The Absolution
Yrsa Sigurdardottir
A Freyja and Huldar Thriller
Hodder & Stoughton 2019
391 pages
The Absolution is my second crack at the Freyja and Huldar thriller series by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. My previous experience,The Reckoning, did not really impress me. I had problems with the pacing. I had issues with howmuch of the story centered around the relationship between detective Huldar and social worker Freya. Finally, I had the impression that the author wasted a good premise. The Absolution: A Thriller (Children’s House Book 3)
Much can be said about Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s The Absolution. A killer goes around filming his victims apologizing over and over again before killing them or leaving them to die. It is not a spoiler to say that the victims turn out to have been bullies. Someone is exacting revenge.
The issue of bullying is in itself interesting. Unfortunately, Sigurdardottir does not explore it beyond the usual platitudes. Tossing in an expert on the subject for good measure only serves to create an awkward situation for Freya.
The relationship triangle between Freyja, Huldar, and his boss Erla grows more and more annoying and unbelievable.
The solve itself is clever and interesting. Getting there is fun enough if you are a fan of Icelandic thrillers or the nordic noir in general.
Also by Sigurdardottir and reviewed here, The Reckoning