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marco5599's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My third Indriðason, second Konráð and first time I didn't feel like being trapped in an Icelandic mumblefest. Still all the characteristics of a cold, dark and moody nordic noir, but now with a noticeable heartbeat as well. Busy times for Konráð. He may be retired, but he's covered in casework. Both from the present and the (and his) past. Sordid stuff involving drugs, dead girls and bad dads. There's even a psychic element at play here. But don't expect too much of that. Anyway, unlike the previous Indriðasons I read, always on the move and never a dull moment. Not really. I'll be back for more Konráð.
robertjackson's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the book, the location and the main characters. Nordic noire feel to the book almost certainly!
The plot was first and foremost very disturbing! The author was skilled enough to keep you wanting to turn pages faster and faster - to find out what was going on/ going to happen!
I usually shy away from reading books that have any supernatural elements! This book however handled the issues with great care and left it to you to make your own mind up.
So well done, Arnaldur Indridason for writing this clever and intriguing book - a positive overall verdict for the story!
The plot was first and foremost very disturbing! The author was skilled enough to keep you wanting to turn pages faster and faster - to find out what was going on/ going to happen!
I usually shy away from reading books that have any supernatural elements! This book however handled the issues with great care and left it to you to make your own mind up.
So well done, Arnaldur Indridason for writing this clever and intriguing book - a positive overall verdict for the story!
becden's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
whatnolareads's review
3.0
Review: The Girl by the Bridge ★ ★ ★ ☆☆
Author: Arnaldur Indridason
Publication Date: 02 May 2023
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
I received this book from Arnaldur Indridason and St Martin’s Press, as an advanced eArc for my honest review any opinions that come from this review are my own. Thank you to both the Author and the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
It was interesting to see Iceland from the eyes of a non-tourist. The book for me was okay I just couldn’t get into it. I did finish it but it took me a while.
Author: Arnaldur Indridason
Publication Date: 02 May 2023
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
I received this book from Arnaldur Indridason and St Martin’s Press, as an advanced eArc for my honest review any opinions that come from this review are my own. Thank you to both the Author and the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
It was interesting to see Iceland from the eyes of a non-tourist. The book for me was okay I just couldn’t get into it. I did finish it but it took me a while.
lommelun's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hannagg's review against another edition
4.0
A young man walks in the evening searching for poetic inspiration and stops on the bridge over the Pond in Reykjavik. He notices something unusual in the water: a doll, and he retrieves it. Then he sees a dead girl in the pond.
Twenty years later, a young woman is found dead, a syringe stuck in her arm: an accidental overdose, a suicide, or someone killed her?
It looks like these accidents are unrelated, but Konrad, a retired grumpy policeman, dutifully follows all the leads, and slowly a new picture emerges from his conversations with witnesses. These people often have been broken and disillusioned. Yet there is a need somewhere deep in their memories - or their hearts - to help explain the mysterious death of a young girl. Did she fall into the water? Or was a sinister murderer involved, an individual who didn't stop at anything to protect his reputation? Konrad becomes increasingly involved in both cases, and, at the same time, he tries to fight his demons.
"The Girl by the Bridge" is a thriller in the Scandinavian noir tradition, written by a renowned Icelandic crime fiction writer, Arnaldur Indriðason. His novels have been translated into many languages, and millions of copies have been sold. I'm not a newbie to Scandinavian noir mysteries, but I was struck by this book's particularly spare, dark style. At times, it was almost like reading a report or following a documentary or a movie script. However, there was always a melancholic mood below restrained, simple descriptions. The author purposefully avoids a judgmental or sympathetic tone, leaving the readers to experience the sad feeling permeating this Reykjavic mystery. Slowly, page by page, I was drawn deeper and deeper into the story, processing the layers of its plot.
It's no accident that the book starts with a poet finding the dead girl. There is strange, sad poetry in this novel - and Konrad is the new poet, this time the one who solves the mystery and, in a way, saves the girl's soul.
Twenty years later, a young woman is found dead, a syringe stuck in her arm: an accidental overdose, a suicide, or someone killed her?
It looks like these accidents are unrelated, but Konrad, a retired grumpy policeman, dutifully follows all the leads, and slowly a new picture emerges from his conversations with witnesses. These people often have been broken and disillusioned. Yet there is a need somewhere deep in their memories - or their hearts - to help explain the mysterious death of a young girl. Did she fall into the water? Or was a sinister murderer involved, an individual who didn't stop at anything to protect his reputation? Konrad becomes increasingly involved in both cases, and, at the same time, he tries to fight his demons.
"The Girl by the Bridge" is a thriller in the Scandinavian noir tradition, written by a renowned Icelandic crime fiction writer, Arnaldur Indriðason. His novels have been translated into many languages, and millions of copies have been sold. I'm not a newbie to Scandinavian noir mysteries, but I was struck by this book's particularly spare, dark style. At times, it was almost like reading a report or following a documentary or a movie script. However, there was always a melancholic mood below restrained, simple descriptions. The author purposefully avoids a judgmental or sympathetic tone, leaving the readers to experience the sad feeling permeating this Reykjavic mystery. Slowly, page by page, I was drawn deeper and deeper into the story, processing the layers of its plot.
It's no accident that the book starts with a poet finding the dead girl. There is strange, sad poetry in this novel - and Konrad is the new poet, this time the one who solves the mystery and, in a way, saves the girl's soul.
adrianjd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another great book by Arnaldur Indridason. Twisty plot linking stories old and new together and keeps you guessing until the last pages.
emmaledbetter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tfpjr492's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This crime mystery features three different suspicious deaths. The main character Konrad is a widower and retired police detective in Reykjavik, Iceland. In the first case he reluctantly agrees to help grandparents find a missing granddaughter. He tracks down the twenty-year-old granddaughter, but unfortunately, she is an apparent victim of a drug overdose. Konrad immediately informs his friend, a current-generation police detective. The two of them collaborate quite effectively to investigate the circumstances of this tragedy. Over the course of that investigation, the reader comes to understand that retirement has not dulled Konrad’s investigative instincts nor his abilities in dealing with some of the uglier aspects of human nature.
The second death occurred more than thirty years ago. A twelve-year-old girl drowned, when she apparently tried to retrieve her doll from the Pond. The investigation was closed and the event was forgotten. A current-day psychic believes there is more to be discovered about this tragedy, and she knows Konrad. Both of their fathers were partners in dubious enterprises during challenging times. Although Konrad does not believe in the paranormal, he collaborates with the psychic. The two of them struggle to find clues from the past. Why did the police close this investigation so quickly?
The third suspicious death is the unsolved stabbing of Konrad’s father years ago. Of course, this is the mystery that haunts him continuously. He does uncover important details, but is this case related to the other two cases?
This story will appeal to readers, who tolerate dark subject matter. There are many threads to challenge the reader’s attention, but the short chapter format makes the reader’s task somewhat easier. The book is recommended for avid readers of the hard-boiled genre of crime mystery novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Child death, Drug use, Murder, and Pedophilia