Damaris C. (Erinyes) reviewed Silence of the Grave (Inspector Erlendur, Bk 2) on + 279 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
This book is a must read. Period. You must read it. Here's why...
First the book is very smartly written. You get a good idea of the place (Iceland) without too many wordy adjectives. You can see the place but the whole book isn't about the tiniest details. Also the people in the book are very smartly written. They all seem like actual people and not two dimensional cut outs to prop up the storyline.
Second this for me wasn't the typical mystery/thriller. I am used to Patrica Cornwell, or the Alex Cross series, or even the books Bones is based on. Where you get the nitty gritty details. There are corpses everywhere with blood and it's all like an actual police casefile. This book is far far more subtle about the mystery and the violence inside. Yes, it's shocking but it's shock without the gore. Very refreshing in an odd way.
And finally, the story was just great. I am of the age where I put down books that do not interest me. I am now totally willing to say that I don't have to read every single book if it doesn't hold my attention. I carried this book around with me so that I could read it whenever I had a free minute. I actually cared what happened to all three families. I was very interested in the next revelation. And I was satisfied by the ending if a bit sad. I love it when a book makes me feel something.
I cannot wait to read more of this series!
First the book is very smartly written. You get a good idea of the place (Iceland) without too many wordy adjectives. You can see the place but the whole book isn't about the tiniest details. Also the people in the book are very smartly written. They all seem like actual people and not two dimensional cut outs to prop up the storyline.
Second this for me wasn't the typical mystery/thriller. I am used to Patrica Cornwell, or the Alex Cross series, or even the books Bones is based on. Where you get the nitty gritty details. There are corpses everywhere with blood and it's all like an actual police casefile. This book is far far more subtle about the mystery and the violence inside. Yes, it's shocking but it's shock without the gore. Very refreshing in an odd way.
And finally, the story was just great. I am of the age where I put down books that do not interest me. I am now totally willing to say that I don't have to read every single book if it doesn't hold my attention. I carried this book around with me so that I could read it whenever I had a free minute. I actually cared what happened to all three families. I was very interested in the next revelation. And I was satisfied by the ending if a bit sad. I love it when a book makes me feel something.
I cannot wait to read more of this series!
Helpful Score: 2
I picked up Indridason's first mystery, Jar City, on a whim because I was looking for something different in the genre. Boy, did I find it! It got me hooked on the series. The second entry, Silence of the Grave, is even more of a departure from the norm than the first book. Subtle and well written, this story and its characters demand the reader's undivided attention from the first page and does not let up until the final word. Erlendur is a marvelous protagonist, full of human frailties and failings, and this story gives us more of a glimpse into the past that shaped him.
Excellent. I am really enjoying Indridason's series set in Reykjavik. The mystery is engaging, and the author conveys a great deal about the people and history of Iceland. Recommended for fans of Henning Mankell.
