Áttablaðarósin got 4 stars (from 5 possible) in Morgunblaðið, one of Iceland’s oldest newspapers.
The critique writes: “It’s probably hard for a crime author, who decides to write about a foreign company interested in buying a national energy company, to avoid political clichés and general boredom, but Óttar M. Norðfjörð manages to do just that perfectly in Áttablaðarósin. Each time the author has to choose between writing a good story and blowing political firecrackers, he chooses the story. Other less skilled authors would have been too tempted and therefore ruined the book.”
The critique goes on to describe the book as “complex” and praises the ending for being “beautifully done”.
He then writes: “I’m not sure whether the description of Reykjavik’s darker side is true or not, but still it manages to run chills down the reader’s spine.
The character built-up is good and the author creates a true relationship with the reader and also between Áróra and Gabríel. None of the characters are two-dimensional caricatures, but elaborate and believable persons with real feelings. The author also knows when to stop and allow the reader to take a creative part in the story with his own reading.”
The critique ends the review by saying: “Áttablaðarósin is literally a story that’s impossible to put aside until the last page is over, and without a doubt one of the best crime novels this Christmas.”
The critique writes: “It’s probably hard for a crime author, who decides to write about a foreign company interested in buying a national energy company, to avoid political clichés and general boredom, but Óttar M. Norðfjörð manages to do just that perfectly in Áttablaðarósin. Each time the author has to choose between writing a good story and blowing political firecrackers, he chooses the story. Other less skilled authors would have been too tempted and therefore ruined the book.”
The critique goes on to describe the book as “complex” and praises the ending for being “beautifully done”.
He then writes: “I’m not sure whether the description of Reykjavik’s darker side is true or not, but still it manages to run chills down the reader’s spine.
The character built-up is good and the author creates a true relationship with the reader and also between Áróra and Gabríel. None of the characters are two-dimensional caricatures, but elaborate and believable persons with real feelings. The author also knows when to stop and allow the reader to take a creative part in the story with his own reading.”
The critique ends the review by saying: “Áttablaðarósin is literally a story that’s impossible to put aside until the last page is over, and without a doubt one of the best crime novels this Christmas.”