Jar City (Reykjavik Thriller Series #1) Book

I am HIM

This cryptic message is left with the body of an elderly man when he is found dead in his apartment in Reykjavik. So begins Arnaldur Indridason's brilliant contribution to the Nordic Noir sub-genre of crime literature. First published in 2000 in Iceland under the title Mýrin, I read and thoroughly enjoyed the English translation by Bernard Scudder published in 2005 by Minotaur Books.

A compelling police procedural that shows a law enforcement task force in Reykjavik investigating a murder, Indridason goes further and provides intriguing background for a crime that has a long history of wrongs leading up to the fateful moment.

Some crimes, when brought into the light, reveal other wrongdoings hidden in the shadows. Some secrets, when uncovered, reveal more hidden pains that can reach far back into families. Indridason's greatest achievement in this book, is his ability to draw diverse elements of a criminal investigation, especially the human costs, into a cognizant whole.

Jar City is the name given to a forensic collection of body parts and specimens and this novel also explores the importance and historic relevance of genetic testing and how these procedures have evolved and how the Icelandic culture is particularly well suited for such science.

One of the better contributions to the genre, very entertaining.