Jar City

By: Arnaldur Indridason

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Gold Dagger Award winner Arnaldur Indridason’s novels featuring Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson became international sensations on their way to selling millions of copies worldwide. The debut of morose detective Sveinsson finds the inspector and his team delving into the murder of a retiree with horrifying secrets.

©2000, 2004 Arnaldur Indridason (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"[A] model puzzle presented with clarity and crisp economy.” ( Kirkus)

Like TV, but in book form

Are you dead inside? Do you hate to read? Would you rather watch Law & Order? Now you can combine barely-reading with watching-TV-crime-drama with This Scandi Crime Audiobook I Just Read For Some Reason! Can science and computers solve the problem? You betcha! Are rapists bad? You know it!

Scandi crime read with an American drawl?

The plot sis a good one, the beginning of a series of books that looks promising. I am a SCandi crime fan, and while this is no Nesbo/Larson or Adler-Olson it is still good. Less gore than the 3 mentioned, less suspense, less of a thriller. It is however a good story. I do think that George Guidall is the wrong reader. Great as Longmire, and probably all American characters, but wrong for an Icelandic.

Cerebral Police Procedural

This is a very quiet novel, written mostly inside the head of the Lead Detective.

The Detective is tired yet conscientious, has some excess baggage, but is nonetheless an exemplary officer.

The beginning of the story offers an interesting lead-in to the story. It opens on a murder mystery, that has some strange clues that at first do not seem to fit the crime. The listener has immediate questions, and as the detective studies the crime scene, his discoveries provides atmosphere and some intrigue. Sadly, however, intrigue and suspense are what is lacking most in the Icelandic Mystery.

The language, even as a translation, flows nicely throughout the entire linear storyline.
But in the end, Jar City seemed to be more of a character study than a mystery, and as a result the climax was a little flat.

Well crafted mystery

This was my first book by Arnaldur Indridason and I'll admit that at first I was drawn to it because I so love to listen to George Guidall's narration, so thought I would try it. I haven't read too many Icelandic novels, so didn't know what to expect. Happily--the result was unexpectedly good.

It begins with the uncomplicated-appearing murder of an old man in Reykjavík. There are a couple of clues that give it an odd sense, but Inspector Erlendur cannot yet imagine what he will be facing as he and his police team set out to try to solve it. This mystery has so many twists and turns that it stays moving at a good pace. The settings change over the course of the story, so that it has a feeling of wandering into entirely unexpected territory, ultimately that which deals with the name of the book (Jar City).

I will have to say that listening to unfamiliar Icelandic names was hard (even with a really helpful explanation of them in the beginning), but the story was well told. It related a bit about Erlendur's personal life (which I assume will be developed in subsequent books), but in general, just a good mystery. I would not give it 5 stars, but it was solidly good with what seems like potential to develop into something even better.

Wow, what a great novel.

The literary quality is this novel's strongest point; Indridason is an excellent writer. How the narrator can pronounce all those Icelandic names is beyond me, but George Guidall adds to this dark murder mystery and makes it come alive. I am about to listen to another novel by the same author, and I know that I will be swept away to Iceland before I know it.

A. Indridason

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

My first entry into the mystery series of Iceland's detectives and it is a good read and I recommend it. Been reading the Scandinavian authors and this one is up to that standard.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is a wonderful reader and his interpretation is excellent.

Liked it!

Solid mystery, great narration - look forward to the rest of the series. Nothing earth shattering but it's nicely paced with enough intrigue to keep you interested; exciting final third.

Melts quickly...

Characters and setting needed better development before heading off into what is a dark a frequently unnecessarily complex narrative, Occasionally starts to pick up steam, just never quite gets there. Guidall and the production team deliver a solid, crisp production.

A Very Good Beginning to a New Series

What did you love best about Jar City?

What a great story! It was moving and sad. I loved it. It reminded me very much of a Kurt Wallander novel by Henning Menkel. It has the same sense of isolation. It is alsom beautifully written and constructed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jar City?

The most memorable moment in the novel came to me at the end. When the detective is listening to the confession of the killer and the moments just after.

Have you listened to any of George Guidall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

George Guidall is my favorite narrator. His performances are always first rate. He brings such depth and character to his performances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did not have any extreme reactions. I did love every minute of the novel.

Any additional comments?

If you like Henning Menkell's novels, you will like this. It is very plot driven. The characters, while not fully fleshed yet are believable. I also like the main detective. This is sometimes difficult in modern detective novels.

John Rebus meets Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Not as strong a sense of place as the Girl With series, not as interesting a character as John Rebus.