A very good book full of the atmoshere of Finland. A melancholy detective mourning the death of his wife is the fine central character who investigates the deaths of three other people. Well developed characters and a good plot make this a very good read. ( )

At the start of Ice Moon a policeman, Kimmo Joentaa sees his young wife dies prematurely. Still in a state of grief, he returns to work where the latest case involves a woman murdered in her bed. Then a man is killed in a hostel, in a seemingly unconnected murder, but Joentaa feels they are the work of serial killer and that his recent loss has given him a special connection with the killer.

Although it is a crime novel, there was not a huge mystery here as we were also shown things from the perspective of the killer. So you sort of know who the killer is, but it is a case of seeing how exactly he fits in with the victims. This is an interesting angle and along with the moving portrayal of Joentaa’s grief, it raises Ice Moon above the standard crime novel. ( )

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/... ( )