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Where the Shadows Lie (Fire and Ice #1)
by
Michael Ridpath (Goodreads Author)
An ancient saga. A modern legend. A secret worth killing for.
Amid Iceland’s wild, volcanic landscape, rumors swirl of an ancient manuscript inscribed with a long-lost saga about a ring of terrible power. A rediscovered saga alone would be worth a fortune, but, if the rumors can be believed, there is something much more valuable about this one. Something worth killing for.
...moreHardcover, 344 pages
Published
2010
by Corvus
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Where the shadows lie is actually a really good book. It is interesting and keeps you on your toes for most of the book.
The main character is likable; he has enough common sense to relate to but at the same time he is kind of arrogant which leaves room for error on his part, as well as a personality clash with his new co-workers.
I probably found the Icelandic lore that has been spun into the modern plot the most exciting; not that I have ever been to Iceland but they share a lot of mythology w...more
The main character is likable; he has enough common sense to relate to but at the same time he is kind of arrogant which leaves room for error on his part, as well as a personality clash with his new co-workers.
I probably found the Icelandic lore that has been spun into the modern plot the most exciting; not that I have ever been to Iceland but they share a lot of mythology w...more
An interesting juxtaposition of American big-city (Boston) detective novel and Icelandic murder mystery. The main character is "on loan" to an Icelandic police department in order to give the police tips on how to handle violent crimes, particularly those emanating from the drug trade. Because he was born in Iceland and lived there until he was in his teens, he's a natural choice. But the assignment also comes at a fortuitous time: in the U.S. he has had a couple of attempts made on his life to...more
Lord of the Rings fans, read this book! I just finished this adult mystery, set in Iceland, and I really enjoyed all the information about the Icelandic sagas and folklore, as well as the descriptions of life in Iceland. It's amazing to think of such a small country where everyone really sort-of knows everyone else! Yes, I realize this is a work of fiction, but I still felt like I got a sense of life in Iceland. I'm not going to say a whole lot about the plot, except it involves a Boston PD, Mag...more
Michael Ridpath’s latest offering, “Where the Shadows Lie” is a tight mix of crime and lore that takes the reader on a journey from crime-ridden streets to the slopes of a mysterious volcano. Fast-paced and well written,Ridpath keeps your attention while exploring 10th century sagas, corrupt
policemen, contract killers, fanboys,family secrets, and a magical ring.“Where the Shadows Lie”
follows Magnus Jonson, an Icelandic born Boston detective that must flee to his native country to escape the h...more
policemen, contract killers, fanboys,family secrets, and a magical ring.“Where the Shadows Lie”
follows Magnus Jonson, an Icelandic born Boston detective that must flee to his native country to escape the h...more
Where the Shadows Lie by Michael Ridpath has the trappings of the typical murder mystery with a detective who is a fearless and ethical loner. Magnus Jonson’s complicated childhood includes the unsolved murder of his father when Magnus was 20 years old. It has propelled him into police work in Boston and keeps him from a committed relationship with a woman. The novel is atypical in its Icelandic location. The author writes fine descriptive detail of the landscape, people, and customs of this iso...more
Aug 21, 2011
Angie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
scandinavia,
books-about-books
I had to read this one. It's a police procedural, set in Iceland, with a great backstory of a lost saga and the possible genesis of "The Lord of the Rings." For me, it was a fascinating book and has the possibility to generate sequels, though I don't know if Mr. Ridpath can find such an excellent story again.
His main character has lived primarily in America all his life, and, as the novel progresses, slowly recalls more and more of his childhood in Iceland when he is forced to hide there before...more
His main character has lived primarily in America all his life, and, as the novel progresses, slowly recalls more and more of his childhood in Iceland when he is forced to hide there before...more
There seems to be a series of these type of books which feature Tolkien and subjects from his legendarium in another secondary world. This fairly complelling thriller which does have a Dan Brown feel employs the very Tolkienian activity of reconstructing and, as Tom Shippey states it, writing into the gap. The gap in this case is a lost Norse saga called Gaukur's Saga which tells the story of a families possession of a cursed ring which could be the ring of Andvari from Volsunga Saga. While work...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Fans of Scandinavian mystery fiction and fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy will enjoy this story of an Icelandic detective returns home from Boston to hide from a hit man and finds himself engulfed in a twisted plot he struggles to make sense of before he falls victim to it at last. Is what is going on related to the case back in Boston, or has he stumbled across the one true ring of legend and Tolkein's fiction? The one thing he can be sure of is that he doesn't know who, if anyone, he can...more
I just thought this book was great. I loved almost everything about it. (I think the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I wasn't thrilled that the murderer was revealed to the reader before the detective.)
Though a lot of the elements seem silly when described, they work perfectly in the book. For instance: A Boston PD detective on loan to the Icelandic police. Does it seem like a silly foreign exchange? No. Since Magnus is Icelandic-American and needs a place to hide while he waits...more
Though a lot of the elements seem silly when described, they work perfectly in the book. For instance: A Boston PD detective on loan to the Icelandic police. Does it seem like a silly foreign exchange? No. Since Magnus is Icelandic-American and needs a place to hide while he waits...more
WOW. I haven't screamed through a book like this in awhile. It was so good that I was able to finish it, cover to cover, in one day.
This book has it all -- a conflicted main character, a scintillating whodunnit, an ancient saga whose influence (and torture) is felt by a family for generations, a bleak and ethereal setting, and even some elves and trolls thrown in for good measure.
But don't worry...this book is 100% mystery/thriller. The elves and trolls are simply an explanation to try and exp...more
This book has it all -- a conflicted main character, a scintillating whodunnit, an ancient saga whose influence (and torture) is felt by a family for generations, a bleak and ethereal setting, and even some elves and trolls thrown in for good measure.
But don't worry...this book is 100% mystery/thriller. The elves and trolls are simply an explanation to try and exp...more
Top marks for this clever plot. A Boston police officer is sent to Iceland to help solve a murder and share investigative skills. (And it just so happens that he is of Icelandic descent so language isn't much of an issue.) The murder victim is a professor of medieval Icelandic literature, and before long, possible links to an unpublished saga that may have given Tolkien his inspiration for The Lord of the Rings add a new, ominous wrinkle to the proceedings. Along the way, Ridpath manages to conv...more
Perfectly decent, good quality crime novel about a Boston cop, Magnus Jonson who gets temporarily transferred to Iceland to lie low because a Boston gang is trying to kill him. Magnus was raised there as a child and speaks the language. He sleuths around with the cops in Iceland, trying to solve the crime of a murder of a professor, which seems to have to do with ancient Icelandic sagas - or so Magnus believes. His Icelandic supervisor, not appreciating being assigned an American officer with mu...more
I dig this book, I guess I'm just overly critical of novels right now, hence only three stars instead of four (five only if it changes one's entire outlook on Life). But, this is interesting. Book takes place mostly in Iceland, with a little Boston, MA thrown in. You don't see that everyday. It's a police mystery book and there are some wacky Lord of the Rings references that trace some of the origins of Tolkien's writing to common myths of Iceland, known there as sagas. There are unseen forces...more
This book was hard to put down, it's one of those page turners that keep you wanting to read. A murder in Iceland has prompted a request to Boston PD for Magnus Jonson to assist the Icelandic police with their investigation. A perfect set up as Magnus is Icelandic-American and needs a place to disappear to until he can testify against a drug cartel in Boston. His experiences in Iceland show just how different it is there from the US and as he travels to the rural areas Ridpath describes the scen...more
I read this partially because I thought it was going to be sort of like gods disguised as police officers. Don't ask me how I got that idea, but I did. In the end, it turned out to be something like Lord of the Rings and Icelandic sagas with cops. But not really. I liked the idea of it and as a Tolkien fan I enjoyed that aspect of the mystery. I also liked learning a little bit about sagas. Magnus was a pretty interesting character and his backstory seemed fleshed out. It was an enjoyable read,...more
I never read mysteries normally unless someone tells me it is good. That was the case with this book. It was recommended because I had been to Iceland. Iceland was so well described in the book that I could feel my feet moving up a street or two or see churches or horses roaming or recognize the fields of black lava. If we could post pictures, you'd see what I mean.
The plot was extremely well constructed. It was a good tale. As for the characters that someone else said were not well drawn, I cou...more
The plot was extremely well constructed. It was a good tale. As for the characters that someone else said were not well drawn, I cou...more
A Nordic crime novel set in Iceland. A clever American cop who irritates his peers and occasionally drinks too much. Beautiful girls who aren't sure they like him or not. A serial murderer on the loose. A bleak, dark, wet, cold setting. Names like Slólavördustígur and Ásgrímsdóttir. Nothing too weird happens, but there is talk of sagas and rings. A few people really like J. R. R. Tolkien. I enjoyed the book. It would be fun to see a video adaptation with good location shots from Iceland, but I'm...more
It's a curiously soul-less novel for something for such a great premise. The characters are characterless, the plot reads as though someone made an algorithm for plot generation using one of those "three act structure" diagrammes you get in a "how to write a thriller" textbook, and then just ran a few cardboard cutout characters through it and came up with this. If the author has a personality or voice, or anything unique to say, it certainly doesn't come through, and my over all feeling is that...more
After two failed assassination attempts against him, police detective Magnus Jonsson must go into hiding until he gives testimony in a corrupt cops/drug cartel case set in Boston, his current home. His commissioner has the ideal solutioin: Magnus spent his younger years in Iceland and speaks Icelandic, and the Police Commissioner of Iceland is looking for an American detective to provide help as murder is beginning to become a more common crime in the largely gun-free northern country. The U.S....more
Jun 08, 2012
Anders Petersen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People with passion for Iceland, LOTR fans or people amazed by foreign country.
I loved this book, sometimes I read a few chapters (even though I wanted to read on) today I read the last 15 chapters I was missing.
It was very exiting and having a passion, for Iceland, made it even bigger.
I must admit this book also deals a fair deal with The Lord Of The Rings, so this made it even more enjoyable for me, as I also do like LOTR.
If you like LOTR, this book would certainly be interesting, but if you don't like it, you might not find it as interesting as I did.
The book itself h...more
It was very exiting and having a passion, for Iceland, made it even bigger.
I must admit this book also deals a fair deal with The Lord Of The Rings, so this made it even more enjoyable for me, as I also do like LOTR.
If you like LOTR, this book would certainly be interesting, but if you don't like it, you might not find it as interesting as I did.
The book itself h...more
Where The Shadows Lie is a crime novel about a professor who is murdered in Iceland and how it links to the discovery of the text of a centuries-old Icelandic "saga" which tells of powerful treasure. It's very much set in the real world and is a fairly run of the mill airport thriller. However.... and this is a big however.... (possible spoilers ahead but I'd keep reading if you're a Lord of the Rings fan)
The fictional saga has links to The Lord of the Rings. I was under the impression Where The...more
The fictional saga has links to The Lord of the Rings. I was under the impression Where The...more
Mysteries are not really in my reading comfort zone. I generally have no interest in reading them. The few I have read have all been for book clubs. But this one piqued my interest because the story involves The Lord of the Rings. So I gave it a shot.
It was fine, but slow going for me. The parts including the Lord of the Rings were interesting; Ridpath I thought was very creative with the saga and linking it to Tolkien. I liked the family history surrounding the saga. The the rest of the plot an...more
It was fine, but slow going for me. The parts including the Lord of the Rings were interesting; Ridpath I thought was very creative with the saga and linking it to Tolkien. I liked the family history surrounding the saga. The the rest of the plot an...more
ok.to be honest ,I wasnt intrested in it at all,i thought its just another crime story ,whats gonna be different.But i got to admit it that i really liked this one ,in the end.though it started like what i predicted ,the author eventually diverged to the path of more of a thriller which kept me gripping till the end.
really surpassed my expectations ,'michael who' turns into 'he s a good author'.those who come across it should definitely give it a try,you wont be disappointed.
really surpassed my expectations ,'michael who' turns into 'he s a good author'.those who come across it should definitely give it a try,you wont be disappointed.
3.5 While there was much in this book I liked, the characters, the storyline was good, the constant retelling of Icelandic fables and stories served to make me lose the connection to the main case. In the beginning I liked all the references to Lord of the Rings and other Icelandic sagas, but they were told in such depth that it proved to be a distraction. Not your typical Nordic novel as the book starts in Boston and than combines elements of both cultures into the story which was interesting.
I was delightfully surprised with this book and of this author. At first I was a little skeptical with the story but in the end Michael Ridpath proved to be the Dan Brown from London. It was believable, characters had depth, gripping, especially at the end when I read jumping from one sentence to the next to know what happened. I also got to know a little more a out Iceland, the people, the culture, surroundings, and sagas without feeling been llectured.
I am really hitting mystery books I like thanks to our public library! This is something totally different for me - not in a little English village - but set in Iceland. I had never heard of it or the author and when I came across the crux of the mystery I couldn't believe it! The characters are developed enough - not as in-depth at Anne Perry, but the in-depth descriptions of the setting are fabulous. I look forward to the next one.
Having never read anything remotely to do with Iceland so I didn't know what to expect. I am a fan of crime thrillers and that is why I downloaded it onto the Kindle.
What a treat it was, from beginning to end. It has left me wanting to visit Iceland and I have downloaded the Sagas mentioned in the book and will read them in the future.
The characters are well described and interesting. I am really looking forward to reading the next one in the series. It is rare that I get to read a book that I j...more
What a treat it was, from beginning to end. It has left me wanting to visit Iceland and I have downloaded the Sagas mentioned in the book and will read them in the future.
The characters are well described and interesting. I am really looking forward to reading the next one in the series. It is rare that I get to read a book that I j...more
I really enjoyed this mystery set in Boston and Iceland. Magnus is a Boston detective who leaves Boston as he had been targeted by a drug cartel that he will testify against at an upcoming trial. He goes to Iceland to hide out and to help solve the case of the death of a university professor. The murder is linked to an old Icelandic saga and the book The Lord of the Rings. I loved the descriptions of the countryside of Iceland.
I picked up this book because it's a mystery (one of my favorite genres) and it's set in Iceland, a country about which I know little and want to know more. The mystery was so-so, but picture the story painted of life in Iceland was worth it. The story has a Lord of the Rings motif that I did not expect, but it was a nice twist. The book jacket said this was the first in a new series. I liked this book enough that I'm willing to read the next one.
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| Scandinavian and ...: "Where the Shadows Lie", book of the Month for June 2012 | 42 | 66 | Aug 13, 2012 01:27pm |
Before becoming a writer, I used to work in the City of London as a bond trader. I have written eight thrillers set in the worlds of business and finance, but I am now trying my hand at something different. Where The Shadows Lie, the first in a series featuring an Icelandic detective named Magnus Jonson, was published in 2010. The third book in the series, Meltwater, is out in the UK this summer....more
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Nov 14, 2011 07:41am