Flateyjargáta - Flatey Mystery

Just finished an Icelandic mystery novel by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson, Flateyjargáta (Flatey Mystery). It interweaves a blood-thirsty Icelandic saga, the Flateyjarbók with a modern day rash of murders on the island of Flatey in the Breiðafjörður, the largest fjord on the west coast of Iceland.

The novel depicts life on an island that only has the post boat calling once a week. The inhabitants live off the fish, seals, birds, and eider feathers they can collect from nature. Nothing exciting happens here - and then first one dead man is found, then another.

The deaths are linked to a puzzle surrounding the saga that has an interesting solution, as well as a surprising ending to the whole story. This is not for the weak-kneed, I quit reading the puzzle bits after about 13 (there are 39 in all) and I most certainly do not want to see the movie on this one.

But it was quite a page-turner, I read it on the plane to England and back and then stayed up until 2am last night to finally finish it off. I look forward to his other books!