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Where the Shadows Lie

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About this listen

One thousand years ago: An Icelandic warrior returns from battle, bearing a ring cut from the right hand of his foe. Seventy years ago: An Oxford professor, working from a secret source, creates the 20th century’s most pervasive legend. The professor’s name? John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Six hours ago: An expert on Old Icelandic literature, Agnar Haraldsson, is murdered. Everything is connected, but to discover how, Detective Magnus Jonson must venture where the shadows lie….

©2010 Michael Ridpath (P)2011 Isis Publishing Ltd Crime Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime
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There are two main storylines here, one dealing with murder, the other with retribution. There’s no great suspense, though the narrative is competently accomplished and the author wisely steers away from too close an association with fantasy literature.

The bleakness of the Icelandic countryside is well observed and none of the characters slips into caricature. In the end I could have done without the American drug angle, though something presumably was needed to justify the return to Iceland.

Rings and shadows

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US cop ends up in Iceland solving a mystery linked to sagas and to Tolkien. This is a good listen and for me has the right balance of light and enough dark to make it interesting. A good listen for driving to work and a lot less upsetting than Jo Nesbo!

Good fun whodunnit with Icelandic twist

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Icelandic landscape, sagas, Tolkien, a detective story - a wonderful combination of ingredients which form the recipe of a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable book. I loved it.

Fabulous!

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One needs to be conversant with Tolkien’s tale to enjoy this book. I would have returned it, but I had reached my ‘quota ‘ of returns. The excellent narration kept me listening .What a pity that what could have been a decent thriller was spoiled by endless chapters on the sagas. Perhaps a more thorough editor would have helped.

Lord of the Rings ?

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This was the first time I had come across Michael Ridpath and I'm really enjoying the story and the narration by Sean Barrett.The story flows well and you feel a sympathy for the main character, Magnus, which always helps. He's not a perfect character and that makes him more likeable. The description is also good and has made me want to go to Iceland.

The story links to Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" and this linked to the Icelandic sagas gives an interesting element so the focus isn't just on the experience around the murder but on why it happened.

I'll definitely be reading Michael Ridpath's other novels.

A great find!

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