Cliffhanger ending is unsettling and makes this Nordic noir mystery a bit unsatisfactory for me.
A famous Icelandic author, Elin Jonsdottir, has gone missing. Detective Helgi Reykdal is assigned the case, probably due to his love of books but also because he has demonstrated some real ability with investigations. The novel is told in multiple timelines that bring in subplots about Helgi’s past relationship with a bad girlfriend, Elin’s personal history, and Helgi’s predecessor, Hulda, whose fate is unresolved since she has also vanished without a trace.
The plot is complex and has a classic mystery style but the pacing was somewhat slow and there didn’t seem to be a lot of detecting or police work done to solve the case. So many different things going on and absolutely no progress made to answer several questions. And what about Anita? I hate cliffhanger endings and always feel cheated as it makes the novel seem incomplete. Definitely sets up for the next in this series (this is the 3rd book) but who likes waiting?
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Cicely Whitehead, Jane Slavic, and Rufus Wright, did an excellent job of voicing the characters and bringing them to life. The special effects, ie the tape recorder, also enhanced the listening experience. I enjoyed the full cast performance that increased enjoyment of the book.
This is the third book in a series that should be read from the beginning, in order.
Tags and genre - Nordic crime fiction, mystery, missing persons
No comments:
Post a Comment