Voices by Arnaldur Indridason

It’s Christmastime in Reykjavik when Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson is called to a hotel with news that their Santa has been murdered. The Santa, Gudlaugur Egilsson, was also a doorman at the hotel and lived in the basement. Erlendur then discovers that Gudlaugur was a child star who had a beautiful voice and produced two albums. Since then, he’s lead an isolated life estranged from his family and without any friends. Who would want him dead? Erlendur and his colleagues, Sigurdur Oli and Elinborg, investigate the hotel staff, guests, and people from Gudlaugur’s past in order to find the killer. Erlendur, meanwhile, is distracted by worrying about his daughter, Eva Lind, who is still fighting drug addiction, and his own ghosts about his brother’s disappearance when he was a child. Voices is a solid addition to this mystery series which is as good as Henning Mankell’s or Helene Tursten’s (two other Nordic authors I really enjoy).