Review of THE DANCER by Óskar Guðmundsson

 3.5 Stars

I’m always on the lookout for Icelandic crime fiction and was happy to discover this author whom I had not read.

Set in 1982 in Reykjavík, the book opens with a dance scene unlike any I’ve ever seen or read about. It certainly sets the tone for the rest of the novel. Gunnhildur was once a promising ballet dancer but an accident left her wheel-chair bound and an alcoholic. From when he was a child, she taught her son Tony to dance and subjected him to years of grueling practice sessions which have left him with damaged feet. By chance, he gets a role on the stage of the National Theatre. After being bullied and ostracized at school, he thinks he might have found friends among his fellow dancers, but he encounters a competitive world whose secrets further damage an already troubled and broken young man.

The book also opens with the discovery of the body of a man who turns out to be Tony’s father. Valdimar, a veteran detective, and Ylfa, a rookie, are paired to investigate. Of course, they are led to Gunnhildur and Tony’s home where they find a woman barely coherent and a young man who has no grief for the passing of his estranged father.

The novel alternates between Tony’s perspective and that of the two investigators. The police procedural elements are secondary because the focus is on Tony’s troubled mind. The book is really a “whydunit” rather than a “whodunit” because the killer’s identity is obvious. It is the exploration of motive that dominates the narrative. Nonetheless, there is a surprise or two.

What is also surprising is that despite the increasingly depraved actions of the killer, it is impossible not to have some sympathy for him. As the depths of his suffering are revealed, it is impossible not to see him as a victim caught in a web of the betrayal and thwarted ambitions of others. He is not an innocent but his desire for revenge is understandable. As one betrayal is piled on another, his descent into madness feels inevitable.

Valdimar and Ylfa make an interesting pair. Brief backstories are given for both: Valdimar has health concerns and Ylfa has marital problems. The two work well together and I hope that this is the first of a series featuring the duo.

My one issue with the book is Tony’s being able to get a part in a ballet already in rehearsals for an upcoming performance. I know that Iceland does not have a large population, but is it really possible for someone to walk in off the street and be given a role in a ballet at the Ƥjóðleikhúsið?

This dark and disturbing book is not for those looking for a cozy mystery. There is brutality and violence. It will appeal to those who are interested in an exploration of the psychological impact of childhood trauma and long-term abuse.