Arnaldur Indridason

Strange Shores

""You can’t fail to appreciate and be impressed by the way Indridason has completed his Erlendur story arc. " "

Synopsis:

Out in the wilds of Iceland, back where he spent his childhood, Erlendur meets a fox hunter who tells him the decades old tale of Matthilder, a young woman caught in a raging storm as she walked to her mother's house and was never seen again. With the memories of his brother's disappearance at the forefront of his mind, Erlendur finds himself captivated and intrigued by Matthildur's story and begins his own investigation. As the past slowly reveals its secrets, Erlendur uncovers a melancholy tale of love, murder and revenge.

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Review:

'Atmospheric', 'haunting', 'a perfect circle', these were just a few of the words buzzing round my head as I closed the cover of Strange Shores, along with a quietly muttered single word, “Wow.” I had been anticipating this novel for quite some time as Erlendur's last appearance in the Reykjavik series was three books ago, in 'Hypothermia', and I was keen to see the return of one of my favourite 'damaged detectives'. I was also apprehensive as I knew that this was to be Erlendur's last case. The main story of Matthildur is a tragic tale of hidden truths, regrets and broken families. It is also a tale against which the secondary storyline plays beautifully, the two mysteries complimenting each other in both their similarities and diversity. For those of you who have followed Erlendur from the very beginning, You can't fail to appreciate and be impressed by the way Indridason has completed his Erlendur story arc. For me, the emotions it inspired hung around me for quite a few days after I had finished, but it was the most perfect ending. I haven't been so affected by the last novel in a series since I was a child reading Agatha Christie.

Reviewed By:


J.P.