Last Rituals

Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Gruesome crime set in a country some think of as cold and inhospitable. But this shows that life goes on anywhere and amateur detectives (in this case a female lawyer) have the same family dilemmas, moral qualms and capacity to keep going whatever the climate or culture.

Extract

Thora laughed mockingly. 'That might be your only claim that I'd allow myself to doubt. Stuff that was supposed to be thrown away!' She pretended to lift something up and examine it with a sour face. 'What's this foot? Bloody stuff everywhere. Just throw it out.' She tossed aside the imaginary foot. 'Don't be stupid. Where did it come from?'
Halldor stared at Thora, blushing furiously. 'I'm not stupid. It was stuff that was supposed to be thrown away - not literally thrown away, but incinerated. If the police investigate it they'll find out it's all damaged body parts that had to be removed surgically. Part of my job is sending those things off to the incinerator. I took them home instead.'
'I think it would be more accurate to say it was your job, pal. I doubt you'll be doing any more shifts there.'

Parallels