At a university in Reykjavík, the body of a young German student is discovered, his eyes cut out and strange symbols carved into his chest. Police ...
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Oct 27, 2008
Trilby
rated it: 
Goodreads says that this novel has been published in 30 countries--pretty impressive. One of the dust jacket blurbs remarks that this is "not the usual depressive Scandinavian detective story." Well, sorry, but I happen to really like depressive Scandinavian detectives (like Indridason's Erlandur). Yes, I did like the novel, especially the woman lawyer protagonist who suffers through various personal and domestic tribulations. However, the story suffers from a complete lack of suspen
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Feb 19, 2011
Ashley
rated it: 
okay, so it may have been the translation; i doubt i'll ever know because i don't read icelandic and probably won't learn. but. the main character was a twit. she was naive and self-absorbed and i just couldn't care about her melodramatic opinions of body mods or her constant need to (fail at) prove(ing) how hardboiled she was.
needless to say, i got halfway through and didn't feel compelled to finish.
i really, really hope it didn't end with her son being in some bla More...
needless to say, i got halfway through and didn't feel compelled to finish.
i really, really hope it didn't end with her son being in some bla More...
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Oct 13, 2011
rainbow3
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Last Rituals - Yrsa Sigurdardottir :: Thursday, June 30, 2011 ~ ISBN: ?
Book Cover: "When a young man is found brutally murdered, his eyes gouged out and a strange symbol carved on his body, young attorney Thora is hired by his family to find out the truth. She has the help - and hindrance - of abrasive ex-policeman Matthew Reich.
Their investigations take them to the northern coast, where in the Dark Ages men were burned as witches. As they journey deep into a gr More...
Book Cover: "When a young man is found brutally murdered, his eyes gouged out and a strange symbol carved on his body, young attorney Thora is hired by his family to find out the truth. She has the help - and hindrance - of abrasive ex-policeman Matthew Reich.
Their investigations take them to the northern coast, where in the Dark Ages men were burned as witches. As they journey deep into a gr More...
Oct 29, 2010
Rod
rated it:
Last Rituals has the outward appearances of a grisly crime story – the victim’s eyes gouged out, bodily adornment taken to disfigurement, interest in witchcraft and satanic practices. In fact, it is better than these dire ingredients suggest and also much less sensational. Our heroine, Thora, is a divorced lawyer with two children, and her modus operandi consists in ploughing through reams of documents and talking to people to find out what she needs to know. In real life there is a lot to be sa
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Sep 09, 2010
Kate
rated it:
I think my background in magic anthropology kept me from liking this book as much as I'd wanted to; the magical aspects and magic history simply weren't well-researched enough, and were far too fanciful. I wanted more on the tradition of witch hunts and witch executions in Iceland, as they're so different than those conducted elsewhere in Europe - and the author mentions this several times, but never really follows through on the information.
That said, the thriller plot itself is rat More...
That said, the thriller plot itself is rat More...
Aug 10, 2010
Beth
rated it: 
Yrsa Sigurdardottir is an excellent writer from Iceland. ‘LAST RITUALS: A Tale of Secret Symbols, Medieval Witchcraft and Modern Murder.’ Thora Gudmundsdottir is a single mother of two and a struggling attorney who is approached by the German parents of an exchange student whose body was found, mutilated, in a closet at the university. Harald Guntlieb had come to Iceland to study medieval history. He was particularly interested in the myths surrounding the witches of Iceland, men More...
Aug 10, 2010
Kate
rated it:
Honestly, I just became so intrigued by Iceland, and started looking for translated versions of Icelandic authors' works, set in Iceland. The most well known author is a guy named something like Indridason, but his work was too stark, and cold. Sigurdardottir writes much more warmly, and her novels translate very well. I found the pacing of her mysteries to be really gripping. I hope they will be translating more of her stuff into English.
On a side note, the Icelandic language is More...
On a side note, the Icelandic language is More...
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May 29, 2010
Maddy
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RATING: 3.5
Harald Guntlieb is a strange young man from Germany who has come to Iceland to complete his studies on the subject of witchcraft. He is drawn to the area because Iceland was unique in the fact that it had many male witches in its history, as opposed to the rest of Europe where female witches dominated. He came by his knowledge of the subject from his grandfather, who collected various medieval artifacts and works. Harald was his only heir and lived quite an affluent lifest More...
Harald Guntlieb is a strange young man from Germany who has come to Iceland to complete his studies on the subject of witchcraft. He is drawn to the area because Iceland was unique in the fact that it had many male witches in its history, as opposed to the rest of Europe where female witches dominated. He came by his knowledge of the subject from his grandfather, who collected various medieval artifacts and works. Harald was his only heir and lived quite an affluent lifest More...
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Mar 01, 2010
Diane
rated it:
Even thought Last Rituals starts with a gruesome murder, the rest of the book is fascinating romp through the ancient history of Iceland as well as through the contemporary events in attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir's life. Thora is an appealing main character. She has a sense of humor about her life and she also deals with the realities of being a single working mother with a practical, down-to-earth approach. When she agrees to help the German Matthew Reich to look into the bizarre death of a Ger
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Mar 14, 2011
Catherine
rated it:
Each year, our mystery book club reads at least one international author -- for Canadians that means outside the USA as well as Canada. Due to the attention created by Henning Mankell and Steig Larssen, those have tended to be nordic writers over the past couple of years.
Though Sigurdardóttir's novel involves a rather gruesome corpse at the beginning, her book is much lighter than those of her contemporaries. Of course, there are the references to the cold and the long nights in the n More...
Though Sigurdardóttir's novel involves a rather gruesome corpse at the beginning, her book is much lighter than those of her contemporaries. Of course, there are the references to the cold and the long nights in the n More...
Jan 13, 2012
Mary
rated it:
Another Icelandic based thriller and another one I liked. It takes a little getting used to the fact that they address each other and always seem to use Christian names and the place names are so hard to pronounce. I did find the historical content of the story (I presume it was factually based), a little confusing, but I still managed to get to grips with the main body of the story. It was a tale that took you along on the journey for the truth of who killed Harald, the German History Student,
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Sep 13, 2011
Jim
rated it:
I would rate this at three and a half stars.
Yrsa Sigurdardóttir (Yrsa, Daughnter of Sigurd, named in the typical Icelandic fashion) is yet another Scandinavian mystery, probably closer to Stieg Larsson than to Henning Mankell or Arnaldur Indridason. Where the two latter writers are more terse, Yrsa, like Stieg Larsson, works through a large cast of characters which has the effect of making Last Rituals a bit on the flaccid side. It runs on for over three hundred pages, including inter More...
Yrsa Sigurdardóttir (Yrsa, Daughnter of Sigurd, named in the typical Icelandic fashion) is yet another Scandinavian mystery, probably closer to Stieg Larsson than to Henning Mankell or Arnaldur Indridason. Where the two latter writers are more terse, Yrsa, like Stieg Larsson, works through a large cast of characters which has the effect of making Last Rituals a bit on the flaccid side. It runs on for over three hundred pages, including inter More...
Dec 28, 2009
Paul
rated it:
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir's novel is unique because the main protagonist Thora is not a member of a police force but rather a lawyer and a single mother of two, with all the difficulties that go with both those vocations. Nevertheless, the story unravels the way that a procedural usually does. Its solution keeps the momentum but what I found more significant is the unique historical and societal insights into Iceland. Witchcraft while present is not overwhelming in the sense of making the novel sup
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Aug 22, 2010
Matt
rated it: 
I've been on a Scandinavian crime fiction jag, and this was the first disappointment. There's a fair amount of interesting detail about brilliantly creepy Icelandic folklore, but that doesn't make up for an unfocused narrative with a minimum of suspense. The writing is also fairly inconsistent, relying on cliches and odd little asides (Thora's opinions on global warming and politics, for example) that, while humanizing, don't add much to a murder mystery that dabbles in the occult. Since Bernard
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Feb 13, 2009
Anthony
rated it:
I think at this stage I'm Icelandic Novel'ed out, but it was nice to have a change of pace with a female protagonist! Especially since I had a hard time breaking away from the Kurt Wallender's (lead character from Henning Mankell's novels) image over my time spent in fictional Iceland.
I guess I went into this book expecting a sci-fi twist where witchcraft is actually performed (and takes affect) throughout as opposed to the more realistic approach the book offers. That aside, I did More...
I guess I went into this book expecting a sci-fi twist where witchcraft is actually performed (and takes affect) throughout as opposed to the more realistic approach the book offers. That aside, I did More...
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Jun 11, 2010
Klara
rated it:
I did enjoy this book, but it was not at all what I was expecting. The U.S. edition of this novel, or at least the U.S. edition I read, strongly suggests the story is going to be a supernatural thriller by focusing on sensational murder and ties to ancient horrors in its description. In reality, the work is more of an old-fashioned mystery firmly grounded in the everyday world. The term "thriller" conjures images of high-speed chases, harrowing escapes, and climatic face-offs. Yrsa Sig
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Jan 29, 2012
Ellie
rated it:
Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is a likable book. The first half moves along smoothly but then the book starts dragging and doesn't pick up again until the denouement. I really wanted to love this book-the blurb said it was about medieval Iceland, Icelandic myths, and other enticing topics-but I only liked it. I did like the protagonist Thora who, while she doesn't really stand out from other mystery/thriller detectives, was a pleasant narrative voice.
I got a little tired of be More...
I got a little tired of be More...
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Aug 19, 2009
Meghan
rated it:
I think the main problem with this book is the translation -- I've been listening to Stieg Larsson's latest, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and Reg Keeland's translation is outstanding. The dialogue in this one is stilted and cliched, and the characters weren't the complicated, finely drawn characters of Stieg Larsson's novels, but the plot was interesting enough for me to finish the book. It just wasn't a good idea to read this mediocre offering alongside such a fantastic novel as the Lisbeth S
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Nov 27, 2011
Jenn
rated it:
I would give this 3.5 stars, with some aspects a solid 4 stars. At times the writing reminded me of the fabulous Smilla's Sense of Snow, as well as the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I loved the insights into modern Icelandic life and was intrigued by the mystery and eager for its resolution. I felt that one negative quality it shared with ...Dragon Tattoo is the overly technical descriptions, which were unnecessary and occasionally bogged me down, and some of the dialogue felt stilted - but I was
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Jan 18, 2011
AndrewP
rated it:
I was looking forward to reading this as it promised to be something a bit different; an Icelandic author writing a novel set in her homeland.
As it turns out, this was really just another murder whodunit with some historic mysteries thrown in. (Shades of The Da Vinci Code). Not sure about the historical accuracy of these as I did not bother to google the facts. There was an interesting flavor with the Icelandic background and the characters names, but not enough to make it exceptionall More...
As it turns out, this was really just another murder whodunit with some historic mysteries thrown in. (Shades of The Da Vinci Code). Not sure about the historical accuracy of these as I did not bother to google the facts. There was an interesting flavor with the Icelandic background and the characters names, but not enough to make it exceptionall More...
Mar 28, 2009
Paula
rated it:
There's always been a trend of UK publishers buying up the rights to translated versions of foreign crime novels and recently their attention seems to have focussed more on Scandinavia.
Taking place in Iceland, Last Rituals is the first book of a series that benefits from that interest and I was intrigued by the sound of it - a body is found with all kinds of arcane sigils carved into it and the eyes removed, all of which seems to be related to the dead man's interest in the history o More...
Taking place in Iceland, Last Rituals is the first book of a series that benefits from that interest and I was intrigued by the sound of it - a body is found with all kinds of arcane sigils carved into it and the eyes removed, all of which seems to be related to the dead man's interest in the history o More...
Apr 21, 2009
William
rated it:
This novel was marketed in a manner that set it up as something of an Icelandic "Da Vinci Code," but in execution, "Last Rituals" is a traditional mystery whose events lack the immediacy and the clever puzzles of that better-known suspense novel, however better written it could arguably be.
Another disappointment arises in the shallow depictions of character Sigurðardóttir uses for her cast: they are naive and over-explanatory in a way that may make the reader feel More...
Another disappointment arises in the shallow depictions of character Sigurðardóttir uses for her cast: they are naive and over-explanatory in a way that may make the reader feel More...
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Sep 05, 2011
Helen
rated it:
Fom the back cover:
A young man is found brutally murdered, his eyes gouged out and a strange symbol carved on his body. A student of Icelandic history in Reykjavik, he came from a wealthy German family who do not share the police's belief that his drug dealer murdered him. Thora is hired by his mother to find out the truth, with the help - and hindrance - of boorish ex-policemn Matthew Reich.
Their investigation into the boy's death takes them to the northern coast, where in More...
A young man is found brutally murdered, his eyes gouged out and a strange symbol carved on his body. A student of Icelandic history in Reykjavik, he came from a wealthy German family who do not share the police's belief that his drug dealer murdered him. Thora is hired by his mother to find out the truth, with the help - and hindrance - of boorish ex-policemn Matthew Reich.
Their investigation into the boy's death takes them to the northern coast, where in More...
Jun 10, 2011
Amy
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book by this Icelandic author. There is certainly some gruesome stuff in the book, but I don't know if it's any more violent than some of the things I've read in P.D. James' works, for example. The mystery was good, and kept me guessing until the end, and it was a page turner.
I enjoyed how the author also made this good mystery a story about the relationships between parent and child, and about how those relationships will help determine not only the outcomes More...
I enjoyed how the author also made this good mystery a story about the relationships between parent and child, and about how those relationships will help determine not only the outcomes More...
Jul 16, 2010
Kate
rated it:
For the most part, I loved this book. It was a really fun read. The main character is really enjoyable and the mystery got me very involved. I loved the dynamics between the two main characters and the setting of Iceland was interesting.
The only thing about the book that seemed unnecessary was the subplot about how difficult it is to be a single mother. The main character had to juggle work and family and the author wanted to convey that as much as possible. In reality, though, it d More...
The only thing about the book that seemed unnecessary was the subplot about how difficult it is to be a single mother. The main character had to juggle work and family and the author wanted to convey that as much as possible. In reality, though, it d More...
Feb 22, 2010
Adam
rated it:
This mystery novel has "amateur" written all over it. The author...
- does not understand narrative structure
- is completely ineffective with character writing
- writes unfocused viewpoint that lingers over boring, trite detail
- writes the dullest scenes
- and, just generally, seems to have no understanding about what it takes to capture and hold a reader's attention.
Many reviewers of this book seem to want to shift the blame to the transla More...
- does not understand narrative structure
- is completely ineffective with character writing
- writes unfocused viewpoint that lingers over boring, trite detail
- writes the dullest scenes
- and, just generally, seems to have no understanding about what it takes to capture and hold a reader's attention.
Many reviewers of this book seem to want to shift the blame to the transla More...
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Feb 14, 2010
Christine
rated it:
Thora Gudmundsdottir is an Icelandic lawyer forced by financial necessity to take a case looking into the grisly ritual murder of a German student at the University of Reykjavik. She is soon joined by Matthew Reich, the family representative and the case leads them through Iceland’s history of heinous witch trials. This novel was written in Icelandic and translated into English. I found it interesting to read a book set in Iceland and written by an Icelander. But true to form, crime and myst
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Aug 25, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
The first Sigurdadottir novel I read and on reflection I think her best. The story was intriguing right until the end and I thought it was concluded cleverly. Alongside all of the grisly detail is Thora and her slightly bonkers family/growing relationship with Matthew - that was nicely handled and very funny in places. Some might be put off by all of the historical detail on witchcraft but I found that quite interesting and dutifully dived into Wikipedia to check out the factual basis of the
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May 03, 2010
Dee
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 09, 2011
I have only just begun this book & so far I am struggling on the long Icelandic surnames! Thank goodness the author insists that the other characters use the main characters first name (Thóra) otherwise I might struggle all the more.
Finally finished reading this & I have to say for a first book it is good. Full of twists, turns & subplots with no real idea of where you are headed until the end chapter.
Some of the subplots add to the richness of the characters but are do More...
Finally finished reading this & I have to say for a first book it is good. Full of twists, turns & subplots with no real idea of where you are headed until the end chapter.
Some of the subplots add to the richness of the characters but are do More...
