Fossum], but in my book, Arnaldur Indridason is even better." —Joe Queenan, Los Angeles Times
Library Journal
03/15/2015
The year is 1974 in this series prequel. Called to a domestic dispute, Erlendur is reminded of a homeless alcoholic named Hannibal who drowned in a nearby pond the previous year. It was assumed the victim was drunk and accidentally drowned. A rookie cop, Erlendur is intrigued by unsolved cases, especially disappearances. Having met Hannibal several times on his beat, Erlendur begins looking at the files regarding the drowning and searching for clues on his own time. He also remembers that a young woman disappeared at the same time as Hannibal's death. Erlendur also probes this case, wondering if the two occurrences might be linked. While this story is not as riveting nor as dark as previous titles (most recently Strange Shores), young Erlendur is still a solid character, socially awkward, a loner, driven even then. Readers get a glimpse into the man and his entrée into criminal investigation. His police partners play minimal, more comical roles in this installment. At the end, Erlendur meets his future CID mentor who will apparently play a key role in his future. VERDICT Readers of Nordic mysteries and police procedurals will devour the entire series, beginning with this book. [See Prepub Alert, 10/13/14.]—Edward Goldberg, Syosset P.L., NY
Kirkus Reviews
2015-02-02
Haunted by the inexplicable death of a vagabond he befriended, a young Icelandic cop vows to learn the truth.Decades before the events of the Inspector Erlendur novels (Strange Shores, 2014, etc.), Erlendur Sveinsson serves on patrol with Gardar and Marteinn, law students working for the police over the summer. Answering a domestic violence call, the young detective is reminded of an unsolved case from a year ago in which a homeless man named Hannibal drowned not far away. It may have been an accident, but Erlendur's instincts tell him otherwise. Maybe it's just because he took a liking to Hannibal. Flashbacks depict their budding friendship as Erlendur methodically investigates on his own time. He questions some of Hannibal's homeless mates and tracks down his sister, a possible lover and a pair of brothers who lived next door to him as a child and may have brutalized him. The deeper he probes, the more secrets he uncovers and the more he suspects foul play. Hannibal's is the most involving, but far from the only, case that the ambitious Erlendur is tackling. He makes a habit of trawling through police archives to study missing persons cases from the past and present. He's particularly intrigued by the disappearance of a young woman named Oddny from nearby Thorskaffi that he thinks just might be connected to Hannibal's death. Indridason's prequel unfolds with the same precision, economically depicted characters and authenticity as his Inspector Erlendur novels, but a livelier energy replaces the middle-aged Erlendur's noir melancholy.
