ARNALDUR INDRIÐASON won the Glass Key award for Best Nordic Crime Novel for both Jar City and Silence of the Grave. He lives in Reykjavík.
The Draining Lake (Inspector Erlendur Series #4)
Paperback
(First Edition)
$18.00
- ISBN-13: 9780312428587
- Publisher: Picador
- Publication date: 09/01/2009
- Series: Inspector Erlendur Series , #4
- Edition description: First Edition
- Pages: 336
- Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
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Inspector Erlendur returns in this international Bestseller
Following an earthquake, the water level of an Icelandic lake suddenly falls, revealing a skeleton. Inspector Erlendur's investigation takes him back to the Cold War era, when bright, left-wing students in Iceland were sent to study in the "heavenly state" of Communist East Germany. Teeming with spies and informants, though, their "heavenly state" becomes a nightmare of betrayal and murder. Brilliantly weaving international espionage and a chilling cold case investigation, The Draining Lake is Arnaldur Indridason at his best.
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Marilyn Stasio
In this book as in Indridason's previous ones (all translated with grave sensitivity by Bernard Scudder), Erlendur's effort to reclaim one lost soul opens a broader investigation into a neglected piece of Icelandic history. Here it's the "weird times" of the cold war, when Iceland was of strategic interest to both the United States, which kept a military base at Keflavik, and the Soviet Union, which had plenty of spies on the ground.—The New York Times
Maureen Corrigan
Indridason keeps readers guessing as to the identities of the snitch and the skeleton until the very last pages of this moody investigation into the fatal follies of youth, politics and memory. By novel's end, fittingly, the lake waters begin to rise again, obscuring all.—The Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
At the start of Gold Dagger Award-winner Indridason's carefully plotted fourth entry in his crime series starring detective Erlendur Sveinsson (Jar City, etc.), a human skeleton surfaces in the bed of a lake near Reykjavik that's been mysteriously draining away. The bones are tied to some kind of Russian listening device, presumably a remnant of the Cold War. As Erlendur and his colleagues, Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli, go about checking on people who went missing around 1970, Erlendur is reminded of the disappearance of his younger brother when they were children. Erlendur's lifelong obsession with the missing provides a haunting metaphor for this lonely, middle-aged man, divorced and alienated from his own two children. Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli, on the other hand, aren't particularly persuasive characters, but flashbacks to the University of Leipzig during the Cold War provide compelling insights into the splintered politics of the day, as well as the Icelandic students studying there at the time. (Sept.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Library Journal
Missing persons particularly pique the interest of Reykjavík police inspector Erlendur, still haunted by the loss of his younger brother in a blizzard that he survived as a child. When the mysteriously draining Lake Kleifarvatn reveals a skeleton tied to an old Russian radio transmitter, Erlendur and colleagues Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli delve into the cold war era, when promising young Icelandic socialists were sent to Leipzig to study, and one of them lost the woman he loved in the atmosphere of "interactive surveillance." Considering himself a failure in family relationships, the introspective and dogged Erlendur is motivated to bring closure to a 70-year-old woman still waiting for her long-vanished lover; even a missing hubcap is a key to this case. Erlendur's developing relationship with a married woman, Elinborg's newfound success as a cookbook author, and Sigurdur Oli's phone calls from a troubled man add depth and texture to the fourth in Indridason's award-winning Nordic series (after Voices). This is exceptional fiction that transcends its genre.—Michele Leber
Kirkus Reviews
A body found in a cold lake has roots in the Cold War. Sunna, a scientist with Iceland's Energy Authority, discovers a skeleton while taking an early morning walk around Lake Kleifarvatn, which has been recently drained. Inspector Erlendur is called in to investigate, along with sidekicks El'nborg and Sigurdur ili. Though a hole in the skeleton's skull clearly indicates foul play, identifying the remains proves trickier than expected. Meticulous research narrows the field of possible victims, but also reveals a striking anomaly: a cluster of young Icelandic men, perhaps involved in espionage, who left the country without a trace 30 years ago. An old Ford Falcon ultimately leads the team to the victim's name. Threaded through the contemporary investigation is the story of an initially anonymous protagonist who journeys to East Germany for training and falls hard for Ilona, a Hungarian operative. Her unexplained disappearance sets him onto a dangerous path. Back in the present, Erlendur struggles to find time for an affair with crime-scene tech Valgerdur, whom he met on his last case (Voices, 2007), when he achieved a new closeness with Eva Lind, his drug-addicted daughter. Eva's relapse drives a new wedge between them. Meanwhile, restless retired chief Marion, now yoked to an oxygen mask because of a lifelong smoking habit, keeps checking in to see if she can help. Beleaguered, dutiful Erlendur remains a compelling Everyman, and Indridason writes with clarity, precision and elegance.
From the Publisher
Unanimous Acclaim for Arnaldur Indridason and the Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson series“The best new series I’ve read this year. Arnaldur Indridason is already an international literary phenom—-and it's easy to see why. His novels are gripping, authentic, haunting and lyrical. I can't wait for the next.”
- Harlan Coben on Silence of the Grave
“Arnaldur Indridason is a writer of astonishing gravitas and talent.”
- John Lescroart on Jar City
"A book as subtle and moving as it is suspenseful."
- Wall Street Journal on The Draining Lake
“A commanding new voice . . . puts Iceland on the map as a major destination for enthusiasts of Nordic crime fiction.”
- Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review on Silence of the Grave
"Exceptional fiction that transcends its genre."
- Library Journal (starred review) on The Draining Lake
“No wonder Arnaldur Indridason won so many awards. He's a great storyteller, and American readers will overwhelmingly agree.”
- C.J. Box, Anthony Award winning author of Blue Heaven on Jar City
“Indridason keeps readers guessing until the very last pages.”
- Washington Post Book World on The Draining Lake
“Excellent . . . compelling . . . the denouement of this astonishingly vivid and subtle novel is unexpected and immensely satisfying.”
- Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Silence of the Grave
"A must-visit locale for mystery fans."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch on The Draining Lake
“Classic mystery fiction, both compassionate and thrilling. Indridason is one of the brightest stars in the the genre's dark skies.”
- John Connolly on Jar City
“Remarkable . . . another top-notch story from Indridason, its lyrical melancholy matched by the depth of its characterizations.”
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Voices
“Reminiscent of Simenon.”
- Reginald Hill on Jar City
“Every one of these writers is good [Hakan Nesser, Kjell Eriksson, Ake Edwardson, Helene Tursten, Karin Fossum], but in my book, Arnaldur Indridason is even better.”
- Joe Queenan, Los Angeles Times
“Dark, haunting . . . touched me in a way that few mystery novels do.”
- Hallie Ephron, The Boston Globe on Jar City
“A wonderfully storyteller. It's impossible to put the book down once you begin reading.”
- The Globe and Mail on Voices
"An undiluted pleasure. This series places Indridason at the center of the best of contemporary crime fiction. He is a master storyteller, and has a real gift for evoking complex humanity."
- The Guardian on The Draining Lake
“Fans of mystery in general and Henning Mankell and Karin Fossum can only exult.”
- Library Journal (starred review) on Jar City
“Indridason has definitely vaulted onto the A-list of Scandinavian crime authors.”
- Booklist on Silence of the Grave