Outrage

Outrage (2008/2011) Arnaldur Indridason translated by Anna Yates

Erlunder has taken a leave of absence and headed east to where he grew up, leaving Elínborg in charge of a bloody murder–a murder where the victim is found in possession of Rohypnol and clearly had sex shortly before he died.

This is an interesting book on very many levels. First, Erlunder is gone, and Elínborg is the lead detective, so we see things from her POV. She is a very different character from Elínborg which makes it a very different book from the rest of the series. Elínborg is a cook, is in a strong marriage, and has three teen and pre-teen kids at home.

She recalled reading one day about ‘melted cheese’. It took her some time to understand what it meant. She had never heard of cheese being eaten in any other way than straight from the fridge, sliced on to bread.

(S)he always asked for cookbooks for Christmas and birthday presents, subscribed to recipe clubs, and read cookery columns in the papers. Yet she did not necessarily want to be a chef; she just wanted to prepare food that was not inedible.

Oh yes!

Additionally, the victim is completely unlikable and it’s almost impossible not to think he got what he deserved–especially in a country where criminals spend only a very short time in prison, no matter how terrible their crimes.

But as with the other books in this series, there was a missing persons case, that may or may not have tied to the murder. And the interviews with those left behind are always heart-rending.

‘When did you last speak to her?’

‘It was that Friday, the day she disappeared. See you, she said. It was the last thing she ever said to me. See you. There was nothing special about the conversation. Just a routine call, to let me know. No more than that. I said a proper goodbye, I think. Bye, sweetheart, I said. That was a comfort to me, afterwards. That was all there was to it. Bye, sweetheart. That was all.’

I liked seeing things from Elínborg’s point-of-view, and seeing how she approached the murder and the mystery.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Minotaur Books

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