Reykjavik Nights

By: Arnaldur Indridason

Narrated by: George Guidall

The loner, Erlendur, has recently joined the police force as a young officer. The beat on the streets in ReykjavIk is busy: traffic accidents, theft, domestic violence, contraband.... And an unexplained death. When a tramp he met regularly on the night shift is found drowned in a ditch, no one seems to care. But his fate haunts Erlendur and drags him inexorably into the strange and dark underworld of the city.

©2012 Arnaldur Indridason, 2014 Victoria Cribb (P)2015 Recorded Books

Well done Icelandic Noir

Fans of the solitary and relentlessly serious Detective Erlandur may enjoy going back to the case which led him to discover his obsession...forgotten missing persons. Young, in uniform, and completely inexperienced at detective work, he comes across the death of an alcoholic tramp who has been found dead in a boggy field and is written off as an accidental drowning, as well as the disappearance of a woman, who is an assumed suicide. His affinity for cases like this is, as we know by now, a result of the tragic disappearance of his brother in childhood, but this is when his past first comes together with the detective he is to become--a seeker of the disappeared, an advocate of the forgotten and abandoned.

This case is none of his business, being a junior uniformed cop, but he can't help himself and pursues the answers to his own questions in what will become his trademark independent doggedness. In a decade when battered wives and the homeless are treated with casual disregard by society and the law, Erlandur is driven to find justice by his own ghosts--which, fortunately (for me, anyway), are less belabored here than in Jar City. We also first find out how ineptly he relates to others, especially women, and that even though he is obsessive in his pursuit of truth, he is still able to retain his equanimity when pulling together the clues he needs from endless interviews with the characters in the story. In the course of these interviews, these characters become fully dimensional and real to both Erlandur and the listener.

A well-written, slow-paced novel of a bleak but interesting man, seeking relief from personal anguish through his work in a bleak but beautiful country. As usual, a good narration by George Guidall, in spite of the fact that his voice is simply becoming too old for many of the characters he reads.

Slow Yet... Sort of Hypnotizing

I didn't care much about the protagonist in this Indridason story, but I'm not sure that the author did much either. Rather he uses him as a blunt, plodding tool... An irresistible force to unravel a quiet little tale of violence. It's a procedural thing set in a place and just - a tad - different culture that tugged me on through this puzzle. Yep, it is well done and George Guidall as always creates a cast I'll remember.

Brings Back Memories of Reykjavik

I have only had a problem with one of Indridason's stories, but this is not the one. It is another great who-dun-it with loads of twists and turns in the plot. Just when you are convinced who the killer is, another clue points you in the opposite direction. If you want to listen to a mystery by a non-US author this is a great choice. The narration is steady and keeps you interested. Try it you will like it.

Trouble holding my attention

Would you try another book from Arnaldur Indridason and/or George Guidall?

Probably not

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The glimpses of life in Reykjavik were most interesting to me. The main character's plodding experience of life was the least engaging.

Did George Guidall do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I had to work to keep his voice from lulling me to sleep. Often had to back up & repeat scenes due to my lack of interest & story/voice's inability to keep my attention.

Did Reykjavik Nights inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

The story moved very slowly for me. As much time was spent describing/explaining mundane incidents & situations as was spent describing/explaining significant plot developments.

Good for Erlandur background AFTER you have read previous books in the series

This is an interesting book and works well after reading previous books in the series. I would not recommend reading this first because you will not be familiar with Erlandur’s life, his personal issues and future complications. Start at the beginning of the series and work your way through. Enjoy the introduction to life in Iceland, the scenery, climate, food, people and culture and enjoy the series. It is very good!

George Guidall couldn't quite save it

Disappointingly thin story. Guidall's narration, which created a measure of sympathy for the characters, and which deftly handled the incredibly confusing Icelandic names, was all that made it tolerable

Wonderful

I listened to this one after I was already a huge fan. I was expecting a little backstory. I got a wonderful story

A good story read by a master

Guidall has a great voice and improves any book he reads. This is a good story but not a great one. The location is very interesting.

Highest Praise for Arnaldur Indridason

As a novice reader, my earlier days of fictional literature focused purely on storylines with nonstop action and minimal character development. I must say, however , that this author has peaked my interest by creating a remarkable cast of characters from the protagonist to the minor or bit part players.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to backtrack to retrieve the earlier and post books in the Inspector Erlendur series. I was able to get Jar City (#1 in series) from the library and that too was a great read.

I’m looking forward to completing the entire series!

Very Good Story, Well Told

Would you consider the audio edition of Reykjavik Nights to be better than the print version?

Oh my yes, George Guidall is a master story teller, and he conveys every nuance and does it in such a way that I am not really listening to his beautiful voice, something I usually try to do. I am simply at one with the story.

What did you like best about this story?

This is a prequel to Indridason's Inspector Erlandur series, featuring a young Erlandur, a new police constable on traffic duty and his persistent drive to uncover the truth about the life and death of the street person, Hannibal. It was Hannibal's story and Erlandur's development.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Guidall tells a story like no other can. It is wonderful to hear him. His characters feel real and I felt that I would have missed much about how the character felt in any given situation without his help.He improves any book he reads, and this one has certainly benefited from his performance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Perhaps. It would have been nice to have that luxury.

Any additional comments?

I understand there is another in this prequel series, I do hope I will get to hear Mr Guidall perform that one too. I would not be able to listen to anyone else do it.