Last Rituals

This was between three and four stars, actually. Just to be fair.

So, Last Rituals...an intriguing title, is it not? Along with the blue-black book cover and the Icelandic setting, the readers are in for a haunting reading.

Last Rituals was already in my TBR list, but I started reading sooner than I thought, taking part in the September reading discussion of the You'll love this one...!! A book club & more, a suggestion by our lovely moderators. It is the first installment in Yrsa Sigurðardóttir'sÞóra Guðmundsdóttir series and the story fully delivers to its title. The setting is wintery, dark and bleak, and the elements of Witchcraft, Pagan lore and sub-cultural beliefs give a supernatural touch, attracting the reader's interest, doing justice to the reputation of the Scandinavian/Nordic crime genre. There are some hints of Jo Nesbø (the raw, realistic prose) and of Camilla Läckberg (the haunting theme and the glances into the personal lives of the characters). So, is everything perfect?In my opinion, no. It is a well-written and interesting novel, but not perfect.

I can't really say what it was that bothered me concerning Þóra. Perhaps I am nit-picking, perhaps it is a case of cultural differences, perhaps it is a problem derived from translation. In any case, I cannot say I ever warmed to our protagonist. Some examples of her way of thinking, certain remarks of hers made her come across as cold and offensive. In addition, there were some questions on her part that demonstrated an unusual ignorence, I didn't think that was realistic. However, I believe she shows herself to be a good and caring mother, trying to find the balance between her demanding profession and the equally demanding family life. As for Matthew, I have no opinion whatsoever. Let's just say that he didn't attract my interest.

In spite of these cons, I fully enjoyed Last Rituals and I intend to follow the series. I hope for more haunting, bleak cases with interesting twists.

Loved this first book in the Thora Gudmundsdottir series. It has everything I could ask for in a book....murder, a secret society, magic rituals, ancient manuscripts, and of course, it's set in Iceland.