Iceland

The primary setting of this novel is the country of Iceland, the author’s native country. From the novel, the reader gets a picture of Iceland as being fairly small since the characters all seem to be connected. It also appears to be isolated from the rest of the world, and perhaps a little slow and sleepy, as is evidenced by Erlendur’s initial opinion that Holberg’s murder will proved to be another typical crime that will be easily solved. Nothing of any great intrigue ever seems to occur in Iceland.

The weather of Iceland seems to be extremely dismal, with rain being a constant presence throughout the novel. This makes the setting very dreary and with little cheer. The author emphasizes the rainy weather of Iceland to use it as a symbol for the state of the criminal investigation. The rain is heaviest during the darkest...