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The Faroe Islands are situated approximately half-way between Iceland and Norway. Their unique ecosystem is based upon both their isolation and their location in the heart of the Gulf Stream. A thousand-year-long tradition of "grinds," or whale drives, has resulted in modern-day conflict between islanders intent upon killing whales for meat and blubber and conservationists equally intent upon saving those whales. It is around this conflict that THE KILLING BAY is set. Erla Sivertsen, a photographer for the conservationist organization, is killed shortly after a grind takes place, and one strand of this complex mystery is associated with finding her murderer. The main investigator in this case, Hjalti Hentze, is Faroese, and the sections of the book dealing with his investigation are told in the third person.
The other main strand of the plot concerns Jan Reygna, a British policeman who is recovering from a loosely alluded to controversy as he attempts to track down and understand his mother's past in the Faroe Islands. His sections of the book are told in the first person. The changing perspective, while jarring at first, is actually very helpful as characterization is not Ould's strength. It helps the reader to identify who is involved in the plot at any given point. Reygna and Hentze are friends, and throughout the book Reygna often serves as a sounding board for Hentze. In addition, Reygna's investigations into his mother's past, particularly at a hippie commune during the 70s, help cast light upon Hentze's investigations.
As one gets into the book, which happens quickly, it becomes clear that Hentze's investigation is being manipulated by higher powers. Hentze and his team struggle to make sense of the evidence in an environment where some sort of conspiracy is taking place. His friendship with Reygna puts his friend in danger, but also allows for non-traditional police work that results in closure for both Hentze and Reygna. The result is a thriller that captivates the reader and makes the 460 page book fly by.
Ould writes most beautifully of the landscape and culture of the Faroe Islands. Having read this book, I'm now adding a trip to the Faroes to my bucket list. The land, the lakes, the ocean, the homes, the tunnels…all of them are brought into clear focus. And even the most rundown seem picturesque. Research indicates that there was never a commune at Muli, where Jan's mother might have spent time, but the descriptions of the area make me want to travel to this remote setting anyway.
The KILLING BAY is written with a prologue structure that invites the reader, once having finished the book, to go back to the beginning. Doing so will be rewarding, as reading the prologue without the knowledge gained from the main story is less than illuminating, but reading it after building the background makes it fall into place and, in the end, provides much more to the plot than it did at the beginning.
This is the second in the Faroes series. Having read it, I will be heading back to the first, THE BLOOD STRAND, and watching for the third, THE FIRE PIT.
§ Sharon Mensing, retired educational leader, lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors in rural Wyoming.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, March 2017
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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