I just finished a crime novel called "Last Rituals" by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, translated from the original Icelandic. I have no idea why I picked it up in the bookshop or purchased it, for that matter, but it was a very good read.
The elements of Witchcraft, Torture and the German and Icelandic portions of the Inquisition were somewhat gruesome and stomach churning as was the matter-of-fact treatment of the murder that was central to the plot. However, it was so well written, so simply written that the pages just flowed and I read it very quickly. Furthermore I found myself getting curious about Iceland and the places there that were mentioned in the book. I actually ended up surfing the net researching them. Go figure?
Good book though. Worth reading. A simple, well written murder mystery in a, to my Irish eyes, unusual setting.
