Another Great Icelandic Mystery

• Book: Chilled to the Bone (3)
• Location: Iceland, Reykjavik
• Author: Quentin Bates

Review Author: Anne Cater

I’ve been so looking forward to catching up with Officer Gunnhildur. Chilled To The Bone by Quentin Bates is number three in the series of Icelandic murder mystery stories that feature Gunna as the lead character. Frozen Out (2011) and Cold Comfort (2012) are the first two books.

Chilled To The Bone was published by Constable & Robinson’s crime imprint C&R Crime on 18 April 2013. Although this is number three in the series, it could be read as a stand alone, but personally I would advise anyone to start with the first novel.

Sergeant Gunnhildur Gisladottir finds herself heading up what starts as a fairly straightforward investigation. A local businessman is found dead in a hotel bedroom, there is no evidence that this was a murder but as Gunna makes more enquiries, she finds herself slap-bang in the middle of something that is beginning to get dangerous. It appears that there is a bondage ring operating in the city. It seems that this is not the first time a wealthy businessman has been found in an incriminating position in an upmarket hotel yet people are loathe to speak out – they seem very scared. At the same time, local Government officers are making a fuss about a mislaid laptop, putting pressure on Gunna and her department to pull out all the stops to find it.
Quentin Bates has produced an intricate, finely plotted detective story which has some really menacing undertones. Gunna is an amazing lead character realistic and bold, with secrets of her own that yet again Bates has refused to fully disclose. There is something compelling about this character, she has a history that is very slowly being revealed throughout the series in snippets and leaves the reader wanting to know what? why? how?

As in both of the previous novels, I do sometimes become a little muddled by the long, and quite strange looking Icelandic names of the character – but of course, for realism, they have to be included, and as the story progresses the reader does get to know the lead players very well.

A fast-paced crime novel, with great characters, a clever plot and a smattering of humour. Bring on the next instalment!

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