Reading in Reykjavík

Genre : Urban fantasy police procedural. Setting : Modern London. Themes : Violence, death, crime, gods, magic, ghosts. Constable-in-training Peter Grant is facing a career at a desk, writing reports for other policemen, at the end of his probationary period, due to being easily distracted. Things start looking up when he meets a ghost at a murder scene he is guarding. Next thing he knows, he's been recruited into a special branch of the London police that deals with paranormal and supernatural crime, has become a wizard's apprentice and is learning how to use magic. However, finding out he's able to see ghosts and do magic is soon the least of Peter's worries as a series of bizarre acts of violence and murder sweep the city. To add to the confusion, the river gods of London seem to be heading into a turf war. I first heard of this book when I was browsing the Discworld discussion forum on Reddit, where it was recommended as something a Discworld fan might li...

Original title: Pequnas Infamias Translated from: Spanish Translator: Christopher Andrews Genre: Crime, literary novel Year of publication: 1998 (original); 2003 (translation) Setting & time: Spain, contemporary Chef Nestor Chaffinch (speciality: sweet desserts) finds himself stuck inside a walk-in freezer in the middle of the night after catering a successful private party and is found dead and frozen in the morning. At least four people in the house had reason to want him dead, but who killed him, and was he even murdered at all? After this first, terrifying chapter, the narrative flashes back to the events that lead up to the death, showing how Fate tangled together the lives of several people and finally led them all together in one place for a grand finale. The translation is seamless and according to reviewers who have read it in both languages Andrews has managed to preserve the author’s style, which is, as any good translator knows, a commendable feat. This...

Here is the seventh book I read for the Bibliophilic Books Challenge , which puts me just past the halfway point of the Bibliomaniac level. This book fits into the challenge in several ways: The main sleuth is a journalist, and her writing course is featured and the classes described several times; the other teachers are writing or have written books (one is a world-famous author) - two even have motives for murder related to their books; and the students are writing assignments that are part of what drives a section of the story. Genre: Mystery Year of publication: 2003 No. in series: 1 Series detective: McLeod Dulane Type of mystery: Murder, cosy Type of investigator: A, journalist and lecturer in non-fiction writing at Princeton University Setting & time: Princeton University campus, New Jersey, USA Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist McLeod Dulane is thrilled to be given a chance to teach journalistic writing at Princeton University, but her enthusiasm wanes so...

No mystery reading challenge would be complete without a review of the books of Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee, better known as Ellery Queen. This formidable writing team is among the USA's most influential crime writers of the 20th century. Their eponymous detective and mystery writer is one of the "thinking machine" types who often solve mysteries by pure logic and deduction. I will be reviewing three Ellery Queen books here, but have unfortunately not been able to get my hands on any books about their other series detective, Drury Lane. As always, I will review the writing style in the author review. Series detective: Ellery Queen, assisted by his father, Richard Queen of the NYPD Type of investigator: Amateur Title: The American Gun Mystery (alt. title Death at the Rodeo ) No. in series: 6 Year of publication: 1933 Type of mystery: Murder, whodunnit, howdunnit Setting & time: New York city, USA, 1930s Story: The Queens attend a rodeo show and, along ...

Series detective: Eve Dallas No. in series: 8 Year of publication: 1999 Type of mystery: Murder, whodunnit, police procedural, futuristic mystery thriller Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: New York, USA, 2059 This is the third book I finish for the From the Stacks challenge. Upcoming is a review of My Journey to Lhasa . When I first heard of the In Death series I thought it sounded like something I would enjoy. The review I read emphasised that in order to enjoy the books fully, it was important to read them in the order of publication, so I got the first book from the library, read it in one sitting and got hooked. After reading several books, I decided that while it was indeed best to read them in order, they could be read out of order, but only if one was reading them for the mystery plots and not for character development and relationship dynamics. I continued reading them until I finished book seven, and then I got reader's block. Conspiracy… had been o...

Series detective: Inspector Hemingway No. in series: Year of publication: 1961 Type of mystery: Murder, whodunnit, howdunnit Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Rural England, 1960s Some themes: Story: Inspector Hemingway of the Scotland Yard is called in to investigate a mysterious murder in a small English village. Several people had reason to dislike the victim, who was an unpleasant man, a social climber who was not above using blackmail to get his way. Most of the suspects were on their way home from a tennis party when the murder took place, and Hemingway needs to establish their alibis or lack thereof before turning to finding out just how the murder was done. Review: This is a clever puzzle plot, worthy of Agatha Christie, and written in Heyer's deft style. While I had the murderer figured out after not too many chapters, I was unable to figure out the howdunnit of the plot until the Inspector began unravelling it. Rating: Another clever and interest...

Title: Henrietta Who? Series detective: Detective Inspector Sloan No. in series: 2 Year of publication: 1968 Type of mystery: Murder, identity Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Rural England, 20th century, post WW2 Story: Grace Jenkins is found dead, a hit-and-run victim, in the middle of a village road, and her autopsy shows two things: her death was no accident and she can't possibly be the biological mother of Henrietta, the young woman she has brought up as her daughter. But who was she then, and what's more important: who is Henrietta? She and her boyfriend, and DI Sloan and his men race to try to find the answers, which prove to be, if not entirely unexpected for the reader, rather shocking for the characters. Review: Here is a genuine old-fashioned mystery with a classical twist. I can't say too much about it, as the whole story hinges of it, but it is about identity that may or may not have to do with the murders that take place in the story....

No. in series: 3 Year of publication: 1994 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: North Carolina, USA, contemporary Some themes: Second sight, madness, family ties, ghosts, legend Story: Police dispatcher Martha Ayers wants to become a policewoman. After some hesitation, Sheriff Arrowood takes her on, saying if she passes her probationary period he will send her for training and make her a full member of the small police force in Dark Hollow. Her lover, police officer Joe LeDonne, isn't too pleased and finds an outlet for his feelings that could break up the relationship. Meanwhile, an escaped convict is making his way towards the town and his ex-wife and daughter. He suffers from a mental disorder that makes him think he is still back in the sixties and it's only a few days since he last saw them. At the same time a student of folklore is trying to retrace the trail along which a young woman captured by Indians 200 years before escaped,...

Series detective: Inspector Ben Jurnet No. in series: 2 Year of publication: 1982 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: England, contemporary Number of murders: 1 Some themes: Religion, drug-dealing, anti-Semitism, social injustice Awards: The (British) Crime Writer's Association Silver Dagger Award, 1982 Story: A choirboy is found murdered in the cathedral of Angleby (a fictional town based on Norfolk) and signs on the body indicate that someone wanted to recreate the murder of Little Saint Ulf, whose holy bones are buried under the church and whose death had sparked a mass murder of the Jewish inhabitants of medieval Angleby. Ben Jurnet, who has now made a decision in the matter he was considering at the end of Death and the Pregnant Virgin (important for the story), is called in to investigate. He soon finds out that no-one seems to have liked the murdered boy much, but neither does anyone seem to have hated him enough to kill him. T...

Title: Case Histories Year published: 2004 Type of mystery: Literary mystery, murder, missing persons Type of investigator: Private detective Setting & time: Cambridge, UK, contemporary Number of suspicious deaths: 3 Some themes: Missing persons, family, hopelessness, murder You may wonder why I am counting Kate Atkinson as a mystery writer. Simple: she has written two mysteries so far which is all it takes to make it onto my mystery author reading list. I am trying to get my hands on her other mystery, which is about the same lead character as this one. Story: Jackson Brodie is a typical depressed, divorced and chain-smoking hopeless P.I. Three cases land on his table: a child's disappearance more than 20 years before, a 10 year old unsolved murder, and a missing person. The stories of Jackson's investigations into these cases, his private life and the lives of some of those involved intertwine and in the end some things are solved for the participants and others on...

Title in translation: Arctic Chill Series detective: Erlendur Sveinsson and co. No. in series: 7 Year of publication: 2005 Type of mystery: Murder, police procedural Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Reykjavík, 2005 Number of murders: 1 Some themes: Immigrants, racism, child abuse, missing persons Story: On a frosty January morning a young boy, half Thai, half Icelandic, is found stabbed to death outside the building where he lived. Most people assume that the crime was racially motivated, but Erlendur is not so sure. He and his team patiently sift through evidence and question suspects, and other cases intrude. When the murder weapon is finally found it leads the investigators down a disturbing path. Review: When I reviewed the last book I mentioned that the reiterations of the police officers' personal lives and problems was getting boring. Fortunately it is not so in this story. Arnaldur only uses very brief summaries to ensure new readers know what...

Title: Murder on the Yellow Brick Road Series detective: Toby Peters No. in series: 2 Year of publication: 1978 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Private detective Setting & time: Hollywood, 1940s Number of murders: 3 Some themes: Fame, film-making, dwarfs Story: Tough Los Angeles P.I. Toby Peters gets a frantic call from Judy Garland, who has received a mysterious phone-call that directed her to the Wizard of Oz set where she found a murdered dwarf in a Munchkin costume. It's been a year since the movie was made, but the set is still being used for publicity shots, and the dead Munchkin was one of the actors who sometimes posed for shots with visitors to the studio. M.G.M. wants the murder kept quiet, and Toby is hired to do some investigating, which leads him into the world of the little people and from there in some rather unexpected directions before he finally solves the mystery. None other than Raymond Chandler assists him in the investigation. Revi...

Series detective: Elizabeth MacPherson No. in series: 2 Year of publication: 1985 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Amateur Setting & time: North Carolina, USA, 1980's Number of murders: 2 (+1) Some themes: Story: Elizabeth MacPherson and Milo, her brother's room-mate who is a physical anthropologist, are getting interested in each other and he agrees to let her participate in an archaeological dig in the Appalachians. The dig aims to prove the tribal status of the Cullowees, an ethnic group that has lived in the area for generations, but which is now about to lose its land to a mining company unless they can prove they are Indians and have the area declared a tribal land. Trouble begins brewing even before the dig begins, since it is obvious that one of the students is head over heels in love with the professor leading the dig, and one of the assistants is distinctly unpleasant and unlikeable. Then a murder is committed and suspicion falls on several of...

Series detective: Elizabeth MacPherson (here aided by brother Bill) No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 1984 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Amateurs, police Setting & time: Georgia, USA, 1980's Number of murders: 1 (2) Some themes: Insanity, eccentricity, alcoholism Story: Elizabeth MacPherson, recently graduated from college and searching for a future career, is invited to act as bridesmaid to her cousin Eileen. The first thing Elizabeth notices when she arrives at the family mansion to take up her role in the wedding party is a replica of Neuschwanstein castle on the lawn, built on a smaller scale than the original but still big enough to live in. This is the home of her cousin Alban and a taste of things to come. Her other cousins, Geoffrey and Charles, make Alban look only slightly eccentric by comparison and Eileen is on the mend after a long stay in a psychiatric hospital and is nervous and insecure, which is no surprise to Elizabeth once she me...

Title: The Merchant's House Series detective: Wesley Peterson No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 1999 Type of mystery: Police procedural: murder, theft, missing persons Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Devon, UK, 1990's Number of murders: 2 Some themes: Infertility, obsession, infidelity, archaeology Story: DS Wesley Peterson transfers from the London Met to the police force in a small seaside resort town in Devon. On his first day of work the body of a brutally murdered young woman is found and he is plunged into an investigation. Meanwhile, another officer is becoming increasingly upset over a case involving a child's disappearance, and a team of archaeologists dig up two skeletons in the ruins of a 17th century merchant's house, one of them clearly a murder victim. Each chapter begins with a passage from the diary of the man who owned the house, slowly uncovering the story of the murder that was committed in the house. Review: Here's...

Author: Joan Hess Series detective: Claire Malloy No. in series: 4 Year of publication: 1988 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Amateur Setting & time: Arkansas, USA, 1980’s Number of corpses: 2 Some themes: Beauty pageants, politics (and politicians), the American Dream Story: When Claire Malloy’s friend is hurt while showing a bunch of beauty pageant contestants their moves, she ropes Claire into helping her to get the pageant going. Someone seems to be trying to injure and/or scare the reigning Miss Thurberfest, who is in town to crown her successor. Some suspect the girl is just trying to attract attention, but when she is found dead in her dressing room no-one is sure what is going on any more. A local politician and his assistant may be involved and the owner of the theatre where the pageant is to take place has been behaving suspiciously. But Claire’s biggest worry is that her friend seems to be harbouring a secret she is unwilling to share. Review: I f...

Title: Death and the Pregnant Virgin Series detective: Ben Jurnet No. in series: 1 Year of publication: 1980 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Rural village in England, 1980’s Number of corpses: 4 Some themes: Religion, greed, relationships Picture pending. Story: Five years before the beginning of the story, a dog digging in a badger run on the outskirts of the village of Mauthern Barbary unearthed a madonna statue thought to have been destroyed in the time of Henry VIII. The madonna, which looks more like an African fertility goddess than the usual demure Mary, is thought to give the gift of fertility to women who have been unable to conceive. On the fifth anniversary of the unearthing, thousands of couples flock to the village to pray to the madonna for her blessing. A young woman, Rachel Cass, works at the shrine and is loved and respected by all, some even claiming she is a saint. When the shrine is opened to the worshippers on the ...

Note: The reviews may not seem to be quite finished. This is because I want to discuss certain points of the books in the author review at the end, where I will try to tie everything together. Title: Death of a Mystery Writer Original (British) title: Unruly Son Year of publication: 1978 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Police Main setting & time: Rural England, 1970’s Number of corpses: 2 Some themes: Dysfunctional family, fame, mystery writing Story: When famous mystery writer Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs is murdered with poison on his birthday, there are plenty of possible suspects, including all of his children. Inspector Meredith of the local police has to penetrate the tangle of family animosity and dig deep into the dead man’s past to find the motive. Review: I have read that this is supposed to be a satire of the classic country house mystery. This is probably due to the rather dark, ironic and, yes, sometimes satirical humour in the s...

I have a bit of a problem with the two Robert Barnard books I read for the challenge. The endings of both were not to my liking for a reason a regular reader of this blog will be able to guess, and I want to read a third and maybe fourth Barnard to reassure myself it was an unlucky coincidence and not something that happens in all of his books. I may even slip someone into the challenge ahead of him. But here is a review of a book by an author already included in the challenge: Author: Sister Carol Anne O’Marie Series detective: Sister Mary Helen, w/ Sister Eileen No. in series: 5 Year of publication: 1993 Type of mystery: Murder Type of investigator: Amateurs, police Setting & time: Santiago de Compostela, Spain Number of deaths: 1 Some themes: Abuse, jealousy, family Story: Sister Mary Helen wins a trip for two to Santiago de Compostela in a sweepstake she doesn’t remember participating in, and invites her friend (and sidekick), Sister Eileen, along. At the airport they...

Author: Arthur Upfield Series detective: Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte No. in series: 20 Year of publication: 1956 Type of mystery: Murder, missing person Type of investigator: Police Setting & time: Nullarbor Plain, Australia, 1950’s Number of deaths: 1 Some themes: Kidnapping, fame-seeking, sexual power and it’s misuse, justice Story: Bony is sent to try to find a murderess who was recently acquitted of the murder of her husband because she managed to win over the jury. She was last seen on a train going through the Nullarbor Plain, an arid, desolate area on the edge of the Australian desert, and then she disappeared mysteriously in the middle of nowhere. There is evidence that she may be involved in espionage and therefore Bony disguises himself and sets out into the Plain, ostensibly to check on some dingo traps, but really to look around for signs of the missing woman and to try to locate a mysterious helicopter known to have been in the area that night. What he disco...