The Draining Lake

The Draining Lake (2004) by Arnaldur Indridason. A murder mystery with an Icelandic accent. When a body (well, skeleton, actually) is found where a lake once stood, an investigation is sparked among a group of Icelandic police. Inspector Erlendur is the chief inspector, and he becomes somewhat obsessed by the case. Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, we learn of a group of Icelanders who went to school in East Germany years ago, during the cold war. Somehow, we know there is a connection between the skeleton and the students, who have now returned to Iceland. This is an easy-to-read, low key book that has its own modest rewards. I really did look forward to going back to it every night and reading some more about these interesting characters. And the ending wraps things up quite satisfactorily. Grade: B+