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When great writers are mentioned in reading circles, relative newcomer Arnaldur Indridason comes to my mind. His Icelandic thrillers haunt me long after I’ve read the last page. He takes an ordinary crime and twists and turns it into something that not only leaves a chill in your psyche but also manages to touch your heart at the same time. That’s definitely the case in his latest thriller, Hypothermia.
Inspector Erlendur knows all about ghosts that haunt a troubled mind. His brother disappeared during a snowstorm on Eskifjordur Moor when they were boys, and he’s not been able to get over it. For that reason, he spends a lot of his downtime searching for missing persons whose cases have long grown cold. But, this time, it’s not a missing person; it’s an apparent suicide.
Inspector Erlendur feels the need to investigate a woman’s suicide, which took place in a cottage near Lake Thingvallavatn. Something about it doesn’t sit right with him, and he has a burning need to understand why Maria took her life. But if he were to discover that it wasn’t really a suicide, how on Earth would he prove it?
In addition to this case, his mind is also haunted by two unrelated disappearances—near the same lake—which haven’t been solved in the past 30 years. How can anyone just up and disappear without a trace like that? The answer, when it comes, will astonish you.
Hypothermia is a quiet thriller that will float around in your mind, haunting you with its beauty and tragedy. Every piece of the puzzle will baffle you as you try to understand motives and fit the pieces together in a believable pattern—but you’ll never quite put it together. The ending is so profound and brilliant that you’ll just sit and stare slacked-jawed at the page for several minutes, taking it all in. The word wow passed my lips more than a few times as I clutched the book in my hand.
Inspector Erlendur isn’t the kind of detective who kicks a door down and races in with guns blazing and a witty one-liner. He’s more of a methodical player who prefers a well-thought-out plan; then he strikes at the crucial moment—and he’ll leave you shaking your head and smiling while thinking, Now that was good!
Author Arnaldur Indridason brings out a wide spectrum of emotions in Hypothermia. I certainly didn’t expect to be in tears at the end, but the story’s emotional depth makes this crime thriller so much more satisfying. Don’t miss Hypothermia. And, above all else, don’t miss reading Arnaldur Indridason’s Inspector Erlendur thrillers.
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