Publication
Vintage, c2007, (2004).
Collection
Series
Status
Available
Description
When the water level of an Icelandic lake suddenly falls following an earthquake to reveal a skeleton half-buried in its sandy bed, Inspector Erlendur, Elinborg, and Sigurdur Oli look into the long-unsolved disappearance of a young, left-wing student during the Cold War.
Media reviews
Realistically told, emotionally charged, and brimming with compassion, The Draining Lake is likely to challenge the reader’s values system. For this reviewer, at least, Indridason’s latest English-translated novel is one of the highlights of 2007. Although it’s full of pathos, the book also
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makes clear just how strong the human spirit is, and reminds us that the flip-side of friendship is far from pleasant. It can sometimes be hard to distinguish comrade from foe -- a person can be both at the same time....I wait patiently for the next Arnaldur Indridason/Bernard Scudder collaboration to arrive in bookstores. This is crime fiction at its most insightful, poetic and poignant
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Indridason's novels are an undiluted pleasure....this series places Indridason at the centre of the best of contemporary crime fiction. He is a master storyteller, and has a real gift for evoking the complex humanity at the heart of the most dour-seeming individuals.
User reviews
LibraryThing member lit_chick
“The skeleton was lying on its left side so she could see the right side of the skull, the empty eye sockets and three teeth in the upper jaw. One had a large silver filling. There was a wide hole in the skull itself, about the size of a matchbox, which she instinctively thought could have been
A civilian discovers a human skeleton in the bed of Lake Kleifarvatn, “the draining lake.” The skull is smashed, and tied about the skeleton’s midriff is a Russian transmitter dated from the 1960s-70s, in the heat of the Cold War. Interestingly, the radio is tuned to the old wavelength of the American Base in Keflavik. Erlendur and his team step into a web of political and international intrigue.
The story transitions between present day Iceland and 1960s Germany. Narrating the tale from the past is Tomas, an Icelandic student and socialist. He, along with several other bright, politically motivated Icelanders, was selected by the Socialist Party in the 1960s to attend college in Leipzig, Germany. But the experience did not evolve as planned: Tomas was disillusioned to discover that the socialist state had grave troubles of its own: interactive surveillance, paranoia, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Meanwhile, Erlendur is reminded by a former boss of the Soviet equipment which was found by divers in Lake Kleifarvatn in the 1970s: "telecommunications and bugging devices ... loads of the stuff." (Ch 8) The Russians, he learns, had attempted to contract Icelandic spies during the Cold War, seeking information about the American Base at Keflavík. As the investigation unravels, Interpol, as well as the American and German Embassies, will be called on for assistance in deciphering an entanglement of political contrivance, espionage, and murder.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Draining Lake. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy Indridason. He is an excellent crime writer, a solid story teller, and his talent for suspense and intrigue is well-honed. Further, he does a remarkable job of fleshing out his characters with intimate details which make them comfortably familiar. Highly recommended.
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made by a hammer. She bent down and stared at the skull. With some hesitation she explored the hole with her finger. The skull was full of sand.” (Ch 1)A civilian discovers a human skeleton in the bed of Lake Kleifarvatn, “the draining lake.” The skull is smashed, and tied about the skeleton’s midriff is a Russian transmitter dated from the 1960s-70s, in the heat of the Cold War. Interestingly, the radio is tuned to the old wavelength of the American Base in Keflavik. Erlendur and his team step into a web of political and international intrigue.
The story transitions between present day Iceland and 1960s Germany. Narrating the tale from the past is Tomas, an Icelandic student and socialist. He, along with several other bright, politically motivated Icelanders, was selected by the Socialist Party in the 1960s to attend college in Leipzig, Germany. But the experience did not evolve as planned: Tomas was disillusioned to discover that the socialist state had grave troubles of its own: interactive surveillance, paranoia, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Meanwhile, Erlendur is reminded by a former boss of the Soviet equipment which was found by divers in Lake Kleifarvatn in the 1970s: "telecommunications and bugging devices ... loads of the stuff." (Ch 8) The Russians, he learns, had attempted to contract Icelandic spies during the Cold War, seeking information about the American Base at Keflavík. As the investigation unravels, Interpol, as well as the American and German Embassies, will be called on for assistance in deciphering an entanglement of political contrivance, espionage, and murder.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Draining Lake. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy Indridason. He is an excellent crime writer, a solid story teller, and his talent for suspense and intrigue is well-honed. Further, he does a remarkable job of fleshing out his characters with intimate details which make them comfortably familiar. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member ctpress
Indridason continues to deliver solid, realistic, dark crime stories from Iceland. This is the fourth novel in the series with Inspector Erlendur.
A skeleton is found in a lake that is draining due to some seismic disruption. Also found together with the skeleton is an old soviet listening device.
Along with the investigation we are told a moving love story. A young Icelandic communist are send by the party to study in Leipzig during the cold war. Here his’ idealistic socialist world view is being tested as he discovers a whole society under surveillance and students spying on each other. And here he also meets the love of his life.
Slowly we will see the connection between the unfoldning investigation and the students in Leipzig.
From Erlendur’’s own life there’s a development with the woman he have been seeing for a while - and his two grown up children are giving him more worries.
The crime story is also a reflection of Erlendur’s own life - as a child his brother was lost in a snowstorm and never found. Erlendur is obsessed with missing persons and go to great length to discover the truth.
A skeleton is found in a lake that is draining due to some seismic disruption. Also found together with the skeleton is an old soviet listening device.
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This will lead the investigators back to the cold war, espionage, surveillance and the communist party on Iceland.Along with the investigation we are told a moving love story. A young Icelandic communist are send by the party to study in Leipzig during the cold war. Here his’ idealistic socialist world view is being tested as he discovers a whole society under surveillance and students spying on each other. And here he also meets the love of his life.
Slowly we will see the connection between the unfoldning investigation and the students in Leipzig.
From Erlendur’’s own life there’s a development with the woman he have been seeing for a while - and his two grown up children are giving him more worries.
The crime story is also a reflection of Erlendur’s own life - as a child his brother was lost in a snowstorm and never found. Erlendur is obsessed with missing persons and go to great length to discover the truth.
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LibraryThing member cameling
Inspector Erlander and his team are called to investigate the appearance of a skeleton chained to a Russian radio transmitter, found at the bottom of a dried lake. The skeleton's identity puzzles the team, and they have virtually no leads to follow up on.
All possible clues lead to more questions.
What emerges through a parallel narrative is a story of student spies and socialist movements through the Eastern European countries in the 1970s.
We're given more insight into Erlander's life and relationship with his daughter, and perhaps the start of a relationship with his son.
Indridason once again delivers a stunning thrille
All possible clues lead to more questions.
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Their focus on the Russian radio transmitter leads them to consider the involvement of spies in Iceland during the Cold War but they are stonewalled when they approach the embassies. What emerges through a parallel narrative is a story of student spies and socialist movements through the Eastern European countries in the 1970s.
We're given more insight into Erlander's life and relationship with his daughter, and perhaps the start of a relationship with his son.
Indridason once again delivers a stunning thrille
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LibraryThing member auntmarge64
In an Icelandic lake which is draining out via recently-opened fissures, a decades-old body is found, head bashed in and weighted down with Soviet-made spy equipment. Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson and his team investigate the case, which leads them to a story of Cold War espionage and a group of
I find mid-century Communism and espionage depressing and rather dull to read about, but the mystery here is intriguing, and after a while I couldn't put the book down. Overall the translation is good, even idiomatic, although there were a few terms which didn't make the transition to American English very well (I read the U.S. edition).
I'll be watching for more of this series, for both the mystery and the insights into life in Iceland.
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socialist Icelandic students drawn to study behind the Iron Curtain. The tale is told from two points of view: that of the present-day Inspector as he investigates disappearances from the late 1960s, and that of one of the students, who recalls his disastrous experiences in a 1950s Leipzig under constant interactive surveillance (being spied on by one's friends and family, and being expected to do the same).I find mid-century Communism and espionage depressing and rather dull to read about, but the mystery here is intriguing, and after a while I couldn't put the book down. Overall the translation is good, even idiomatic, although there were a few terms which didn't make the transition to American English very well (I read the U.S. edition).
I'll be watching for more of this series, for both the mystery and the insights into life in Iceland.
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LibraryThing member nolak
Another wonderful ride by this great Icelandic author. Tomas, from Iceland, goes to the University in Leipzig at the turn of the century and becomes a devoted communist until he meets Ilona and she brings doubts into his mind. His story is woven into the ups and downs of Erlendur's investigation of
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a skeleton uncovered in a lake because of an earthquake. The woes of his children and his girlfriend continue through this book. Wonderful writing with strong character development and yet the story moves faster than the Icelandic landscape. Show Less
LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
A typical Erlendur mystery. A skeleton is found in a lake bed (the lake has been draining) and an old Russian transmitter is tied about the waist. The transmitter is dated from the 1960s or 1970s, in the midst of the Cold War. It is up to Erlendur to find out who the body is and unravel the
The story is told from two perspectives: Tomas, an Icelandic student and socialist is sent to college in Leipzig by the Socialist party in the 1960s. His narrative describes the living conditions and the interactive surveillance (people spying on each other and reporting them to authorities) promoted by the regime. The second story is in Tomas in the current day along with Erlendur and his crew.
As always, the Erlendur mysteries are quite readable and offer a unique perspective on mysteries. I'm now half way done with the series.
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mystery.The story is told from two perspectives: Tomas, an Icelandic student and socialist is sent to college in Leipzig by the Socialist party in the 1960s. His narrative describes the living conditions and the interactive surveillance (people spying on each other and reporting them to authorities) promoted by the regime. The second story is in Tomas in the current day along with Erlendur and his crew.
As always, the Erlendur mysteries are quite readable and offer a unique perspective on mysteries. I'm now half way done with the series.
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LibraryThing member Johnny1978
A very clever and eleganty structured thriller, The Draining Lake presents Erlendur - an instinctual and deeply flawed detective, investigating a body found in a lake. The present-day action is interspersed with flashbacks to communist East Germany - the horrors of the stasi and their link to the
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unidentified corpse, make for thriling reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mijk
This novel rises above its extremely predictable cover (a skull shock horror). Like Voices, it deals with real issues (in this case, what people did in the Cold War and how accountable they are today for their actions and allegances then) as well as presenting a detective story and an historical
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thriller. It is the latter which carries most of the dramatic charge and seems to be well-researched and captivating. The detective/police investigation section is (as in his other novels) mundane, often simply procedural bureaucracy and its (non) workings, and is in itself simply dull. Indridason's police officers are people I would avoid socially not because they are coppers but because they are SO BORING. But of course that is which gives his better thrillers a textural contrast, between the high drama of real crime and sheer tedium of minutiae, mediocrity, bureaucratic procedure and mundanity which police detective work reduces such dramas to as a 'case'. That contast between subjective levels of engagement of those involved in the original, background historical events and the extremely-belated police investigation is so sharp in this novel that it raised my experience of reading it to a powerful emotional level (OK, so i was in Paris and in poor health too, having bought it at the fabulous Canadian bookshop on rue de la Parcheminerie - go, visit!). Show Less
LibraryThing member ChrisConway
This is an Inspector Erlendur novel set in Iceland. That sounds very foreign and exotic and like a bit of a chore but this novel is outstanding. It has a lot of feeling. The characters are appealing and seem real. The backstory of Inspector Erlendur is poignant and memorable. The mystery is
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intriguing. I also appreciated how the novel is more than just a mystery: it also explores the history of Iceland and teaches you something about the Cold War. Few mysteries touch me deeply but this one did. At the end, I felt a twinge of something, I was really touched by how Indridason brings many strands together at the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member tripleblessings
Third in the Detective Erlendur series set in Iceland, this is the best yet. In this cold case study, the narration goes back and forth between Inspector Erlendur investigating a body found on a draining lake bed, and the memories of Icelandic students sent to study in communist East Germany to
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learn about the "perfect socialist" state during the Cold War in the 1950s. Plenty of suspense, fascinating and chilling historical background. Show Less
LibraryThing member InigoMontoya
This is the first book I've read by this author and it followed my reading of another Scandianvian crime novel with a very similar structure (Nesbo's Redbreast). That said, I couldn't put it down. The story was slight but there was something in the language and the tone that was so engaging and I
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look forward to discovering more works by Arnaldur Indridason. Show Less
LibraryThing member jeroenvandorp
Again a nice one by Indridason, but not top notch. Somehow the contemporary stories of Erlendur, his love interest and his children, the investigation and the flashback Leipzig scenes don't really come together.
Erlendur is plodding through life, so much is clear. The mystery is solved and the one
Midway the pace of the novel slows down a bit, like Indridason doesn't know how to advance the story without giving away too much.
A bit disappointing, but a pleasant read for thriller/detective fans and Erlendur-fans all the same.
Erlendur is plodding through life, so much is clear. The mystery is solved and the one
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responsible takes a dramatic step. Why so doesn't become really clear. There are many open ends left for all characters.Midway the pace of the novel slows down a bit, like Indridason doesn't know how to advance the story without giving away too much.
A bit disappointing, but a pleasant read for thriller/detective fans and Erlendur-fans all the same.
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LibraryThing member greglief
Although this was every bit the page turner as the other entries in the Inspector Erlendur series, for some reason this installment didn't grab me as much as the others. Nonetheless I continue to look forward to more books by Indridason as they are translated into English.
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
The story behind Erlendur's Draining Lake investigation begins not with the discovery of bones in a lake bed, but in the 1950s in Leipzig. At that time it was part of the GDR, and students were being recruited to come to the university there to study. Some Icelandic socialist students were part of
Indridason's writing is excellent, as always, and the fleshed-out back story of the students' years in Leipzig is a nice glimpse into the pitfalls of overzealous idealism. Erlendur is a character who has since the outset of this series been portrayed as very human, with real-life problems that don't seem to ever be resolved. The author is able to inject a bit of wry humor into his writing which is often dark and depressing -- there are no warm fuzzies or nice touchy-feely happy endings where everyone goes home happy and satisfied in this series. If that's what you're looking for, then pass on these novels.
The Draining Lake is not my favorite of Indridason's novels, but it was still a great read. He continues to follow his pattern of the past's connection to the present, which is one of my favorite motifs in a mystery novel. The book is well written, and my only criticism is that at times things seemed to move very slow. But I still very highly recommend not only this book, but the entire series. You'll want to start with the first book in translation, Jar City, and make your way through all of the books before coming to this one if you want the best reading experience. People who enjoy Scandinavian crime novels will want to read this one, as will people looking for a good mystery novel in general.
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the recruitment effort -- but many discovered that there was a catch to their free education once they had been there for a while. Flashforward to the present, where a hydrologist examining a lake bed finds bones half buried there and calls police. As it turns out, the body was tied down with an old Soviet listening device, starting Erlendur and his team on an investigation that will take them back to the Cold War years. With very few clues to go on, including the identity of the dead man, Erlendur and his team have their work cut out for them. In the meantime, there's a few hitches in Erlendur's life: seriously drug-addicted daughter Eva Lind has runaway again, and while he's busy worrying about her, his long-estranged son Sindri shows up.Indridason's writing is excellent, as always, and the fleshed-out back story of the students' years in Leipzig is a nice glimpse into the pitfalls of overzealous idealism. Erlendur is a character who has since the outset of this series been portrayed as very human, with real-life problems that don't seem to ever be resolved. The author is able to inject a bit of wry humor into his writing which is often dark and depressing -- there are no warm fuzzies or nice touchy-feely happy endings where everyone goes home happy and satisfied in this series. If that's what you're looking for, then pass on these novels.
The Draining Lake is not my favorite of Indridason's novels, but it was still a great read. He continues to follow his pattern of the past's connection to the present, which is one of my favorite motifs in a mystery novel. The book is well written, and my only criticism is that at times things seemed to move very slow. But I still very highly recommend not only this book, but the entire series. You'll want to start with the first book in translation, Jar City, and make your way through all of the books before coming to this one if you want the best reading experience. People who enjoy Scandinavian crime novels will want to read this one, as will people looking for a good mystery novel in general.
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LibraryThing member callmecayce
Another classic Icelandic mystery by Indriðason. The plot of this story wasn't as dark as some of his previous ones, but it was intriguing. A skeleton is found at the bottom of a draining lake. Later determined to be a man, the skeleton leads them on a chase stretching involving everything from an
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East German university to Cold War spies in Iceland to the uncovering of forty years worth of lives. Indriðason is a fantastic writer and does an exceptional job of blending the lives of his main characters with the main plot of the book. Another thing I enjoyed was the alternating chapters of the main characters and the killer himself. Indriðason gives use the reasons that led to the eventual death of the skeleton. It's a fascinating story of spying, lies and unsolved mysteries. Show Less
LibraryThing member reader68
Excellent murder mystery. Left-wing Icelandic students studying in Leipzig, Communist East Germany in the 1950's. Skeleton found in Icelandic lake following a drop in the water level following an earthquake. Gripping.
LibraryThing member dougwood57
In 'The Draining Lake', Arnaldur Indridason has produced one of the most captivating multilayered books I have read in years. On its face, the book is a police procedural that is exotic only in the sense of its Icelandic setting. Underneath the murder mystery, Indridason gives the reader a stunning
The book opens with the discovery of an old skeleton that has been exposed by the slow draining of a lake near Reykjavik. The skeleton is all the more unusual in that it was tied to and weighed down by an old Soviet radio transmitter. The kind that might have been used by a spy. It has all lain at the bottom of the lake for some thirty years.
A second narrative describes life for a group of student Icelanders on scholarship at Leipzig in the 1950's. The students all arrive as devoted socialists. They experience a tightly controlled society where everyone is expected to spy on everyone else. The students' reactions to this totalitarian state vary. Some rebel, some are co-opted, some actively collaborate. Tomas falls in love with Ilona, a Hungarian dissident also attending school in East Germany. Their love, its fate, and Tomas's memory of it dominate this second narrative.
Meanwhile, Erlendur Sveinsson and his fellow police detectives begin to slowly unravel the knot and chase the various strands that emerge. (All the while Erlendur deals with his not entirely satisfying personal life.) The strands - and the two narratives - are eventually made to come together. This aspect of the story is a completely satisfying police procedural.
The book contains a murder mystery, a spy tale, and a love story, but it is the haunting description of life in East Germany that lifts the reading experience to higher level. And yet, Indridason's characters do not simplistically equate Stalinist regimes with socialism. Indeed, most have retained their ideals years later. A stupendously good read; intelligent and nuanced. Highest recommendation.
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and sobering recreation of the East German surveillance society in the 1950's. Indridason incisively describes what pervasive `interactive surveillance' did to people, outwardly and inwardly. Along the way he powerfully describes the power of love and memory. The book opens with the discovery of an old skeleton that has been exposed by the slow draining of a lake near Reykjavik. The skeleton is all the more unusual in that it was tied to and weighed down by an old Soviet radio transmitter. The kind that might have been used by a spy. It has all lain at the bottom of the lake for some thirty years.
A second narrative describes life for a group of student Icelanders on scholarship at Leipzig in the 1950's. The students all arrive as devoted socialists. They experience a tightly controlled society where everyone is expected to spy on everyone else. The students' reactions to this totalitarian state vary. Some rebel, some are co-opted, some actively collaborate. Tomas falls in love with Ilona, a Hungarian dissident also attending school in East Germany. Their love, its fate, and Tomas's memory of it dominate this second narrative.
Meanwhile, Erlendur Sveinsson and his fellow police detectives begin to slowly unravel the knot and chase the various strands that emerge. (All the while Erlendur deals with his not entirely satisfying personal life.) The strands - and the two narratives - are eventually made to come together. This aspect of the story is a completely satisfying police procedural.
The book contains a murder mystery, a spy tale, and a love story, but it is the haunting description of life in East Germany that lifts the reading experience to higher level. And yet, Indridason's characters do not simplistically equate Stalinist regimes with socialism. Indeed, most have retained their ideals years later. A stupendously good read; intelligent and nuanced. Highest recommendation.
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LibraryThing member jmyers24
"The Draining Lake" by Arnaldur Indridason is an engaging and historically informative mystery that opens with a skeleton that is revealed by the receding waters of Lake Kleifarvatn near Hafnarfjordur in Iceland. Forensics determine the body has been in the lake since at least 1970 and that the
The police investigation led by Erlendur Sveinsson quickly divides into two tracks: one track follows the disappearance of a farm equipment salesman who left his new car at a train station and vanished into the night; the other track follows the investigating team's efforts to determine why the body was weighed down with a Russian radio transmitter manufactured during the Cold War. Interwoven into these clues are two love stories: one narrated by the anonymous voice of the murderer as he tells his story from the beginning and another love story told by the woman who waited one night for the boyfriend who never showed up, a farm equipment salesman who drove a new Ford Falcon. Also interspersed in the investigative account are insights into the personal lives of Erlendur and his team.
The historical background on Iceland's place in the cold war, as well as a glimpse into the various facets of socialism as practiced in Europe after WWII, adds a unique dimension to the intriguing murder plot. The U.S. Cold War involvement in Icelandic politics is particularly fascinating for American readers.
All-in-all, "The Draining Lake" provides a very satisfying reading experience for readers of crime fiction. I highly recommend it.
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cause of death was most likely the blow to head as indicated by the hole in the skull.The police investigation led by Erlendur Sveinsson quickly divides into two tracks: one track follows the disappearance of a farm equipment salesman who left his new car at a train station and vanished into the night; the other track follows the investigating team's efforts to determine why the body was weighed down with a Russian radio transmitter manufactured during the Cold War. Interwoven into these clues are two love stories: one narrated by the anonymous voice of the murderer as he tells his story from the beginning and another love story told by the woman who waited one night for the boyfriend who never showed up, a farm equipment salesman who drove a new Ford Falcon. Also interspersed in the investigative account are insights into the personal lives of Erlendur and his team.
The historical background on Iceland's place in the cold war, as well as a glimpse into the various facets of socialism as practiced in Europe after WWII, adds a unique dimension to the intriguing murder plot. The U.S. Cold War involvement in Icelandic politics is particularly fascinating for American readers.
All-in-all, "The Draining Lake" provides a very satisfying reading experience for readers of crime fiction. I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member gilly1944
What a great writer he is. Another unique story full of plot, in-depth characters, local atmosphere and Icelandic history.
LibraryThing member NextRead
Synopsis
A skeleton is exposed in a drying out lake. The skeleton has an old Russian listening device tied to it. This leads detective Erledur with Elinborg and Siguraur Oli into an investigation into the cold war and what happens to those that are left behind.
Analyse/Comments/Thoughts
I really
The process of detection keeps you reading as Erledur’s obsessions with small details leads to some interesting places. We get to find out about Erledur’s complicated relationships with his son and daughter, his work colleagues, and a woman who hasn’t left her husband.
I enjoyed the mix of flashbacks and present day. In some ways the flashbacks were more insightful as they explored the characters involved in more detail as Erledur is left a bit more of a mystery from beginning to end. Though this could be that this is a part of series and more would be revealed in reading the other books. Not that this spoiled anything as it seems part of his character to be aloof.
It was a bit of a slow read as I’m a little rusty when reading books in translation especially when it came to the names of characters and it took a while to grasp who was who and if they were male or female. The other quirk is some of the more emotional angry scenes that had swearing in them didn’t quite ring true though this is more a quirk in the language/translation rather than something that ruins the scene.
The strongest point for me was not only seeing another country, Iceland, but also getting a small insight into the cold war and its affect.
Summary
The Draining Lake is a reflective and strong crime novel with a clever and thought provoking use of flashbacks, which takes the reader on a journey of a crime from both sides. It also keeps you guessing about who the person in the lake actually is and who killed them. Highly recommended. I’m looking forward to catching up with Erledur’s next investigation.
A skeleton is exposed in a drying out lake. The skeleton has an old Russian listening device tied to it. This leads detective Erledur with Elinborg and Siguraur Oli into an investigation into the cold war and what happens to those that are left behind.
Analyse/Comments/Thoughts
I really
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should read more crime stories, especially if they are anything like The Draining Lake. Indridason mixes the past and present easily and the effect is quite powerful as you trace the story of the murderer from the events that led to the crime and the solving of the crime itself. This isn’t a fast paced thriller. It’s more reflective and lives up to its tag line of, ‘What Happens to those Left Behind?’ especially when we visit the relatives left behind when people go missing.The process of detection keeps you reading as Erledur’s obsessions with small details leads to some interesting places. We get to find out about Erledur’s complicated relationships with his son and daughter, his work colleagues, and a woman who hasn’t left her husband.
I enjoyed the mix of flashbacks and present day. In some ways the flashbacks were more insightful as they explored the characters involved in more detail as Erledur is left a bit more of a mystery from beginning to end. Though this could be that this is a part of series and more would be revealed in reading the other books. Not that this spoiled anything as it seems part of his character to be aloof.
It was a bit of a slow read as I’m a little rusty when reading books in translation especially when it came to the names of characters and it took a while to grasp who was who and if they were male or female. The other quirk is some of the more emotional angry scenes that had swearing in them didn’t quite ring true though this is more a quirk in the language/translation rather than something that ruins the scene.
The strongest point for me was not only seeing another country, Iceland, but also getting a small insight into the cold war and its affect.
Summary
The Draining Lake is a reflective and strong crime novel with a clever and thought provoking use of flashbacks, which takes the reader on a journey of a crime from both sides. It also keeps you guessing about who the person in the lake actually is and who killed them. Highly recommended. I’m looking forward to catching up with Erledur’s next investigation.
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LibraryThing member Scrabblenut
This is an intriguing mystery set in Iceland and translated to English. When an Icelandic lake starts draining it uncovers a skeleton tied to a piece of Russian spy equipment. There is a parallel story about idealistic Icelandic students and their growing disillusionment with communism as they
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study at a University in Liepzig in the years after World War II. Both stories are interesting and the police procedural is excellent. Show Less
LibraryThing member ffortsa
An earthquake causes a lake to drain, revealing, among other things, a skeleton chained to a piece of outdated Russian spy equipment. Who was this man, who killed him, when and why make for a rather interesting book.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
This sixth book in Indriðason's Erlendur series has a style of writing similar to his award-winning fourth book [book:Silence of the Grave] in its layering of past and present, but this time the past is the Cold War days of the 1950s and '60s. Not just a good mystery, this novel shows the reader a
Although I wouldn't classify this as a thriller, I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading.
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glimpse of life in East Germany during the time of Hungary's doomed rebellion in the mid-1950s when "interactive surveillance" was becoming the norm.Although I wouldn't classify this as a thriller, I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading.
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LibraryThing member ecw0647
An earthquake near an Icelandic lake causes part of the lake to drain and a skeleton is discovered attached to some Soviet listening devices, presumably dating from the Cold War.. Detective Erlendur Sveinsson (The Jar City) has his own problems with a daughter constantly getting into trouble, a son
The skeleton was found with an antiquated spy machine tied around it as a weight. Unlike most Icelandic murders, which were easier to solve, this one, appeared to have been carefully planned, skilfully executed, and had remained covered up for so many years. Icelandic murders were not generally committed in this way. They were more coincidental, clumsy and squalid, and the perpetrators almost without exception left a trail of clues.
Erlendur continues his attempts at reconciliation with his daughter Eva who has been in and out of drug rehab and hospitals. (She a recurring character in all three of the Erlendur novels I have read adding to his -- and the reader’s -- despair.) The images conjured up in my mind were all in black and white. No color anywhere.
Iceland, as portrayed in these novels, remains inhospitable to the reader, and discourses on the Icelandic diet don’t make me want to rush to O’Hare and grab the first IcelandicAir to Reykjavik.
'What monstrosity is that?' she asked, pointing to a boiled sheep's head on the table, still uneaten. 'A sheep's head, sawn in half and charred,' he said, and saw her wince. 'What sort of people do that?' she asked. 'Icelanders,' he said. 'Actually it's very good,' he added rather hesitantly. 'The tongue and the cheeks . . .' He stopped when he realised that it did not sound particularly appetising. 'So, you eat the eyes and lips too?' she asked, not trying to conceal her disgust. 'The lips? Yes, those too. And the eyes.'
The gloom of these novels was summed up nicely by the discovery of an older woman, seated in front of her television, a plate of salted meat and boiled turnips was on the table beside her. A knife and fork lay on the floor by the chair. A large lump of meat was lodged in her throat. She had not managed to get out of the deep armchair. Her face was dark blue. It turned out that she had no relatives who called on her. No one ever visited her. No one missed her.
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who resents his aloofness, and his own periodic and obsessive search for a brother gone missing many years before in a snowstorm. He and his colleagues try to track down the identity of the dead man, but no one wants to revisit the Cold War times, especially one in which idealistic socialist Icelandic students succumbed to the blandishments of Soviet agents seeking to spy on a country that many called “an American aircraft carrier.”The skeleton was found with an antiquated spy machine tied around it as a weight. Unlike most Icelandic murders, which were easier to solve, this one, appeared to have been carefully planned, skilfully executed, and had remained covered up for so many years. Icelandic murders were not generally committed in this way. They were more coincidental, clumsy and squalid, and the perpetrators almost without exception left a trail of clues.
Erlendur continues his attempts at reconciliation with his daughter Eva who has been in and out of drug rehab and hospitals. (She a recurring character in all three of the Erlendur novels I have read adding to his -- and the reader’s -- despair.) The images conjured up in my mind were all in black and white. No color anywhere.
Iceland, as portrayed in these novels, remains inhospitable to the reader, and discourses on the Icelandic diet don’t make me want to rush to O’Hare and grab the first IcelandicAir to Reykjavik.
'What monstrosity is that?' she asked, pointing to a boiled sheep's head on the table, still uneaten. 'A sheep's head, sawn in half and charred,' he said, and saw her wince. 'What sort of people do that?' she asked. 'Icelanders,' he said. 'Actually it's very good,' he added rather hesitantly. 'The tongue and the cheeks . . .' He stopped when he realised that it did not sound particularly appetising. 'So, you eat the eyes and lips too?' she asked, not trying to conceal her disgust. 'The lips? Yes, those too. And the eyes.'
The gloom of these novels was summed up nicely by the discovery of an older woman, seated in front of her television, a plate of salted meat and boiled turnips was on the table beside her. A knife and fork lay on the floor by the chair. A large lump of meat was lodged in her throat. She had not managed to get out of the deep armchair. Her face was dark blue. It turned out that she had no relatives who called on her. No one ever visited her. No one missed her.
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LibraryThing member lschiff
Very enjoyable. I will definitely read more by this author and in this series in particular.
Language
Original language
Icelandic
ISBN
9780099494140
Original publication date
2004
2006 (English: Scudder)