Indridason, Arnaldur 1961–

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Indridason, Arnaldur 1961–

(Arnaldur Indridason)

PERSONAL: Born January 8, 1961, in Iceland; married; children: three. Education: University of Iceland, B.A., 1996.

ADDRESSES: Home—Reykjavik, Iceland. Agent—c/o Author Mail, St. Martin's Minotaur, Publicity Department, 175 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010.

CAREER: Journalist and writer. Morgunblaðið, Reykjavik, Iceland, journalist, 1981–82, film critic, 1986–2001.

AWARDS, HONORS: Glass Key Prize, Crime Writers of Scandinavia, 2002, for Jar City, and 2003, for Silence of the Grave; Golden Dagger, Crime Writers Association of Great Britain, 2005, for Silence of the Grave.

WRITINGS:

CRIME FICTION

Mýrin, Vaka-Helgafell (Reykjavik, Iceland), 2000, translated as Jar City, by Bernard Scudder, Harvill Press (London, England), 2004.

Grafarthogn, Vaka-Helgafell (Reykjavik, Iceland), 2001, translated as Lady in Green, St. artin's Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Kleifarvatn (title means "The Lake"), Vaka-Helgafell (Reykjavik, Iceland), 2004.

Voices, Harvill Press (London, England), 2006.

Silence of the Grave, St. Martin's Minotaur (New York, NY), 2006.

Also author of other novels, including Synir Duftsins (title means "Sons of Earth"), 1997; Daudarosir (title means "Silent Kill"), 1998; Napoléonskjölin (title means "Operation Napoleon"), 1999; Betty, 2004; and Vetrarborgin (title means "Arctic Chill"), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Arnaldur Indriðason is one of Iceland's most successful crime fiction novelists. Shortly after finishing secondary school, he began working for Morgunblaðið newspaper in Reykjavik as a journalist and later as a film critic. He began writing full time shortly before the publication of his first internationally successful book, Mýrin, translated as Jar City. Jar City has been nominated for numerous international awards and won Britain's Golden Dagger award from the Crime Writers Association. Jar City takes place in Reykjavik and follows detective Erlendur Sveinnson's investigation of an elderly man's murder. While most murders in Iceland are purportedly easily solved, this particular case draws connections across the entire community, where most people are associated to each other in some manner.

Many reviews of Jar City were favorable. Booklist reviewer Bill Ott called it a "powerful, psychologically acute procedural drama," while a critic in Kirkus Reviews felt it was "a model puzzle presented with clarity and crisp economy." Rex E. Klett, reviewing the book for Library Journal, stated that the book "captures the reader's attention with its direct prose and depiction of a distinctive culture." This distinct culture also received mention in Kara Kellar Bell's review on the Laura Hird Web site. "This is a culture which is both familiar and a little different, and that ought to appeal to the less adventurous readers of police procedurals who might otherwise be reluctant to read foreign language translation out of a fear of massive culture shock." Bell concluded: "Jar City is an entertaining book that moves along very fast … [that] favours dialogue and pace over description or long introverted passages."