A retired, reclusive woman is found on a bitter winter morning, clubbed to death in Reykjavik's old graveyard.
Detectives Guðgeir and Elsa Guðrún face one of their toughest cases yet, as they try to piece together the details of Arnhildur's austere life in her Red House in the oldest part of the city.
Why was this solitary, private woman attending séances, and why was she determined to keep her severe financial difficulties so secret?
Could the truth be buried deep in her past and a long history of family enmity, or could there be something more?
A stranger keeps a watchful eye on the graveyard and Arnhildur's house. With the detectives running out of leads, could the Medium, blessed and cursed with uncanny abilities, shed any light on Arnhildur’s lonely death?
Our Review...
During the opening scene, we meet Arnhildur, a lonely, elderly and reclusive woman. She is reading the newspaper and looking for employment. The author gives just enough information to make the reader wonder why she is looking for employment at her age and why she is a recluse. Arnhildur then attends a seance, again making the reader ask why she would do this. The reader is also not party to what the souls from the other side communicate to Arnhildur through the clairvoyant. This supernatural element continues throughout the book. Again, this all adds to the intrigue and mystery. We then find out that Arnhildur does not make it home that night. The writing from the victim perspective in the opening chapters was excellently executed, we learn about her life and thoughts just enough to care about her wellbeing and give us some insight into potential reasons for her murder.
We then meet likable detectives Gudgeir and Elsa Gudrún. Both seem down to earth and ordinary people. Having not read the first 3 books in the series, I did find it a little difficult to get to know their lives and feel invested in them as characters. However, reading this book as a stand alone, the author does explain succinctly the family relationships each one has at home.
Once the detectives enter the picture, the reader is taken on a twisty journey of trying to figure out who was responsible for Arnhildur's demise. I was kept guessing throughout, the plot is intricate to keep it interesting but also written in a way that is easy to follow. This ensures the reader is taken on an adventure with the detectives. During the course of the investigation more than one 'bad guy' emerges, again adding an interesting curveball to the story.
I was not able to identify the killer until the author revealed this to me. In my opinion, this is the mark of an excellent crime fiction novel. The author includes multiple red herrings which are very well presented and plausible as potential killers. The setting of Iceland is also beautifully described and adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the story. I would have liked to have read the first 3 in the Ice and Crime series prior to reading Shrouded to get a better picture of the detectives characters, I'm sure this would have added to the overall experience of reading this book.
Selected Quotes...
"Words have characters of their own and that affects our mood, try saying it slowly",
"Shit's still shit" Elsa Gudrún muttered sourly. "Even if we call it poop"
It was quite likely that these people harboured the same inner feeling as she did, a discomfort at being present in this place.
She glanced around, but the street was as deserted as before. Once again, she heard the clear crunch of footsteps coming her way. Someone was coming through the graveyard.
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About The Author...
Sólveig Pálsdóttir has a diverse background. She’s a trained actor and has performed in theatre, television and radio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Iceland along with a degree in teaching. Sólveig taught Icelandic literature and linguistics, drama and public speaking for many years and has produced a number of radio programmes and managed cultural events.
Her first novel Leikarinn (The Actor) was published in 2012 to rave reviews and weeks at the top of best-sellers lists. It is now being developed as a motion picture. The second novel, Hinir réttlátu (The Righteous Ones), was published the following year, and also became a best-seller. Both novels have been published in Germany by Aufbau as Eiskaltes Gift and Tote Wale. Her third novel, Flekklaus (Pure), was published in March 2015.
Her fourth book, Refurinn (The Fox) also made its way to Iceland’s best-seller list.
All her novels have been shortlisted for the Icelandic Crime Fiction Awards and have been praised for their narrative, attention to detail and sympathetic characters.
Fjötrar (Silenced) was published in 2019 and won the Icelandic Drop of Blood award for the year’s best crime novel, and was shortlisted for the Nordic Glass Key Award.
Sólveig lives in Reykjavík and is married with three children and two grandchildren.
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