The Draining Lake. Arnaldur Indridason. Vintage (2007)

This is a intriguing and very atmospheric mystery set in Iceland, the fourth in a series featuring the detectives Erlendur, Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli. Like the earlier books this is as much about the detectives, in particular Erlendur as it is about the carefully constructed mysteries that wend their way through the books. In the book a skeleton is found at the bottom of a lake that has started to drain due to the result of an earthquake. The skeleton has an old Russian radio transmitter tied to it and the cause of death was violent as well. The investigation starts with missing persons and slowly centers on one particular case that may well have nothing to do with the skeleton in the lake. At the same time a second narrative is started by the discovery of the body as a man who knows a great deal starts to review this time in Leipzig when it was part of East Germany, he went there as a dedicated Icelandic communist to study. The story of his time in Leipzig winds its way through the story of the investigation into the missing person and the skeleton. The Cold War casts a long shadow over the investigation and the lives it touches.

There is very little action in the book, the investigation is methodical, leads are found and slowly eliminated or developed further. Finally an unexpected conclusion is reached and peace of a sort is finally achieved. This is a quietly gripping book, the cast are engaging and the mystery absorbing, it is carefully laid out and the human dimension is always foremost. The atmosphere is one of resigned patience as the work of resolving the questions is done methodically while the lives of all the characters are illuminated and revealed with sympathy and care. A highly enjoyable, thoughtful read.