Review by Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.

Arnaldur Indridason, Iceland’s King of Crime, needs no introduction. His crime novels starring detective Erlendur have become a worldwide hit and almost every book he writes is translated into dozens of foreign languages.

Indridason’s most recent novel in the Erlendur series, Myrká, was released in Iceland shortly before Christmas last year and became an instant bestseller on the local market.

Foreign fans will have to wait a while longer before they can get their hands on the English version on Myrká, but while they wait they can take a mental walk through the frozen streets of Reykjavík with Erlendur and his coworkers in Indridason’s Arctic Chill.

Originally published as Vetrarborgin (“City of Winter”) in 2005, the book touches a sensitive string in the Icelandic psyche; a ten-year-old boy of Thai origin is found dead, frozen to the sidewalk in a Reykjavík suburb in mid-January.

The murder raises issues of immigration, multiculturalism and racism—unveiling attitudes that should not exist in a society that prides itself on hospitality and open-mindedness.

As always, Indridason writes about controversial topics that are relevant to modern Icelandic society and describes quite accurately how morals and values have evolved over the past decades.

Indridason paints a picture of a nation suffering an identity crisis; a people that disrespect their own cultural identity while at the same time accusing immigrants of jeopardizing Icelandic traditions and values.

In Arctic Chill, Icelanders are a greed-driven people who are willing to sacrifice their heritage on the altar of materialism, a people whose children are raised in disrespect for others and in an atmosphere of neglect and pointlessness.

Yet how does an innocent child end up dead?

The main storyline in Arctic Chill is likely to keep readers glued to the pages. However, the various side stories that find their way into the book disrupt the plot. Indridason uses this style of writing in all of his novels, probably to make them more exciting. This technique often works, but in Arctic Chill some of the side stories are tedious and seem irrelevant.

Erlendur’s own story, of the brother who got lost in a snowstorm decades back and was never found, the daughter who is a drug addict, the son who is an alcoholic and how Erlendur is depressed because of it, has grown tired.

More tiresome still is the story of Erlendur’s partner Sigurdur Óli who is having relationship problems. It sometimes feels as if Indridason is writing about the lives of his main characters out of pure obligation, which leaves the story longwinded at times.

The narrative in Arctic Chill is very straightforward. Descriptions are sparse and there is nothing poetic about the style of writing. The language is impeccable, but with a little more effort, the atmosphere of the story could have been made much more tangible.  

As is the case with Indridason’s books, Arctic Chill is good for what it is—a crime novel. It is a good read before going to sleep, a book that doesn’t require too much thinking on the reader’s behalf.

However, it is not among Indridason’s best books such as Silence of the Grave and Hardskafi. Despite covering important topics, it doesn’t leave much behind.

Arctic Chill was originally published as Vetrarborgin by Vaka-Helgafell, Reykjavík 2005. The English version of the book is now available on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com.

ESA – eyglo@icelandreview.com

Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir graduated with a Bachelors degree in communication studies from the University of Erfurt, Germany, in 2004. In 2006, she graduated with a Masters degree in journalism from the University of Westminster, London. She has worked as the web editor for Iceland Review since October 2006. Eygló received an award for her entries in a nationwide short story competition in 1997, 1998 and 1999.