Mystery and Suspense Challenge; book 7 in the Erlunder series (available in English)
translated by Anna Yates
Yah! Another book in the Inspector Erlunder series has been translated into English. I notice it's a new translator for this edition. There is just one more now that is written left to be translated. This is my favorite detective series currently on the go. The Icelandic setting is dark, and the mysteries are good, told from the police perspective.
I've always wished there was more of a focus on Elinborg or Sigurdur Oli, two of Erlunder's detectives. In this book, Erlunder has gone off to the eastern fjords and we finally get to have a book from Elinborg's perspective. We meet her family, and get to see what goes on in her head as she tackles a case, trying to balance the terrible situations she runs into on the job with her children at home.
A young man is found in a pool of blood, and as Elinborg delves into the case, she finds double lives, drug dealers, and connections to some past missing person cases. Missing people is certainly an ongoing theme in the Erlunder books. She deals with colleagues who don't cooperate, and children who aren't getting along and witnesses who lie. I found this book read very quickly, with just one main mystery to be solved. The overall feel of the story was different - whether due to the different main character, or the translation, I'm not sure. Elinborg is more practical, less introspective than Erlunder and the narrative reflected that.
Erlunder wasn't around at all and now I am wondering what will happen with his ongoing story. Hurry up next book to be translated!!
