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.

Very well read but the story was a little slow....

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I felt the story was a little slow and I was disappointed in the ending. I was hoping for more twists and turns through out the novel.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I found the setting of Iceland fascinating.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

Wonderful, could not have been better.

Rewarding literary det fic saga

Lovely Scandinavian gloominess leavened with wry humor, Jar City brings us into the insular, close, and spare world of modern Iceland with a puzzling whodunnit emanating from the murder of a creepy retired truck driver. Our detective is a late middle aged lonely and divorced old fashioned plodder somewhat disgusted with and baffled by the modern world. Think inspector Morse without a love of music but with an estranged dope-addict daughter and a dimwitted but sturdy and sane young detective partner. George Guidall does his usual fantastic narrative job even getting right the difficult Icelandic names. Between an engaging plot and skillful rendering of character the story manages to keep four or five balls in the air at once. Deftly written and satisfying drama with warmth held just below the surface, perhaps a parallel to the raw Icelandic landscape itself.
--Gordon Hard

Great Atmospheric Listen

I read the print version a while back and with a terrible memory was able to enjoy the suspense once again. The narration is excellent. I recommend both the print and the audio to anyone who enjoys character driven multi layered plots. It works as a basic noir mystery, but has many more layers if the reader chooses to engage.

An excellent story

Relatable, but with the right amount of foreign perspective. Read by the best narrator around.

The ending, honoring her. <3

I LOVE Arnaulder Indridason!!! I love the mysteries and the descriptions his gives! I was hooked with my first read, “Silence of the Grave”! Can’t wait to read another!

Very Icelandic Noir Mystery

This was so in keeping with Icelandic tales. Their mysteries are dark, filled with wet weather and stoic characters, just like the country and it’s people. The names are typical and once you know the characters the story flows well.
This narrator has read so many Icelandic translations that it feels like an old uncle is spinning the yarn.

Story drew me in

This is the 2nd book I’ve listened to by this author. He is such a good storyteller. The plot surprises, the characters are real, and the mystery is intriguing. I loved it

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.