Last Rituals
by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Icelandic
Novel of Secret Symbols, Medieval Witchcraft and Modern Murder
Last
Rituals: Icelandic Novel of Secret Symbols, Medieval Witchcraft and
Modern Murder by internationally acclaimed author Yrsa
Sigurdardottir and translated into English by Bernard Scudder will
thrill readers with the finely written mystery and more intimate look
at a glimpse of Iceland as the background, a country that intrigues but
often remains mysterious. The author combines an obscure part of
history with dark psychological details while also creating a realistic
and sometimes humorous backdrop in the characters investigating this
unusual case.
Thora Gutmundsdottir, a divorced mother who started her own legal
partnership receives a phone call from Germany from the Amelia Guntlieb
who had been given her name by one of Thora's former professors.
Amelia's son was murdered in Iceland and the family needs assistance.
The Guntliebs do not feel the local police investigated their son's
case thoroughly. Amelia proposes that Thora work with Matthew Reich, a
man who spent 5 years with the Munich CID. Although Matthew has the
investigative skills needed, he does not know the Icelandic language
well enough to ask questions and mix with the locals well enough to get
real answers. Certain shocking details of Harald's murder are just too
mysterious, eerie and gruesome to believe the murder is connected to a
drug deal gone bad. Does someone have a personal vendetta against
Harald? After initial reservations, Thora accepts the case and Matthew
hands over a dossier detailing many of the particulars of Harald's
life. Do the details of his murder relate to his studies of history or
to some dark hidden aspect of his personal life? Are the gruesome
details a measure of the killer's rage or a clue to the identity of
some mysterious group? What does the strange symbol mean? Harald had
gone to Iceland to study Medieval history. In particular, his research
compared Icelandic witchcraft with witch burnings, execution and
torture in Medieval Germany. Whereas women were often the target of
witch burnings in Germany, in Iceland, the majority of witches executed
were men. Does this difference have any bearing on Harald's research in
Iceland? As the investigation narrows, the two discover Harald began to
develop strange practices while in Iceland. An investigation into
Harald's personal life in Iceland as well as in Germany unearths more
and more secrets. Thora and Matthew's investigation takes them through
the history of Iceland in many forms and the author gives the reader a
fascinating view of both historical and modern Iceland. The more clues
they find, the more mysterious the murder appears and the two are no
longer sure whom they can trust.
Yrsa Sigurdardottir creates the perfect balance between realistic
characterization and a darker multi-faceted mystery that intrigues the
reader as it unfolds. As the details of Thora's family life interfere
with her investigation, the reader sees a glimpse of her as whole
person --- one who cares for her children as only a devoted mother can
but also as a person whose life had endowed her with a delightful sense
of humor and a sense of compassion that underlies her investigation.
The developing relationship between Thora and Matthew provides
delightful humorous twists to accompany the terrifying secrets and
relationships they uncover. The mystery itself grabs the reader's
attention from the very beginning and heightens with each successive
revelation of clues. Suspenseful twists and turns lead to a climax
where all the pieces carefully prepared from the very beginning fall
together and yet still surprise the reader in unexpected and
unforgettable new ways.
Yrsa Sigurdardottir's novel will appeal a wide variety of readers with
an interest in Iceland from those with a mere curiosity for this unique
country all the way to those with a more thorough knowledge from travel
or studies of Icelandic literature. The author interweaves well known
aspects of her native land such as the Icelandic horses, lava fields
and various landmarks with a humorous look at the pronunciation of the
Icelandic language and local driving customs into the plot and
interchanges of the characters themselves. Those curious for a closer
more in depth look at Iceland will appreciate the author's look at the
effects of a small population, the history of Icelandic law and
religion and the results of globalization on the daily life of local
residents. At all times, the author integrates these details so closely
into characters and the structure of the novel so that the pace of the
mystery unfolds fluidly with a touch of humor and heightening of the
mystery.
Scholars quite familiar with Medieval Norse manuscript history and
literature will be thrilled to discover the realism in Yrsa
Sigurdardottir's portrayal of the intricacies of Icelandic manuscript
history. The author details this history through Thora's investigations
of Harald's actions and relationships so readers unfamiliar with this
aspect of Icelandic history easily follow the unfolding mystery. The
author creates the best of two worlds ---- the reader follows a
realistic portrayal of Iceland's unique place in Medieval history and
literature without being weighed down by a pedantic academic treatise
but her attention to precision makes Last
Rituals a more intriguing read than some of the missing codex,
manuscript, symbol novels in current vogue. Yrsa Sigurdardottir's
careful attention to detail and its seamless integration into the very
heart of her writing style make Last Rituals one of the best recent
novels in the genre.
Publisher:
William Morrow (October 2007)
