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The Grímur Karlsson Mysteries #2
The Mistake
A mutilated body is found on a lonely street in Reykjavík. Detective Grímur intends to see that justice is done. Kjartan Jónsson vows that his daughter’s killer will be punished. And that the punishment will fit the crime. Prime suspect Gunnar Atli desperately needs to prevent his own dark secrets from coming to light. And he’s not the only one. Fine lines separate truth, justice and vengeance. Put a foot wrong, and any one of them could be making the biggest mistake of his life. In Iceland, the winter shadows grow long...
- GenresNordic Noir
164 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2015
15 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Grant Nicol
8 books12 followersGrant left New Zealand over twenty years ago to settle in Australia but after many years spent maintaining electric guitars for a variety of indie rock bands in Sydney he found himself moving again, this time to Northern Ireland, where he first started toying with the idea of writing crime fiction. After ten years in Belfast he switched venues to Iceland where his first four books are set. ‘On A Small Island’, ‘The Mistake’, ‘A Place To Bury Strangers’ and ‘Out On The Ice’ are the result of a lot of time spent indoors watching the weather pass him by one North Atlantic storm front at a time.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 19, 2015
Number Thirteen Press has embarked on a project to publish 13 quality crime novellas and short novels. The contributions to this list are being published consecutively on the 13th of the month between November 2014 and November 2015. Following Michael Young’s Of Blondes and Bullets, and Steve Finbow’s Down Among The Dead, 13 January 2015 heralds the release of Reykjavik-dwelling author Grant Nichol’s crime novella The Mistake. The author is a New Zealander, but the book is set in Iceland.
The Mistake opens with the discovery of a horrific car crash scene in a lava field in rural Iceland. A young woman lies dead after exiting the car through the windshield. Dramatically, the seemingly lifeless body of a man suddenly reanimates with a screaming fit.
Cut to nine years later and Gunnar Atli Davidsson, who is prone to blacking out and losing periods of his life, stumbles upon a dead girl outside his house. Her body has been horrifically mutilated. To police detective Grimur Karlsson it seems a fairly open and shut case, with the revelation of Davidsson’s tortured past and underlying psychological problems. However, in the spirit of all police procedurals, there are secrets and lies galore not only in Davidsson’s neighbourhood but also in the dead girl’s estrangement from her family and her father’s quest for justice.
As the story spirals out to take in the details of Davidsson’s psychological treatment, and his link’s to the dead girl, Nicol takes us on a satisfying series of twists and curves towards a sordid and tragic conclusion. Obviously, with the condensed nature of the novella format, the characters do rather feel a little one-dimensional, as there is little scope for character development. They don’t seem that well fleshed out, and it’s easy to reduce them to a basic list of attributes. Karlsson is an effective enough police detective, Davidsson ticks the boxes as a potential murder suspect, Kjarten (the dead girl’s father) has simple enough reasons for retribution, Davidsson’s shrink is suitably creepy and so on.
At little over 100 pages, it’s a quick read with some nice touches vis-a-vis its cold and menacing Icelandic setting. The Mistake is a satisfying way to while away some time in a world of noir, and is certainly worth a look.
(Review posted at crimefictionlover.com)
The Mistake opens with the discovery of a horrific car crash scene in a lava field in rural Iceland. A young woman lies dead after exiting the car through the windshield. Dramatically, the seemingly lifeless body of a man suddenly reanimates with a screaming fit.
Cut to nine years later and Gunnar Atli Davidsson, who is prone to blacking out and losing periods of his life, stumbles upon a dead girl outside his house. Her body has been horrifically mutilated. To police detective Grimur Karlsson it seems a fairly open and shut case, with the revelation of Davidsson’s tortured past and underlying psychological problems. However, in the spirit of all police procedurals, there are secrets and lies galore not only in Davidsson’s neighbourhood but also in the dead girl’s estrangement from her family and her father’s quest for justice.
As the story spirals out to take in the details of Davidsson’s psychological treatment, and his link’s to the dead girl, Nicol takes us on a satisfying series of twists and curves towards a sordid and tragic conclusion. Obviously, with the condensed nature of the novella format, the characters do rather feel a little one-dimensional, as there is little scope for character development. They don’t seem that well fleshed out, and it’s easy to reduce them to a basic list of attributes. Karlsson is an effective enough police detective, Davidsson ticks the boxes as a potential murder suspect, Kjarten (the dead girl’s father) has simple enough reasons for retribution, Davidsson’s shrink is suitably creepy and so on.
At little over 100 pages, it’s a quick read with some nice touches vis-a-vis its cold and menacing Icelandic setting. The Mistake is a satisfying way to while away some time in a world of noir, and is certainly worth a look.
(Review posted at crimefictionlover.com)
February 17, 2015
“A small pair of blood-splattered feet were the first things Snorri Petursson saw as he swung the beam of his flickering torch across the snow-covered lava fields…When he ran the light further up the legs across the torn black tights and black skirt he could see that the young woman they belonged to was no longer alive. Her eyes were wide open but staring lifelessly ahead at nothing, covered with a thin layer of blood that criss-crossed her cornea like a fishing net. Her startled appearance gave her a look of being taken completely by surprise. By the state of her head that was exactly what happened,” –The Mistake by Grant Nicol
The Mistake, by Grant Nicol, is an atmospheric trip into Icelandic noir that leaves the reader’s fingers blistering as you fly thorough the pages of this well-plotted offering. The plot is lean, dialogue real, the words seem to have been painted onto the page by a master artist and the characters jump off the page.
The plot is a well-known one. Girl is killed and the police find a suspect at the scene of the crime. The suspect denies his guilt and the police rush to find evidence to convict. Basic fare…right? Not in the hands of Nicol. He has added enough to this plot to bring it to life in a fresh manner and leave the reader unsure of what new twists will be coming next. I found that the cold, dark Icelandic setting helped add to the atmosphere that was being painted throughout the novel. It helped create a dark, dreary vibe that served the experience of reading the book well.
The police receive a call that a young woman’s body has been mutilated and the body has been left outside of a local building. The suspect they find near the body has no forensic evidence on him to tie him to the crime, but claims to have no memory of the 15 minutes preceding him seeing the body. The suspect has a lengthy past that explains this blind spot in his memory and the threads to the story are sewn together where nothing seems contrived.
The story has all the golden nuggets needed to have a dark, dreary tale (in the most positive way). Nicol has crafted a tale that has a vengeful father looking for answers and willing to find revenge in anyway he can, a cop who is desperate for answers and will look high and low for them, call-girls and pimps, and he has an eye for putting them together in a book that was enjoyable and a great introduction to this author.
This is the third offering I have read from the up-and-coming Number Thirteen Press, and I am pleased to say it is the third book I have enjoyed! I am hoping this trend continues and I hope they are considering publishing more than 1 book per month…but I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, as I am really enjoying what we are getting from them every month!
This review was originally published on my blog: https://dman4227.wordpress.com
The Mistake, by Grant Nicol, is an atmospheric trip into Icelandic noir that leaves the reader’s fingers blistering as you fly thorough the pages of this well-plotted offering. The plot is lean, dialogue real, the words seem to have been painted onto the page by a master artist and the characters jump off the page.
The plot is a well-known one. Girl is killed and the police find a suspect at the scene of the crime. The suspect denies his guilt and the police rush to find evidence to convict. Basic fare…right? Not in the hands of Nicol. He has added enough to this plot to bring it to life in a fresh manner and leave the reader unsure of what new twists will be coming next. I found that the cold, dark Icelandic setting helped add to the atmosphere that was being painted throughout the novel. It helped create a dark, dreary vibe that served the experience of reading the book well.
The police receive a call that a young woman’s body has been mutilated and the body has been left outside of a local building. The suspect they find near the body has no forensic evidence on him to tie him to the crime, but claims to have no memory of the 15 minutes preceding him seeing the body. The suspect has a lengthy past that explains this blind spot in his memory and the threads to the story are sewn together where nothing seems contrived.
The story has all the golden nuggets needed to have a dark, dreary tale (in the most positive way). Nicol has crafted a tale that has a vengeful father looking for answers and willing to find revenge in anyway he can, a cop who is desperate for answers and will look high and low for them, call-girls and pimps, and he has an eye for putting them together in a book that was enjoyable and a great introduction to this author.
This is the third offering I have read from the up-and-coming Number Thirteen Press, and I am pleased to say it is the third book I have enjoyed! I am hoping this trend continues and I hope they are considering publishing more than 1 book per month…but I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, as I am really enjoying what we are getting from them every month!
This review was originally published on my blog: https://dman4227.wordpress.com
November 23, 2015
THE MISTAKE was the first story from Iceland-based Kiwi author Grant Nicol that I've read. It won't be the last. Diving into this novella on a train journey in the UK, I found myself completely absorbed by Nicol's prose and storytelling. Hooked early, intrigued throughout.
Set in Nicol's adopted hometown of Reykjavik, THE MISTAKE has a simple but very effective set-up. There's been a brutal murder. There's a clear prime suspect - the very troubled man prone to blackouts who claims he just stumbled across the body. A cop and a bereaved father both want justice, but of vastly different kinds. Several people, all with secrets, collide.
Nicol does a superb job taking this premise and layering in a lot of complexities and intrigue. Beyond the "just what really happened - did Gunnar Atli do it or not?" hook, we are taken down a number of rabbit holes, as Nicol guides us into the darker parts of Icelandic society. Prostitution, treatment of the mentally ill, domestic troubles, crime and justice. Nordic Noir with a strong emphasis on the NOIR.
This is a very good crime tale.
Part of Number 13 Press's monthly series of high quality crime novellas, THE MISTAKE is small but perfectly formed. 150 pages that pack quite a punch, and leaves the reader reeling at times.
Being a novella, there isn't room for a massive amount of character development, but I felt that Nicol did a good job bring some depth to those involved; they were more than ciphers or caricatures, even if it is a very plot and atmosphere-focused tale. There's a real creepy sense to THE MISTAKE, a story of things going badly wrong in a world where bad things happen, beneath the snowy and peaceful veneer of Iceland.
Reading THE MISTAKE almost reminded me of those classic horror movies, which were brooding and creepy more than bloody and slasher-like. Absorbing, atmospheric, and suspenseful - powered by dark situations getting even darker as events unfold. Where the worst things happened off-screen, and were left to our imaginations, fuelling that gut-clenching psychological fear rather than blood-filled splatter and visuals.
Nicol is a talented storyteller who takes us on a short, but very good, ride.
Set in Nicol's adopted hometown of Reykjavik, THE MISTAKE has a simple but very effective set-up. There's been a brutal murder. There's a clear prime suspect - the very troubled man prone to blackouts who claims he just stumbled across the body. A cop and a bereaved father both want justice, but of vastly different kinds. Several people, all with secrets, collide.
Nicol does a superb job taking this premise and layering in a lot of complexities and intrigue. Beyond the "just what really happened - did Gunnar Atli do it or not?" hook, we are taken down a number of rabbit holes, as Nicol guides us into the darker parts of Icelandic society. Prostitution, treatment of the mentally ill, domestic troubles, crime and justice. Nordic Noir with a strong emphasis on the NOIR.
This is a very good crime tale.
Part of Number 13 Press's monthly series of high quality crime novellas, THE MISTAKE is small but perfectly formed. 150 pages that pack quite a punch, and leaves the reader reeling at times.
Being a novella, there isn't room for a massive amount of character development, but I felt that Nicol did a good job bring some depth to those involved; they were more than ciphers or caricatures, even if it is a very plot and atmosphere-focused tale. There's a real creepy sense to THE MISTAKE, a story of things going badly wrong in a world where bad things happen, beneath the snowy and peaceful veneer of Iceland.
Reading THE MISTAKE almost reminded me of those classic horror movies, which were brooding and creepy more than bloody and slasher-like. Absorbing, atmospheric, and suspenseful - powered by dark situations getting even darker as events unfold. Where the worst things happened off-screen, and were left to our imaginations, fuelling that gut-clenching psychological fear rather than blood-filled splatter and visuals.
Nicol is a talented storyteller who takes us on a short, but very good, ride.
April 30, 2015
The Mistake by Grant Nicol
Fine lines separate truth, justice and vengeance…
Grant Nicol's 'The Mistake' finds Gunnar Atli Davíđsson passed out in the snow outside his own front door - with a girl's horribly mutilated corpse in his trash.
Then things get worse.
I don't want to spoil anything but must say that I loved Grant Nicol's turn of phase - 'everything slowly turned as black as the middle of a moonless night' - and thoroughly enjoyed the simultaneous but separate ride-alongs with Reykjavík Detective Grímur Karlsson and Kjartan Jónsson, father of the murdered girl, as, in parallel, they investigate Ísabella's murder - and end up in wholly different places.
It's a great short story - that gets darker and darker toward the end: the stuff of a taut horror movie, say, that though you don't actually see it on the screen, it lets you imagine the whole horrendous worst as the disturbing details are revealed to you and the tragedy plays out.
Remember, in Iceland, the winter shadows… might devour you.
Also, I noticed that The Mistake is published by Number Thirteen Press which is building a list of 13 crime novellas and short novels to be published on the 13th of each month (from November 13th 2014 to November 13th 2015). It's a great idea - and Grant Nicol's The Mistake being the third novella on Number Thirteen's list, I can only look forward to reading more - both from the list and from Grant Nicol.
Fine lines separate truth, justice and vengeance…
Grant Nicol's 'The Mistake' finds Gunnar Atli Davíđsson passed out in the snow outside his own front door - with a girl's horribly mutilated corpse in his trash.
Then things get worse.
I don't want to spoil anything but must say that I loved Grant Nicol's turn of phase - 'everything slowly turned as black as the middle of a moonless night' - and thoroughly enjoyed the simultaneous but separate ride-alongs with Reykjavík Detective Grímur Karlsson and Kjartan Jónsson, father of the murdered girl, as, in parallel, they investigate Ísabella's murder - and end up in wholly different places.
It's a great short story - that gets darker and darker toward the end: the stuff of a taut horror movie, say, that though you don't actually see it on the screen, it lets you imagine the whole horrendous worst as the disturbing details are revealed to you and the tragedy plays out.
Remember, in Iceland, the winter shadows… might devour you.
Also, I noticed that The Mistake is published by Number Thirteen Press which is building a list of 13 crime novellas and short novels to be published on the 13th of each month (from November 13th 2014 to November 13th 2015). It's a great idea - and Grant Nicol's The Mistake being the third novella on Number Thirteen's list, I can only look forward to reading more - both from the list and from Grant Nicol.
February 16, 2015
Grant Nicol’s The Mistake is a tense and atmospheric Nordic noir.
The violent death of a young girl leads to a murder investigation which digs deep into Reykjavik’s seedy underbelly and unearth’s some dark secrets.
Another belter from Number Thirteen Press.
The violent death of a young girl leads to a murder investigation which digs deep into Reykjavik’s seedy underbelly and unearth’s some dark secrets.
Another belter from Number Thirteen Press.
January 29, 2015
I liked the gal from the first book better. It was a good story but the detective did little in solving it. Worth a read.
February 28, 2017
A short, clever, rather sad Icelandic murder mystery.
June 20, 2016
The novella THE MISTAKE is short, sharp, packed with a punch crime fiction set in Iceland, written by ex-pat New Zealander Grant Nicol. Set in Reykjavik, there's a lot that's laid on the line, as you'd expect in something constrained by length. There's been a brutal murder and the clear suspect is on the scene. A troubled man, prone to blackouts, discovers a body in his own yard and it looks like it's done and dusted. Especially when the suspect, Gunnar Atli, has secrets to hide. On the other side of the equation is a cop who is determined to prove beyond reasonable doubt, and a father who seems equally determined to ensure justice is delivered for his daughter.
A simple premise on the face of it, but layered and complicated beautifully throughout, this is a story that keeps the reader constantly guessing. Not just about what really happened, but how the victim ended up as a victim, what is it that everybody is trying to hide, and obviously, did Atli actually kill this troubled young woman. Along the way there are plenty of things about all societies these days to consider - domestic violence, prostitution and the treatment of the mentally ill for starters.
Whilst character development does take a little bit of a back stall in THE MISTAKE, there's enough depth there to give you a feeling for these people, and what they think and feel. The plot has considerable focus, as the tussle between convenience and conclusion play out. What's particularly strong however, is atmosphere. There's something wonderfully dark and slightly creepy about this tale, bringing a different viewpoint to expectations of something that seems as overwhelmingly peaceful or at least considered as Icelandic society.
Given how short THE MISTAKE is you could be excused for feeling somewhat let down, as it feels like the sort of story that could have expanded, but fortunately Nicol has a first, full-length novel - ON A SMALL ISLAND - out if you're of a mind to keep going with this author's writing. It's a different set of characters, and a different scenario, but there's that same absorbing, all encompassing atmosphere.
Both of these outings are definitely well worth a look if you're a fan of the darker, less cut and dried, nuanced side of crime fiction.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
A simple premise on the face of it, but layered and complicated beautifully throughout, this is a story that keeps the reader constantly guessing. Not just about what really happened, but how the victim ended up as a victim, what is it that everybody is trying to hide, and obviously, did Atli actually kill this troubled young woman. Along the way there are plenty of things about all societies these days to consider - domestic violence, prostitution and the treatment of the mentally ill for starters.
Whilst character development does take a little bit of a back stall in THE MISTAKE, there's enough depth there to give you a feeling for these people, and what they think and feel. The plot has considerable focus, as the tussle between convenience and conclusion play out. What's particularly strong however, is atmosphere. There's something wonderfully dark and slightly creepy about this tale, bringing a different viewpoint to expectations of something that seems as overwhelmingly peaceful or at least considered as Icelandic society.
Given how short THE MISTAKE is you could be excused for feeling somewhat let down, as it feels like the sort of story that could have expanded, but fortunately Nicol has a first, full-length novel - ON A SMALL ISLAND - out if you're of a mind to keep going with this author's writing. It's a different set of characters, and a different scenario, but there's that same absorbing, all encompassing atmosphere.
Both of these outings are definitely well worth a look if you're a fan of the darker, less cut and dried, nuanced side of crime fiction.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
February 17, 2015
I've read a number of Nordic crime books, it seems everywhere you turn in a book shop these days another author is releasing a book set in this part of the world. I enjoyed Larsson's 'Girl' trilogy, but couldn't really get on with any other books set in the Nordic region, I think the main reason for this is that they are overly descriptive and take an age to tell a story. With Nicol's, The Mistake, there is no such problem. Yes, this is only novella length but Nicol manages to pack at least as much story ( if not more) into this short length as other Nordic writers do across 600-700 pages. Nicol doesn't have time to be overly descriptive about things that don't move the story along, and the book is a better read for that. Here we get an interesting story of a young girl's murder told at a great pace, not a word is wasted.
Often in shorter fiction something is lacking, but not here. Nicol gives us well drawn characters and a multi-level story that's every bit as compelling to read as longer fiction. One of the great things about this book is in fact it's length, not just because it makes the story rattle along at pace, but also because most readers should easily be able to complete the story in a sitting or two. Number Thirteen Press are servicing a market for those of us that love to read but are finding time more and more pressured. These days it takes me weeks to finish a novel, number thirteen press are producing quality crime reads that allow me to enjoy a story quickly... Long may that continue
Often in shorter fiction something is lacking, but not here. Nicol gives us well drawn characters and a multi-level story that's every bit as compelling to read as longer fiction. One of the great things about this book is in fact it's length, not just because it makes the story rattle along at pace, but also because most readers should easily be able to complete the story in a sitting or two. Number Thirteen Press are servicing a market for those of us that love to read but are finding time more and more pressured. These days it takes me weeks to finish a novel, number thirteen press are producing quality crime reads that allow me to enjoy a story quickly... Long may that continue
April 17, 2016
In icy Reykjavik the discovery of a murdered young woman leads Detective Grimur Karlsson into a dark and murky investigation. The prime suspect Atil Daviosson suffers blackouts so can’t remember what happened at the time of the murder but with all clues pointing to him this is one case that looks simple until the threads start to unravel. Could someone else be framing Atil for the murder and if so why? The Mistake is a bleak noir crime story and another winner from Number Thirteen Press, leaving me curious to seek out other titles from the publisher in the near future. Enjoy.
December 30, 2015
Save your money
If you're bored out of your mind and want to read something, anything to relieve your boredom then go for the $1.49 and buy 'The Mistake'. Better you spend $3.99 for one of the Helsinki Homicide novels. Better stories, more engaging likable characters and realism.
If you're bored out of your mind and want to read something, anything to relieve your boredom then go for the $1.49 and buy 'The Mistake'. Better you spend $3.99 for one of the Helsinki Homicide novels. Better stories, more engaging likable characters and realism.
May 7, 2016
Okay
Not bad, not unputdownable but quite readable. I'd probably give this book a 6\10. I expect this author will grow into his work over time and I would read more of his books.
Not bad, not unputdownable but quite readable. I'd probably give this book a 6\10. I expect this author will grow into his work over time and I would read more of his books.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews