In this modern, touchscreen-obsessed ultra-connected world, many think loneliness is a thing of the past. Despite the technology, though, loneliness is perhaps a hidden pandemic. It’s a theme Sólveig Pálsdóttir weaves into Shrouded, the fourth in her Ice and Crime series.
When an elderly woman is found dead in a graveyard in the depths of an Icelandic winter, detectives Guðgeir Fransson and Elsa Guðrún soon discover there’s a multi-decade history of trauma that still impacts the current day.
The victim has recently attended a seance – does this have any bearing on the crime and does a medium’s revelations add to or hinder the investigation?
Pálsdóttir’s works are always a masterclass in construction, cleverly teasing out details from the day-to-day routine and minutiae to give readers hints that only fall into place many chapters later. Shrouded continues that form, we’re perhaps deliberately led off the scent by the seemingly mundane ins and outs of police procedural and the very human characters behind the police professional front, yet this is far from mundane; Pálsdóttir’s characterisation and story arc know exactly where they’re heading, even if the reader may be kept in the dark until she’s ready to show her hand.
Shrouded is a piece not afraid to challenge the reader to work to get that resolution. Not afraid to revel in detail, Pálsdóttir knows that that work will pay off as the requisite twists and turns keep the pages turning.
Pálsdóttir also has the confidence to tackle some challenging topics. Spiritualism has the potential, in less skilled hands, to divide the audience into believers and sceptics, but whatever the readers’ views on the subject the topic is handled with skill, adding a fascinating and well-thought-out angle to investigations.
Over the three previous books in the series, Fransson and Guðrún have established themselves as firm favourites in the Nordic Noir canon, and Fransson and Pálsdóttir takes the opportunity hear to further develop our understanding of the pair. Less overtly extrovert than some other literary detectives, this is a pairing based on skill, intelligence and attention to detail. It is another layer that adds to a compelling read that rewards attention to that detail.
Quentin Bates’ translation brings the Icelandic culture and lifestyle to life for an English audience, maintaining pace and just enough humour to balance the darkness. Often in these works, well-versed readers can piece together the clues and pre-empt any looming plot twists, Pálsdóttir and Bates, though, are masters of their craft and deliver a twist that will surprise even the most seasoned reader. This skill makes the Crime and Ice series one of the most anticipated releases in the Nordic Noir calendar.
Shrouded by Sólveig Pálsdóttir, translated by Quentin Bates, is published by Corylus Books
