The Undesired is a gripping Nordic Noir by Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. Ódinn Hafsteinsson works as an investigator for the State Supervisory Agency and is tasked with looking into the Króker Boys Home for any suggestion of abuse or mistreatment. Króker housed juvenile delinquent boys in rural Iceland in the 1970s. The more Ódinn investigates, the more secrets he begins to unearth. The story moves back and forth between Ódinn’s present life, coming to terms with raising his daughter Rún alone after his ex-wife’s mysterious death, and the events at Króker in the 1970s. The home is set in an isolated, icy location, adding to the chill factor of the story. It is run by Lilia and Vega who have secrets of their own, assisted by cook and cleaner Aldís. When handsome new boy Einar arrives the tensions increase and Ódinn is left to sift through how two boys ended up dead.

This was an atmospheric read that had me completely engaged for the whole story. There were some unexpected twists, plenty of dark secrets and a hint of the paranormal, enough to be creepy without being scary. This was my first Nordic Noir and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. 4.5 stars. ( )

Run's divorced mother, Lara, fell off her window ledge while smoking. It was ruled a suicide. Run's father Odinn took her in. Odinn worked for a government agency looking into improprieties in children's welfare homes. As he digs deeper, he gets more interested...until a secret ruins it all. Additionally, the ruling on Lara's death has left many questions unanswered.

A quite readable but not outstanding book from the reigning queen of Icelandic noir. ( )

bei ca. 50% abgebrochen, zu viel Mystery ( )

I read several of Sigurdadottir's novels when she first started writing, but stopped when they became too obviously formulaic. I had especially liked the insight into Icelandic culture and history she included in those books. This volume is a standalone, medium weight mystery (not a police procedural) that merges several storylines (from the current to the 1970s) to a satisfying conclusion. I wouldn't put her in the top tier of my crime reading, but it's a worthy read if you are in need of distraction. ( )

The story builds slowly weaving an exciting tale that is both spooky and haunting. ( )