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Description
"A luxury yacht crashes into a Reykjavik pier. But the boat is empty; no one is on board. What has happened to the crew? And what has happened to the family who were very much present when the yacht left Lisbon? What should Thora Gudmundsdottir, the series sleuth, make of the rumors that the vessel was cursed? She is spooked even more when she boards the yacht and thinks she sees one of the missing children. Where is Karitas, the glamorous young wife of the yacht's former owner? And whose is the body that has washed up further along the shore?"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member starbox
Ship of horror
By sally tarbox on 12 June 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
If you like thrillers and mysteries then you'll probably enjoy this - I certainly didn't work out what happened and it was a surprise to the very last page.
When luxury yacht, The Lady K, sails into Reykjavik, there's a few people
But like the Marie Celeste, it's empty and no one can work out where the family and the 3 man crew have gone.
The grandparents hire Thora Gudmansdottir to find out the truth - are their family really dead?
A complex plot juxtaposes a narrative of the voyage with Thora's ongoing investigations and keeps up the cliffhangers - just as some horror dawns on the ship, the reader is brought back to everyday life in Iceland.
Having said that, I did feel it went on a tad and too much horror starts to desensitize you to it, so was glad to reach the end. I also couldnt quite believe in the twins - or get why Thora didnt sack her awful if characterful secretary, Bella.
By sally tarbox on 12 June 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
If you like thrillers and mysteries then you'll probably enjoy this - I certainly didn't work out what happened and it was a surprise to the very last page.
When luxury yacht, The Lady K, sails into Reykjavik, there's a few people
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waiting. The grandparents of a tiny tot, whose son, wife and twin daughters are on board. A young man on crutches who should've been part of the crew till he was injured ...But like the Marie Celeste, it's empty and no one can work out where the family and the 3 man crew have gone.
The grandparents hire Thora Gudmansdottir to find out the truth - are their family really dead?
A complex plot juxtaposes a narrative of the voyage with Thora's ongoing investigations and keeps up the cliffhangers - just as some horror dawns on the ship, the reader is brought back to everyday life in Iceland.
Having said that, I did feel it went on a tad and too much horror starts to desensitize you to it, so was glad to reach the end. I also couldnt quite believe in the twins - or get why Thora didnt sack her awful if characterful secretary, Bella.
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LibraryThing member gossypia
I liked this book in parts, but it often seemed to go too slowly.
LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
A luxury yacht crashes into Rekyavik Harbour one night without a soul on board and no immediate signs of foul play; the three-man crew and family of four who were travelling home from Portugal are just…gone. Lawyer Thóra Gudmundsdóttir is hired in desperation by an elderly couple who are
If you head into this book without any expectation of a Larsson-esque Girl Who… book (i.e. ignore the moronic red splash on the cover) chances are you will not be disappointed by this creepy tale of things that go bump in the night at sea. Sigurdardottir does a great job of building the suspense from both ends and, as her books often do, incorporates just enough other-worldliness to ramp up the chill factor without making the storyline seem preposterous to those of us with a low tolerance for ‘woo woo’ elements. As a kind of floating locked-room mystery the plotting here is first rate and guaranteed to keep even seasoned genre fans guessing until the end.
As far as character development goes the novel is a little more prosaic. Thóra is her usual determined self, with a smattering of personal tribulations to deal with and needing to wrangle her office’s ever-useless receptionist, but series stalwarts won’t learn anything new about the heroine. Probably the most well-developed character is Ægir, the father who has taken his family aboard the ill-fated yacht on behalf of his company which is re-possessing it from its now bankrupt celebrity owners. It is from his point of view that half the narrative is revealed and his depiction as an increasingly confused and frightened father who wishes he could go back in time is a good one.
For my tastes this author’s previous novel was slightly superior to this one as I enjoyed the way it explored social themes more interestingly. Here I think that opportunity was largely missed as the potential subjects – such as the modern world’s obsession with celebrity and the fallout from the global financial crisis – were largely ignored. However it’s a top notch plot-driven novel and scores high marks for its chill factor.
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looking after their toddler granddaughter. Their son, his wife and twin granddaughters were the family on board the boat and the grandparents need help accessing the family finances and retaining custody of – or at least access to – their remaining granddaughter. Thóra, like everyone else in the town, can’t help but get sucked into the mystery of what on earth could have happened to everyone. Interspersed with this unfolding storyline are chapters that take place on board the boat, before things went horribly awry.If you head into this book without any expectation of a Larsson-esque Girl Who… book (i.e. ignore the moronic red splash on the cover) chances are you will not be disappointed by this creepy tale of things that go bump in the night at sea. Sigurdardottir does a great job of building the suspense from both ends and, as her books often do, incorporates just enough other-worldliness to ramp up the chill factor without making the storyline seem preposterous to those of us with a low tolerance for ‘woo woo’ elements. As a kind of floating locked-room mystery the plotting here is first rate and guaranteed to keep even seasoned genre fans guessing until the end.
As far as character development goes the novel is a little more prosaic. Thóra is her usual determined self, with a smattering of personal tribulations to deal with and needing to wrangle her office’s ever-useless receptionist, but series stalwarts won’t learn anything new about the heroine. Probably the most well-developed character is Ægir, the father who has taken his family aboard the ill-fated yacht on behalf of his company which is re-possessing it from its now bankrupt celebrity owners. It is from his point of view that half the narrative is revealed and his depiction as an increasingly confused and frightened father who wishes he could go back in time is a good one.
For my tastes this author’s previous novel was slightly superior to this one as I enjoyed the way it explored social themes more interestingly. Here I think that opportunity was largely missed as the potential subjects – such as the modern world’s obsession with celebrity and the fallout from the global financial crisis – were largely ignored. However it’s a top notch plot-driven novel and scores high marks for its chill factor.
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LibraryThing member jeroenvandorp
Lawyer Thóra Gudmundsdóttir continues her journey through life in a mixed bag of good, mediocre and bad.
Or better, a mystery ship and an amount of body bags. All hands on a repossessed luxury yacht on its way from Lisbon to Iceland are mysteriously lost. The boat hits Reykjavik harbor with deadly
One pair of (grand)parents - of the couple and their two daughters that are all four missing - ask Thóra to handle the aspects of a multi-million life insurance of the (repo) man and his wife as to continue providing care for the youngest sibling, a two year old daughter who wasn't on the trip and is now presumed orphaned. To do so, Thóra must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that all are dead.
The story alternates between the ship and the research of Thóra after the fact. This works well most of the time, but not always. As a lot of chapters playing on the boat end with a cliffhanger it is necessary that the chapters in between with Thóra, her research, her family troubles and her unbelievable secretary from hell (providing a final clue) are able to keep up the sawtooth-curve for the reader to stay interested in the mystery. In a few cases we have alternating chapters with first a cliffhanger, followed by a dull description of Thóra's research. As said this is not beneficiary for the story, making the reader losing focus.
The story includes a high society bimbo who is depicted rather stereotypical - not good - a crew and their companions with surprises - good - and family developments in Iceland - basically an uninteresting footnote.
Many other characters, including the police detectives, are flat characters as well. I get the impression that Yrsa Sigurdardóttir is not that enchanted by the quality of the Icelandic force, but then, I could be mistaken. Also Thóra's friend, Matthew, ex-München CID and (ex- and again) safety officer with the bank, is very apathetic and uninterested in this (as soon as a body turns up) criminal case. What's the matter, bro? It seems Yrsa Sigurdardóttir is running out of ideas what to do with him.
As the description of the book makes clear from the beginning, the story contains little children and things not going well for them. I don't think that this is a problem, but the way in which Yrsa Sigurdardóttir uses this story element is not convincing. It looks like they have been added for the drama. The dramatic and in my opinion unbelievable climax in the last chapter only reinforces this suspicion of mine. There is simply no need for it and it even distracts from the intricacies of the mystery at hand.
Because the mystery, well, I like it. Very much. It keeps you guessing to the end. It's almost a pity when everything is finally being revealed. Yrsa Sigurdardóttir is keen on using Gothic and supernatural elements and this book is no exception. The creepiness seeps through the story con gusto and is solved in an immensely clever way - reason why I read these books. Like Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers you know what's coming, but don't know why (and by whom). This should be the main focus of a good mystery. And in the end, it's nothing supernatural at all. Very cool tied together.
So, again, I found the tear jerking story of the children mostly distracting. On the other hand: after closing the book (or better, switching off the Kindle) you probably leave the book behind with the tragic story of the children instead of with the clever solution to the problem where everyone has gone and what the (not inconsiderable) body count is. (Hint: it's not ten).
And maybe that's what Yrsa Sigurdardóttir wanted the reader to realize. To ponder the consequences of a devastated family due to -in the end- very mundane human greed.
Or better, a mystery ship and an amount of body bags. All hands on a repossessed luxury yacht on its way from Lisbon to Iceland are mysteriously lost. The boat hits Reykjavik harbor with deadly
Show More
precision, but empty - until bodies start to show up, in reality or just as hearsay.One pair of (grand)parents - of the couple and their two daughters that are all four missing - ask Thóra to handle the aspects of a multi-million life insurance of the (repo) man and his wife as to continue providing care for the youngest sibling, a two year old daughter who wasn't on the trip and is now presumed orphaned. To do so, Thóra must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that all are dead.
The story alternates between the ship and the research of Thóra after the fact. This works well most of the time, but not always. As a lot of chapters playing on the boat end with a cliffhanger it is necessary that the chapters in between with Thóra, her research, her family troubles and her unbelievable secretary from hell (providing a final clue) are able to keep up the sawtooth-curve for the reader to stay interested in the mystery. In a few cases we have alternating chapters with first a cliffhanger, followed by a dull description of Thóra's research. As said this is not beneficiary for the story, making the reader losing focus.
The story includes a high society bimbo who is depicted rather stereotypical - not good - a crew and their companions with surprises - good - and family developments in Iceland - basically an uninteresting footnote.
Many other characters, including the police detectives, are flat characters as well. I get the impression that Yrsa Sigurdardóttir is not that enchanted by the quality of the Icelandic force, but then, I could be mistaken. Also Thóra's friend, Matthew, ex-München CID and (ex- and again) safety officer with the bank, is very apathetic and uninterested in this (as soon as a body turns up) criminal case. What's the matter, bro? It seems Yrsa Sigurdardóttir is running out of ideas what to do with him.
As the description of the book makes clear from the beginning, the story contains little children and things not going well for them. I don't think that this is a problem, but the way in which Yrsa Sigurdardóttir uses this story element is not convincing. It looks like they have been added for the drama. The dramatic and in my opinion unbelievable climax in the last chapter only reinforces this suspicion of mine. There is simply no need for it and it even distracts from the intricacies of the mystery at hand.
Because the mystery, well, I like it. Very much. It keeps you guessing to the end. It's almost a pity when everything is finally being revealed. Yrsa Sigurdardóttir is keen on using Gothic and supernatural elements and this book is no exception. The creepiness seeps through the story con gusto and is solved in an immensely clever way - reason why I read these books. Like Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers you know what's coming, but don't know why (and by whom). This should be the main focus of a good mystery. And in the end, it's nothing supernatural at all. Very cool tied together.
So, again, I found the tear jerking story of the children mostly distracting. On the other hand: after closing the book (or better, switching off the Kindle) you probably leave the book behind with the tragic story of the children instead of with the clever solution to the problem where everyone has gone and what the (not inconsiderable) body count is. (Hint: it's not ten).
And maybe that's what Yrsa Sigurdardóttir wanted the reader to realize. To ponder the consequences of a devastated family due to -in the end- very mundane human greed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
This is an amazing novel, told on two planes.
The opening scene is of a fabulous yacht, several decks high, coming into Reykjavik harbour. On the wharf waiting for it are an old couple with a young granddaughter, a man with his leg in a cast, and the harbour master. Something is wrong. The yacht
Thora Gundmundsottir comes into the story when the elderly parents of the young father who should have been on board employ her to deal with the paperwork of proving their son must be dead, and with claiming his life insurance. Thora gets in touch with the various authorities including the police, and so one plane of the story is narrated from the standpoint of after the event, trying to work out what happened.
The second narration comes from those who are on board the yacht as the events unfold. What should have been an adventure for the young family, passengers on the yacht being sailed from Lisbon to Reykjavik, turns to horror as a body is discovered stored in a freezer and an elusive perfume convinces them that there is somebody else on board.
There is plenty of mystery for the reader to work out, and in the long run, I'm sure you will agree with the judges of the 2015 Petrona Award, given annually in memory of Maxine Clarke, that this is one not to be missed.
The opening scene is of a fabulous yacht, several decks high, coming into Reykjavik harbour. On the wharf waiting for it are an old couple with a young granddaughter, a man with his leg in a cast, and the harbour master. Something is wrong. The yacht
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makes no attempt to slow down and it crashes into the wharf. No one appears on deck and it becomes apparent that there is nobody aboard. The incident makes the headlines of Reykjavik news.Thora Gundmundsottir comes into the story when the elderly parents of the young father who should have been on board employ her to deal with the paperwork of proving their son must be dead, and with claiming his life insurance. Thora gets in touch with the various authorities including the police, and so one plane of the story is narrated from the standpoint of after the event, trying to work out what happened.
The second narration comes from those who are on board the yacht as the events unfold. What should have been an adventure for the young family, passengers on the yacht being sailed from Lisbon to Reykjavik, turns to horror as a body is discovered stored in a freezer and an elusive perfume convinces them that there is somebody else on board.
There is plenty of mystery for the reader to work out, and in the long run, I'm sure you will agree with the judges of the 2015 Petrona Award, given annually in memory of Maxine Clarke, that this is one not to be missed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
This is an amazing novel, told on two planes.
The opening scene is of a fabulous yacht, several decks high, coming into Reykjavik harbour. On the wharf waiting for it are an old couple with a young granddaughter, a man with his leg in a cast, and the harbour master. Something is wrong. The yacht
Thora Gundmundsottir comes into the story when the elderly parents of the young father who should have been on board employ her to deal with the paperwork of proving their son must be dead, and with claiming his life insurance. Thora gets in touch with the various authorities including the police, and so one plane of the story is narrated from the standpoint of after the event, trying to work out what happened.
The second narration comes from those who are on board the yacht as the events unfold. What should have been an adventure for the young family, passengers on the yacht being sailed from Lisbon to Reykjavik, turns to horror as a body is discovered stored in a freezer and an elusive perfume convinces them that there is somebody else on board.
There is plenty of mystery for the reader to work out, and in the long run, I'm sure you will agree with the judges of the 2015 Petrona Award, given annually in memory of Maxine Clarke, that this is one not to be missed.
The opening scene is of a fabulous yacht, several decks high, coming into Reykjavik harbour. On the wharf waiting for it are an old couple with a young granddaughter, a man with his leg in a cast, and the harbour master. Something is wrong. The yacht
Show More
makes no attempt to slow down and it crashes into the wharf. No one appears on deck and it becomes apparent that there is nobody aboard. The incident makes the headlines of Reykjavik news.Thora Gundmundsottir comes into the story when the elderly parents of the young father who should have been on board employ her to deal with the paperwork of proving their son must be dead, and with claiming his life insurance. Thora gets in touch with the various authorities including the police, and so one plane of the story is narrated from the standpoint of after the event, trying to work out what happened.
The second narration comes from those who are on board the yacht as the events unfold. What should have been an adventure for the young family, passengers on the yacht being sailed from Lisbon to Reykjavik, turns to horror as a body is discovered stored in a freezer and an elusive perfume convinces them that there is somebody else on board.
There is plenty of mystery for the reader to work out, and in the long run, I'm sure you will agree with the judges of the 2015 Petrona Award, given annually in memory of Maxine Clarke, that this is one not to be missed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
I picked this book from the library because I read and enjoyed the first book in this series earlier this year but I soon realised that this book wasn't for me, as I really dislike reading or watching thrillers set at sea. So I abandoned this book before I got very far into it, but I'll be happy to
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read more books in this series as long as Thora is investigating crimes committed on dry land. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
A luxury yacht, repossessed from its crooked wealthy owner sails from Lisbon to Iceland. On the dock waiting is an older couple and small child, they are waiting form the rest of the family. But when the yacht arrives it is empty, no people, no apparent bodies. Thora is hired by the older couple to
Very slow paced story, alternately narrated by Thora as she investigates and the story of those that started out on the yacht. Clues abound, discoveries made and eventually the truth is known. Creepy, chilling and not just the weather, and though I was impatient at first with the pace I soon melted into the story and loved it.
ARC from Netgalley.
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collect on the large life insurance policy, the money to be put aside form the smallest daughter, the one considered to young to make the trip. What could have happened and where are the seven people who should have been on the yacht? Reminds me of And then there were none, but of course there is always one but is it human or not of this world?Very slow paced story, alternately narrated by Thora as she investigates and the story of those that started out on the yacht. Clues abound, discoveries made and eventually the truth is known. Creepy, chilling and not just the weather, and though I was impatient at first with the pace I soon melted into the story and loved it.
ARC from Netgalley.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
This book gave me chills and kept me guessing all the way til the end. It was reminiscent of the campy horror movie "Ghost Ship" so that aspect appealed to me as did the mystery elements.
A luxury liner crashes into port and when the police get on board they discover that there is no one on board.
A luxury liner crashes into port and when the police get on board they discover that there is no one on board.
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All 7 passengers, three crew members and a family, have vanished into thin air. A lawyer starts working with the police to get to the bottom of it, but things keep getting more confusing and bodies start showing up. What happened? Named the best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year, this book was a real treat, I couldn't put it down! Show Less
LibraryThing member jkdavies
I liked the first part of this very much, it felt multi-layered and full of possibilities and red herrings. Unfortunately, it didn't really get much beyond a cool idea for me; one of the plot strands (spoiler - insurance) didn't seem to go anywhere in the end which left me a bit head scratching...
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oh well, 3 stars for the effort. Show Less
LibraryThing member pennsylady
The Silence Of The Sea The Silence of the Sea (Þóra Guðmundsdóttir, #6) by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
"As The Silence of the Sea opens, a luxury yacht crashes into a Reykjavik pier.
But the boat is empty; no one is on board.
What has happened to the crew?
And what has happened to the family who were
This is a thriller not to be missed.
It has elements of eeriness and a haunting flavor throughout.
I was captivated and chilled to the novel's end.
4.5 ★
This is a goodreads giveaway selection
"As The Silence of the Sea opens, a luxury yacht crashes into a Reykjavik pier.
But the boat is empty; no one is on board.
What has happened to the crew?
And what has happened to the family who were
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very much present when the yacht left Lisbon?" ...(publishers note)This is a thriller not to be missed.
It has elements of eeriness and a haunting flavor throughout.
I was captivated and chilled to the novel's end.
4.5 ★
This is a goodreads giveaway selection
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LibraryThing member ten_floors_up
This was the second book I've read by this author. While it took me a while to adapt to her off-beat style, I'm very much warming to it now, and appreciate her lightness of touch. The main character is in the legal profession, but although she's preparing for a possible case, the action doesn't
There's a clear narrative drive without mugging the reader with contrived action or drama, and this builds steadily and in its own quiet way to an effective conclusion.
But at the end of the novel I'm still left pondering a couple of things: did anyone manage to clean up and resurrect that copier, or did that turn into an insurance dispute?
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reach a courtroom. There's a clear narrative drive without mugging the reader with contrived action or drama, and this builds steadily and in its own quiet way to an effective conclusion.
But at the end of the novel I'm still left pondering a couple of things: did anyone manage to clean up and resurrect that copier, or did that turn into an insurance dispute?
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LibraryThing member libgirl69
Excellent work, very chilling and so well written. The ending still gives me a sense of horror, with the death of the two girls. The build up was quite slow, and Thora really wasn't that much of a central character - the family and the seamen were the focus. There was a real sense of isolation in
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the chapters set on the ship, compared to the relative sanity of dry ground. Fantastic read that's still with me! Show Less
LibraryThing member danhammang
I generally try to give a book a hundred pages before I decide to not continue any further. I read to page fifty-one and then put it down. None of the characters were particularly engaging. A disappointment; I had looked forward to reading this Scandinavian Crime Novel of The Year.
LibraryThing member MarkusIrl
What an ending ...
Awards
Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year (Winner — 2015)
Boston Globe Best Book (2016)