Hugely entertaining police procedural steeped in the history, legends and culture of Iceland.
My only past experience with the novels of Michael Ridpath is through his financial thrillers which I found enthralling but this is my first read of his Icelandic based crime thriller series that features Inspector Magnús Ragnarsson (Jonson) of the Violent Crimes Unit of Reykjavík CID. Although of Icelandic descent, Magnús was transplanted to Boston as a teenager where he became a homicide detective and has spent most of his life so far. After a previous secondment with the Reykjavík Metropolitan Police an opening for a detective sees Magnüs return to the country after a hiatus of five years. Although this is technically the fifth novel in the Fire and Ice series it works perfectly well as a stand-alone with the back story of Magnús and his career and life to date unobtrusively drip-fed as the story unfolds.
An intriguing prologue set in Italy in 1979 sees a US academic and professor of Viking history, Nancy Fishburn, and two rare book experts discussing the possibility that Norsemen may well have discovered Greenland and America long before Christopher Columbus made his recorded discovery. Cut to Iceland in 2017 and the filming of a documentary on the extraordinary story of Gudrid the Wanderer who was Erik the Red’s daughter-in-law and an explorer who was born is Iceland, married in Greenland, had a son in Vinland and later embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome. Preparing to unveil the contentious Columbus theory in the forthcoming documentary on the basis of the discovery of two pieces of controversial evidence (a traditional wampum shell excavated in Greenland and a letter from Columbus found in a book housed in the Vatican Secrets Archives), interest in the finished documentary promises to be high. When the film crew stumble across the body of a murdered Italian tourist on location in Glaumber, Magnús is sent to investigate an incident that is practically unheard of in Iceland. With the crew initially all denying knowing the murder victim the barely concealed tension and anxious behaviour soon gives Magnús reason to believe that not all are being entirely truthful with their assertions.
As he gradually roots out their undisclosed secrets and the body count rises, Magnús is forced to acknowledge that the answer must lie within the commissioned documentary. Searching for a motive linking all of three murders soon leads him to doubt the veracity of the supporting evidence and he begins to suspect an elaborate hoax and audacious attempt to rewrite history. A third-person narrative that includes snapshots into the past and the discovery of the actual ‘evidence’ serves to further involve the reader in the unfolding drama. With the production company and financial livelihood of English producer, Suzy Henshaw, dependent on the success of the documentary, the career of presenter Eygló and the reputations of academics Dr Einar Thorsteinsson and Professor Marco Beccari all at stake, everybody involved has plenty to lose. As Magnús’s quest takes him to Greenland and deep into the past it throws up a handful of viable suspects with a constantly shifting spotlight casting doubt on them all!
In contrast to the stereotypical Scandinavian crime novels which typically feature a morose and damaged detective with a multitude of their own problems, forty-one-year-old Magnus feels pretty normal and in the wake of solving his father’s murder his main preoccupation is that he feels neither typically American or Icelandic and is unsure where he really belongs together with a recent messy relationship breakdown with Icelandic native, Ingleif. The crime in question is steeped in the prevailing history of the country and Magnús’s personal fascination with the history and culture of the country gives him a genuine interest in finding the answers. Michael Ridpath conveys the background coherently, making it accessible and easy for the layperson to grasp with a good balance to the focus on Magnús’s life outside the police force making him actually feel human. Differences between the US approach to detection and the more transparent Icelandic approach are also neatly highlighted with Magnús used to operating in Boston from the standpoint of a suspect not even knowing they are on his radar with the Icelandic approach much more direct and transparent.
The novel is not without its flaws however with Magnús certainly not the most skilled detective and the approach of his black female colleague, Vigdís Audardótti, heavy-handed and blunt. Furthermore there are lengthy periods given over to explanations of the sagas, history of the country and changes in the aftermath of the financial crash of 2008 which some readers may find dry. There is also little explanation for the reasoning behind the leap of intuition made by Magnús and his suspicions regarding the authenticity of the artefacts which are crucial to supporting the theory behind the new documentary. In truth this matters little and allows for a fast-paced and entertaining investigation with the added benefit of providing a wealth of background detail on a fascinating country, its history and the culture of a very modern Iceland.
In theory nothing about this series should work with an odd mash-up of a detective who is something of an outsider in the country of his birth and seen as an American, and a plot that concerns itself with everything from volcanic eruptions to rewriting the lost sagas of the country. The surprise, however, is that Michael Ridpath skilfully pulls it off and this all makes for a hugely satisfying investigation with real depth. An offbeat and entertaining Icelandic police procedural with a focus on the changing face of Iceland that and is packed with everything from regional colour to an insight into the psyche of the natives. A hugely compelling read and whilst the prose is at times a tad lifeless and without much flourish, I was completely gripped. Set against the bleakly beautiful backdrop of Iceland it all makes for a highly atmospheric encounter and The Wanderer is a richly rewarding read and a great introduction to a series that I intend to catch-up and continue with.
An intriguing prologue set in Italy in 1979 sees a US academic and professor of Viking history, Nancy Fishburn, and two rare book experts discussing the possibility that Norsemen may well have discovered Greenland and America long before Christopher Columbus made his recorded discovery. Cut to Iceland in 2017 and the filming of a documentary on the extraordinary story of Gudrid the Wanderer who was Erik the Red’s daughter-in-law and an explorer who was born is Iceland, married in Greenland, had a son in Vinland and later embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome. Preparing to unveil the contentious Columbus theory in the forthcoming documentary on the basis of the discovery of two pieces of controversial evidence (a traditional wampum shell excavated in Greenland and a letter from Columbus found in a book housed in the Vatican Secrets Archives), interest in the finished documentary promises to be high. When the film crew stumble across the body of a murdered Italian tourist on location in Glaumber, Magnús is sent to investigate an incident that is practically unheard of in Iceland. With the crew initially all denying knowing the murder victim the barely concealed tension and anxious behaviour soon gives Magnús reason to believe that not all are being entirely truthful with their assertions.
As he gradually roots out their undisclosed secrets and the body count rises, Magnús is forced to acknowledge that the answer must lie within the commissioned documentary. Searching for a motive linking all of three murders soon leads him to doubt the veracity of the supporting evidence and he begins to suspect an elaborate hoax and audacious attempt to rewrite history. A third-person narrative that includes snapshots into the past and the discovery of the actual ‘evidence’ serves to further involve the reader in the unfolding drama. With the production company and financial livelihood of English producer, Suzy Henshaw, dependent on the success of the documentary, the career of presenter Eygló and the reputations of academics Dr Einar Thorsteinsson and Professor Marco Beccari all at stake, everybody involved has plenty to lose. As Magnús’s quest takes him to Greenland and deep into the past it throws up a handful of viable suspects with a constantly shifting spotlight casting doubt on them all!
In contrast to the stereotypical Scandinavian crime novels which typically feature a morose and damaged detective with a multitude of their own problems, forty-one-year-old Magnus feels pretty normal and in the wake of solving his father’s murder his main preoccupation is that he feels neither typically American or Icelandic and is unsure where he really belongs together with a recent messy relationship breakdown with Icelandic native, Ingleif. The crime in question is steeped in the prevailing history of the country and Magnús’s personal fascination with the history and culture of the country gives him a genuine interest in finding the answers. Michael Ridpath conveys the background coherently, making it accessible and easy for the layperson to grasp with a good balance to the focus on Magnús’s life outside the police force making him actually feel human. Differences between the US approach to detection and the more transparent Icelandic approach are also neatly highlighted with Magnús used to operating in Boston from the standpoint of a suspect not even knowing they are on his radar with the Icelandic approach much more direct and transparent.
The novel is not without its flaws however with Magnús certainly not the most skilled detective and the approach of his black female colleague, Vigdís Audardótti, heavy-handed and blunt. Furthermore there are lengthy periods given over to explanations of the sagas, history of the country and changes in the aftermath of the financial crash of 2008 which some readers may find dry. There is also little explanation for the reasoning behind the leap of intuition made by Magnús and his suspicions regarding the authenticity of the artefacts which are crucial to supporting the theory behind the new documentary. In truth this matters little and allows for a fast-paced and entertaining investigation with the added benefit of providing a wealth of background detail on a fascinating country, its history and the culture of a very modern Iceland.
In theory nothing about this series should work with an odd mash-up of a detective who is something of an outsider in the country of his birth and seen as an American, and a plot that concerns itself with everything from volcanic eruptions to rewriting the lost sagas of the country. The surprise, however, is that Michael Ridpath skilfully pulls it off and this all makes for a hugely satisfying investigation with real depth. An offbeat and entertaining Icelandic police procedural with a focus on the changing face of Iceland that and is packed with everything from regional colour to an insight into the psyche of the natives. A hugely compelling read and whilst the prose is at times a tad lifeless and without much flourish, I was completely gripped. Set against the bleakly beautiful backdrop of Iceland it all makes for a highly atmospheric encounter and The Wanderer is a richly rewarding read and a great introduction to a series that I intend to catch-up and continue with.