2015 Petrona Award Shortlist: A personal opinion

The six high-quality crime novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, that have been shortlisted for the 2015 Petrona Award as announced on 26 March 2015, are: 

The Hummingbird by Kati Hiekkapelto, tr. David Hackston (Arcadia Books; Finland)
The Hunting Dogs by Jørn Lier Horst, tr. Anne Bruce (Sandstone Press; Norway)
Reykjavik Nights by Arnaldur Indriðason, tr. Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker; Iceland)
The Human Flies by Hans Olav Lahlum, tr. Kari Dickson (Mantle; Norway)
Falling Freely, As If In A Dream by Leif G W Persson, tr. Paul Norlen (Doubleday; Sweden)
The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, tr. Victoria Cribb (Hodder & Stoughton; Iceland)

The winning title will be announced at the annual international crime fiction event CrimeFest, held in Bristol between the 14th and the 17th of May 2015. The award will be presented by the Godmother of modern Scandinavian crime fiction, Maj Sjöwall, co-author with Per Wahlöö of the Martin Beck series.

It is worth recalling that the Petrona Award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year. The Petrona Award has been established to celebrate the work of Maxine Clarke, one of the first online crime fiction reviewers and bloggers, who died in December 2012. Maxine, whose online persona and blog was called Petrona, was passionate about translated crime fiction but in particular that from the Scandinavian countries.

The previous awards went to:

2013 – Lat Will by Liza Marklund, tr. Neil Smith (Corgi)

2014 – Linda, As In The Linda Murder by Leif G W Persson, tr. Neil Smith (Doubleday)

Today, I’m able to confirm that, after reading all the books in the shortlist, my personal preference is for The Hunting Dogs by Jørn Lier Horst tr. Anne Bruce (Sandstone Press; Norway). You can access my reviews clicking on the book titles. What’s left now is to wait to the judges’ verdict. Stay tuned.

(Source: The Petrona Award)

See a different opinion at Crime Scraps Review. 

Review: Reykjavik Nights by Arnaldur Indriðason

Esta entrada es bilingüe, para ver la versión en castellano desplazarse hacia abajo

Vintage Digital, 2014. Format: Kindle edition. File size: 2078 KB. Print Length: 308 pages. Translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb. Originally published as Reykjavíkurnætur, 2012. ASIN: B00L57BHIG. ISBN: 978-1846558122

Reykjavik Nights, the last book in Detective Erlendur series available in English, is a prequel. The story is set in 1974. At that time, Erlendur is just a uniformed policeman working the night shift. His task is to attend traffic accidents, drunken brawls, robberies, family disputes and so forth. However he dreams of becoming a police detective. One day an incident powerfully captures his attention. Hannibal, a homeless drunk with whom he crossed paths several times, was found drowned in a waste pond. For everyone, the cause of his death could have been a fortuitous accident. For everyone, except for Erlendur, who decides to investigate the case on his own. Furthermore, it so happens that that very same night a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, disappears without a trace. The more obvious explanation for the police is that she has committed suicide but her body is nowhere to be found. Anyway, Erlendur is convinced that, in some way, the two incidents are related, and he decides to devote his free time to investigate both cases.

Reykjavik Nights can be read as a standalone book, but it would be more advisable, in my view, to read it once familiarised with the previous books in the series. Besides, Arnaldur is one of my favourite authors, and his books have never disappointed me. Among the most remarkable elements of this book is its incredible sense of place. I believe one can hardly find a more suitable place than Reykjavik in which to develop this story. The city in itself, becomes also another character in the narrative. In a sense, the reader finds him or herself circulating along the streets of the city and the atmosphere created turns out highly convincing. In a nutshell, this is a highly evocative and suggestive read, another great addition to a magnificent series.

My rating: A (I loved it)

Arnaldur Indriðason was born in Reykjavík on 28 January 1961, the son of writer Indriði G. Þorsteinsson. He graduated with a degree in history from the University of Iceland in 1996. He worked as a journalist for the newspaper Morgunblaðið from 1981 to 1982, and later as a freelance writer. From 1986 to 2001, he was a film critic for Morgunblaðið. His first book, Synir duftsins (Sons of Dust) came out in 1997, the first in the series with Detective Erlendur. Arnaldur is considered one of the most popular writers in Iceland in recent years — topping bestseller lists time and again. In 2004, his books were 7 of the 10 most popular titles borrowed in Reykjavík City Library. In 2006, his Erlendur novel Mýrin was made into a film, known internationally as Jar City, by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur. (Source: Wikipedia).

The correct order of the books in Arnaldur Indriðason’s Reykjavík Murder Mystery Series, is: 1997 – Synir duftsins (Sons of Dust); 1998 – Dauðarósir (Silent Kill); 2000 – Mýrin. English title Jar City (2004) aka Tainted Blood. Spanish title: Las marismas, traducción de Kristin Arnadottir, 2006; 2001 – Grafarþögn. English title: Silence of the Grave (2005). Spanish title: La mujer de verde (publicada inicialmente como Silencio sepulcral), traducción de Enrique Bernardez, 2009; 2003 – Röddin. English title: Voices, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder, 2006. Spanish title: La voz; 2004 – Kleifarvatn. English title: The Draining Lake, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder, 2007. Spanish title: El hombre del lago; 2005 – Vetrarborgin. English title: Arctic Chill, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb, 2008. Spanish title: Invierno ártico; 2007 – Harðskafi. English title: Hypothermia, translated by Victoria Cribb, 2009. Spanish title: Hipotermia; 2008 – Myrká. English title: Outrage, translated from the Icelandic by Anna Yates, 2011; 2009 – Svörtuloft. English title: Black Skies, translated by Victoria Cribb, 2012; 2010 – Furðustrandir. English title: Strange Shores, translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, 2013; 2011 – Einvígið, 2011; 2012 – Reykjavíkurnætur. English title: Reykjavik Nights, translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, 2014; and 2014 – Kamp Knox. English title: Oblivion (2015).

Reykjavik Nights has been reviewed at Crime Fiction Lover (Raven), Crime Pieces (Sarah), Crime Time (Michael Carlson), Crime Segments (NancyO), and Reviewing the Evidence (Yvonne Klein).

Random House Group

MacMillan Publishers Minotaur Books 

A guide to Arnaldur Indridason’s Detective Erlendur

Noches de Reikiavik de Arnaldur Indriðason

Noches de Reikiavik, el último libro de la serie protagonizada por el detective Erlendur disponible en inglés, es una precuela. La historia está ambientada en el año 1974. En ese momento, Erlendur es sólo un policía de uniforme destinado al turno de noche. Su tarea consiste en atender accidentes de tráfico, peleas de borrachos, robos, peleas familiares, etcétera. Sin embargo, él sueña en convertirse en un investigador de la policía. Un día un incidente capta poderosamente su atención. Hannibal, un borracho sin hogar con el que se cruzó varias veces, fue encontrado ahogado en una aguas residuales. Para todos, la causa de su muerte podría haber sido un accidente fortuito. Para todo el mundo, excepto para Erlendur, que decide investigar el caso por su cuenta. Además, se da la circunstancia de que esa misma noche una mujer atrapada en un matrimonio desgraciado, desaparece sin dejar rastro. La explicación más obvia para la policía es que ella se ha suicidado, pero su cuerpo no aparece por ninguna parte. De todos modos, Erlendur está convencido de que, de alguna manera, los dos incidentes están relacionados, y decide dedicar su tiempo libre a investigar ambos casos.

Noches de Reikiavik se puede leer como un libro independiente, pero sería más recomendable, en mi opinión, leerlo una vez familiarizado con los libros anteriores de la serie. Además, Arnaldur es uno de mis autores favoritos, y sus libros nunca me han decepcionado. Entre los elementos más destacables de este libro está su increíble sentido del lugar. Creo que difícilmente se puede encontrar un lugar más adecuado que Reikiavik en el que desarrollar esta historia. La ciudad en sí misma, se convierte también en un personaje más de la narración. En cierto sentido, el lector se encuentra circulando por las calles de la ciudad y la atmósfera creada resulta muy convincente. En pocas palabras, se trata de una lectura muy evocadora y sugerente, otra gran adición a una magnífica serie.

Mi valoración: A (Me encantó)

Licenciado en historia, Arnaldur Indriðason es periodista, crítico de cine y autor de novela negra. Vive con su mujer y sus tres hijos en Reikiavik. Es el autor más conocido de las letras islandesas, traducido a 37 idiomas y con más de 7 millones de ejemplares vendidos en todo el mundo en octubre de 2011. En 1997 creó para sus novelas policíacas al personaje del inspector islandés Erlendur Sveinsson, un hombre obsesionado por el pasado y la sombra de su hermano, un niño que desapareció. Divorciado tras un breve matrimonio, solitario y deprimido, Erlendur tiene una hija drogadicta llamada Eva Lind, a la que sólo habla cuando no puede escucharle, y un hijo llamado Sindri Snaer. La investigación criminal en sus novelas suele ser un pretexto para resolver un enigma del pasado, y en ellas el lirismo cumple un papel importante. Se han traducido al español sus novelas negras más famosas: Las marismas (Míryn), Silencio sepulcral, La mujer de verde (Grafarþögn), La voz, El hombre del lago, Invierno ártico y más recientemente Hipotermia. (Fuente: Wikipedia)

El orden correcto de los libros de la serie de Arnaldur Indriðason Los misterios de Reikiavik es: 1997 – Synir duftsins (Sons of Dust); 1998 – Dauðarósir (Silent Kill); 2000 – Mýrin. English title Jar City (2004) aka Tainted Blood. Título en castellano: Las marismas, traducción de Kristin Arnadottir, 2006; 2001 – Grafarþögn. English title: Silence of the Grave (2005). Título en castellano: La mujer de verde (publicada inicialmente como Silencio sepulcral), traducción de Enrique Bernardez, 2009; 2003 – Röddin. English title: Voices, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder, 2006. Título en castellano: La voz; 2004 – Kleifarvatn. English title: The Draining Lake, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder, 2007. Título en castellano: El hombre del lago; 2005 – Vetrarborgin. English title: Arctic Chill, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb, 2008. Título en castellano: Invierno ártico; 2007 – Harðskafi. English title: Hypothermia, translated by Victoria Cribb, 2009. Título en castellano: Hipotermia; 2008 – Myrká. English title: Outrage, translated from the Icelandic by Anna Yates, 2011; 2009 – Svörtuloft. English title: Black Skies, translated by Victoria Cribb, 2012; 2010 – Furðustrandir. English title: Strange Shores, translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, 2013; 2011 – Einvígið, 2011; 2012 – Reykjavíkurnætur. English title: Reykjavik Nights, translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, 2014; and 2014 – Kamp Knox. English title: Oblivion (2015).