Paperback: It is a few days before Christmas and Reykjavík hotel doorman, occasional Santa Claus and long-time resident of its basement, Gudlauger, has been found stabbed to death in his room in a sexually compromising position. With the hotel fully booked, the hotel manager is determined to keep the murder from his guests and his reputation intact but Detective Erlendur quickly discovers that the placidly affluent appearance of the hotel covers a multitude of sins.
It soon becomes apparent that both staff and guests have something to hide, but it is the dead man who has the most shocking secret: many years previously he was the most famous child singer in the country. Two old 45s on which he had sung have become prized collectors' items. Is it this brush with stardom that has led to his death? Or is the murder a family matter, concerning the victim's estranged father and sister?
As Detective Elinborg investigates a separate case of child abuse, and Erlendur continues to struggle both with his troubled family relationships and the ghosts of his own youth, their parallel stories probe deeper into the riddle of this third Reykjavik Murder Mystery published in 2006.
About the author: Arnaldur Indriðason worked for many years as a journalist and critic before he began writing novels. Outside Iceland, he is best known for his crime novels featuring Erlendur and Sigurdur Óli, which are consistent bestsellers across Europe. The series has won numerous awards, including the Nordic Glass Key and the CWA Gold Dagger. In 2013, he won the world's most lucrative crime fiction award, the RBA International Prize for Crime Writing worth €125 000 for Skuggasund. Arnaldur's books have been published in 26 countries and translated into at least 24 languages.
Rating: 5/5
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