Judith L. (jlautner) reviewed on 9/20/2020 + 105 more book reviews

This is the second book by Sigurdardottir that I have read. The Icelandic settings appeal to me. Both feature Thora Gudmundsdottir, lawyer who investigates crime.

In this case, Thora is hired by a prisoner to investigate a crime that has resulted in the conviction of a young man for arson. The client, mentally ill and in a special institution for the criminally mentally ill, worked on restoring old computers and seemed generally at peace with his place. He had a fair amount of money and wanted to use it to clear Jakob.

Jakob was convicted of setting fire to the home where he lived with other disabled adults. Jakob has Down Syndrome (still called "Down's Syndrome" in this novel) and he was the only resident who did not die in the fire.

The home was a small home, in which each resident had his own room and the residents had different disabilities. Jakob was convicted on little evidence and nobody seemed to question the verdict.

An odd aspect of the case was that the client hated Jakob. It was unclear to Thora why he would want her to represent Jakob in an appeal of his conviction. Nevertheless, she pursued it, perhaps as much out of curiosity as from a sense that not much of an investigation had been done previously.

Her investigation took her into the lives of the other residents. The staff members were cleared and she did not find reason to question that process. She found interesting facts about the other residents, and pursued a few of them vigorously. But the case took her farther and farther afield, beyond the home itself, before it reached a conclusion.

A complex mystery, with interesting twists and characters and a conclusion few will guess. Worth reading for the characters and complications alone. I still wonder why Thora does the investigating herself but perhaps it's just her nature.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details