" Arctic Chill" by Arnaldur Indridason

5th book in the series starring detective Erlendur

This crime novel is another winner and surely will become a world wide hit. As usual Indridason writes about controversial topics that are relevant in today's society. This one raised issues of immigration, multiculturalism, racism and poverty.

The story starts when a ten-year-old boy of Thai origin is found dead, frozen to the sidewalk in a Reykjavík suburb in mid-January.
Taking on the challenge are our recurring heroes: Detective Erlendur and his racy colleagues Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg. While unraveling the mystery, the writer overlaps the storyline with a second plot concerning a woman who has disappeared. This triggers a flash back for Erlendur, memories of his brother who was lost in a storm when they were young.

To make the storyline exciting the author uses powerful images and a tight prose to weave his sub- plots. To appreciate this writer, his work should be read in chronological order in order to fully understand the relationships between his characters and the ongoing life of detective Erlendur.

Arctic Chill is very involving and effective crime fiction. This is another novel in what has become an addictive series for me