Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Ice Moon by Jan Costin Wagner

More Scandinavian Crime?

Yes and no. It is set in Finland but this time it is written by the German writer, Jan Costin Wagner and translated into English.

Doesn’t sound like your typical crime thriller and it isn’t.

In this story, from the outset, we know who the killer is a young museum guide called Vesa. In the course of the book he carries out 4 killings. Each by smothering. The book enters the killers mind and finds it a very strange place.

The policeman who is in charge of the hunt for the killer is Kimmo Joentaa. At the start of the book his young wife has just died of Hodgkin’s Disease so he comes across as a character very much on the edge. However, he seems to be able to get into the killer’s mind and use his grief to help him trace and identify who the killer is.
The book is very well plotted and in essence is a story about the nature of death rather than being specifically a crime novel.

If you’re looking for a white knuckle ride of a thriller then this isn’t the book for you. However, if it’s a chilly, philosophical look into death and its effect on people then this is for you.

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